Nourishing Development: age and stage appropriate nutrition for female football (soccer) (M2604)

About the Project

University of the West of Scotland (UWS) is seeking to attract a PhD candidate of outstanding ability and commitment to join its vibrant and growing programme of internationally excellent research.

We invite applications for a fully funded PhD investigating the role of nutrition in elite women’s football. The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) will provide collaborative supervision, and the successful candidate will be embedded within Manchester City Women’s FC Academy as a research-practitioner. The candidate will be expected to contribute to the collection and analysis of nutrition and performance data, support the implementation of evidence-based practice, and lead applied research that aligns with the needs of the club.

Despite rapid professionalisation, nutritional practices in women’s football remain largely informed by evidence derived from male athletes (de Sousa et al., 2021). While reported energy demands in elite female football are broadly comparable to male counterparts , important sex-based differences in substrate utilisation, endocrine regulation, and metabolic responses might limit the direct transferability of male-derived guidance (McManus et al., 2026). Emerging evidence also highlights suboptimal fuelling practices relative to current recommendations, which may have implications for both performance and athlete health (McHaffie et al., 2023; Moss et al., 2021).

At the youth level, increased investment in women’s football has expanded academy systems; however, nutrition research remains limited and often fails to account for biological maturation across development (Adams et al., 2026). This is a critical omission, as adolescence represents a sensitive period for growth, bone health, and hormonal regulation, where inadequate energy intake may compromise long-term physiological development and resilience (Everett et al., 2025).

This PhD will address these gaps through longitudinal monitoring of training and match loads, comprehensive dietary assessment, and controlled investigations examining nutritional strategies. The specific research questions will be developed in collaboration with the club to ensure applied relevance. Overall, the project aims to generate high-quality evidence to inform female- and maturation-specific nutrition guidelines within elite football environments, while providing the candidate with valuable applied and academic experience.

The candidate/eligibility criteria

Essential criteria

• A minimum of a 2:1 undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition or a closely related discipline with a substantial nutrition and research component.
• Demonstratable knowledge of performance and sports nutrition, and female athlete physiology.
• Experience in applied nutrition support, with ability to translate evidence into practice.
• Exposure to high-performance sport environments and their operational demands.
• Evidence of effective collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to critically appraise scientific literature and apply findings in applied settings.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills, including ability to balance competing research and applied priorities.
• Ability to work independently and proactively.

Desirable criteria

• Postgraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition or a related field.
• SENr Graduate or Registered Nutritionist status, or clear progression towards registration with the Sport and Exercise Nutrition Register.
• Experience working with elite or professional (female) athletes.

The successful candidate must meet the following criteria:

• be a UK National (meeting residency requirements),
• or have settled status,
• or have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements),
• or have indefinite leave to remain

Additional Supervisors: Emma Deakin, Sam McHaffie & Dr Samantha Moss.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the UWS supervisory team prior to applying to discuss their interest and potential eligibility for the project. Dr Rachel Kimble (Rachel.Kimble@uws.ac.uk) & Prof Vish Unnithan (Vish.Unnithan@uws.ac.uk)

Application Deadline: 15/06/2026

Start Date: 01/10/2026

Applications must be made via the UWS Online System.

Funding Notes

This is a fully funded PhD Studentship and includes payment of tuition fees for 36 months at the home/UK rate and an annual maintenance stipend equivalent to UKRI minimum stipend rate (£21,805pa from 01/10/2026).

The successful candidate must meet the following criteria:

• be a UK National (meeting residency requirements),
• or have settled status,
• or have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements),
• or have indefinite leave to remain