PhD Scholarship, Sheffield Hallam University: Embedding Physical Activity into Family Hubs: A Co Designed Community Intervention for Postpartum Women

About the Project

Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship at the School of Sport and Physical Activity, commencing 01 October 2026.

This fully funded scholarship covers Home PhD fees and provides a stipend at the Living Wage Foundation rate (£22,152 for 2025/26). The stipend increases annually according to the Living Wage rate.

As part of the scholarship, students will complete PhD study and support research activities in the school, for a maximum of 180 hours per academic year and not more than 6 hours in any one week. This activity forms part of the scholarship award and there is no additional payment for it.

Sheffield Hallam University delivers worldleading applied health and wellbeing research. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), 88% of our research was judged worldleading or internationally excellent.

You will join a thriving community of ~65 doctoral researchers supported through a comprehensive doctoral training programme and will be colocated within the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) - a worldleading hub for health innovation.

Embedding Physical Activity into Family Hubs: A Co‑Designed Community Intervention for Postpartum Women

Physical activity levels drop sharply after childbirth, reinforcing and widening existing health inequalities. Yet postpartum support has largely focused on individual behaviour change, overlooking the social and structural conditions that shape women’s daily opportunities to be active. Family Hubs—community‑based “one stop shops” providing integrated support for families with young children—offer a promising but under‑researched setting to embed inclusive, sustainable physical activity support for postpartum women.

This funded PhD will work collaboratively with women, practitioners and community stakeholders to co‑design, implement and evaluate a physical activity offer within a Local Family Hub. The project aligns closely with national priorities to shift care from hospitals into communities and to reduce health inequalities, offering excellent opportunities for real‑world impact, applied outputs and publication.

Aim

To co‑design, deliver and evaluate a community‑based physical activity offer for postpartum women embedded within a Family Hub, assessing feasibility, acceptability and mechanisms to inform future scale‑up.

Objectives

• Co‑design a physical activity offer with postpartum women and Family Hub staff that reflects local needs, preferences and constraints
• Implement the co‑designed physical activity intervention within a Family Hub setting
• Conduct a mixed‑methods feasibility and process evaluation exploring participation, acceptability, barriers, facilitators and mechanisms of impact

What we’re looking for in your PhD proposal

We welcome innovative, community‑focused and participatory approaches. Strong proposals may include ideas such as:

• Co‑design methods (e.g. workshops, surveys) with postpartum women and practitioners
• Delivery of a tailored physical activity offer
• Mixed‑methods evaluation combining quantitative measures of physical activity or wellbeing with qualitative interviews or focus groups
• Consideration of sustainability, scalability and relevance for public health and local authorities

This PhD is particularly well suited to applicants interested in public health, women’s health, community‑based physical activity, health inequalities, or healthcare professionals, and offers valuable doctoral training in a supportive interdisciplinary environment.

Other details

The PhD is based within the School of Sport and Physical Activity, co-locating at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, a world‑leading centre for physical activity research and innovation, and linked to work delivered through the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine and its community partnerships. Supervision is led by Dr Marlize De Vivo (CEO and Co‑Founder, Active Pregnancy Foundation), an international leader in perinatal physical activity and behaviour‑change implementation, alongside Dr Catherine Homer, Associate Professor with over 20 years’ experience in public health, and Dr Elysa Ioannou, an NIHR‑funded researcher and early career research fellow with expertise in systems thinking.

You are encouraged to contact Dr Marlize De Vivo (M.De-Vivo@shu.ac.uk) for informal enquiries about the project.

Eligibility

Applicants must hold a 1st class or 2:1 degree in Sport Science, Data Science, Biomedical Science, Engineering, or related subjects. Quantitative skills are desirable; training in specialist methods will be provided. We are offering this as a full-time PhD scholarship, though flexible working hours can be discussed. We welcome applications from all members of our community and are particularly encouraging those from diverse groups, such as members of the LGBTQIA+, BAME and disabled communities.

How to Apply

Complete and submit the online application form at: https://www.shu.ac.uk/courses/sport-and-physical-activity/phd-sport-and-physical-activity/full-time/2026

Please add the project title within the Personal Statement field of the application form.

You must upload:

1. A 1,500-word research proposal addressing this specific project.
2. Two letters of reference, or details of two academic referees
3. Copy of your highest degree certificate
4. Copy of your passport
5. International applicants must submit IELTS results (or equivalent) taken in the last two years

Application deadline: 17 June 2026, 12 noon UK Time (***Late applications will not be accepted**)

Interviews: W/C 06 July 2026 We are unable to offer alternative interview slots once allocated to shortlisted candidates.

Funding Notes

Our PhD Scholarships are open to Home, EU and International applicants, however, the bursary will cover the Home fee only. The shortfall between the Home and EU/ International fee, currently around £13,362 per year, must be covered by the student for the duration of the scholarship. No additional funding will be available to assist International students with this fee gap.