PhD Studentship: BETW33N Towards equitable digital wellbeing

University of Birmingham - School of Social Policy

The Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB) is inviting applications for a Doctoral Studentship in association with our collaborative partner Worcestershire County Council to start in October 2026.

This PhD project, BETW33N: Towards Equitable Digital Wellbeing, aims to co-develop and evaluate a digital tool to improve mental wellbeing among adolescents aged 12–15 living in Worcestershire County. The project responds to local priorities around mental wellbeing, loneliness, and social isolation, with a strong focus on equity and inclusion.

Working closely with Worcestershire County Council (WCC), community partners, and young people, the PhD student will co-design an inclusive digital tool providing psychoeducation and signposting, integrated with social prescribing and community connector models. The project seeks to explore how such tools can be implemented safely and equitably, without exacerbating existing health inequalities.

WCC’s Living Well and Loneliness and Social Isolation initiatives will provide an established platform to support co-design, recruitment, and data collection, enabling the development and evaluation of solutions with potential for scalability and real-world impact.

The PhD will involve mixed methods research, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, and offers strong opportunities for applied, participatory, and policy-relevant research. The student will be supported by an experienced and interdisciplinary supervisory team: Dr Julia Gauly, Dr Marco Bardus, Professor Victoria Goodyear, and Dr Lisa McNally.

We are looking for a highly talented and dedicated PhD student with a 1st class or 2:1 degree in the field of Social Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, or Applied Health Sciences (e.g. Psychology, Education, Social Care). An MSc degree in a relevant area is desirable though not necessary. Previous experience with qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed methods research and/or work or research experience in mental health is desirable.

To be considered for this PhD, please follow the instructions, click the 'Apply' button above.

Application deadline: February 17 2026

Interviews for this studentship are expected to take place on March 16 (12pm-3pm) and March 17 (9am -3pm) 2026.

Centre-UB studentships cover tuition fees, a maintenance stipend, support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Due to funding stipulations set by UKRI, we are able to recruit up to 30% of international applicants to the cohort each year. You can find further details at https://www.centre-ub.org/studentships/call-for-applicants/

Informal enquiries about the project prior to application can be directed to Dr Julia Gauly (j.t.gauly@bham.ac.uk).