Health, Well-Being and Society

The Health, Wellbeing and Society Training Pathway has an interdisciplinary focus on the social determinants of health and well-being in our society today and is uniquely placed to train the next generation of future world leading researchers in social science relating to health. This pathway aspires to enhance through training and support the ESRC’s delivery goals of ‘influencing behaviour and informing interventions’ and ‘creating a vibrant and fair society’.

This pathway brings together internationally recognised social scientists engaging in medical and health research. It enhances our capacity for interdisciplinary research across a wide range of health-related social science (including health economics, health policy, health psychology, medical anthropology, medical geography, medical sociology, social gerontology, social epidemiology, sociology, social policy, social work and education) working in collaboration with statisticians and public health, clinical and biomedical scientists. Within this cross-disciplinary, cross institutional pathway there is expertise from a wide range of areas of research. These include: behavioural and social science perspectives on ageing; child health; early intervention and prevention; chronic illness; disability and human development; environmental health; ethics; genetic and reproductive technologies; health inequalities; health care systems (including primary care, community pharmacy, nursing and allied health care professionals); health policy and politics; public health and social epidemiology.

Northumbria University

The Health, Wellbeing and Society Pathway at Northumbria is located within the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, providing a vibrant research environment in which more than 80% of research activity is rated as world leading or internationally excellent. The Department offers a strong cross-disciplinary research focus which brings together practitioner researchers and social scientists engaging in health and social carerelated research. Examples of areas of significant research activity include integrated health and social care, workforce development, health inequalities and the social determinants of health, healthy ageing, health economics, patient safety, implementation science, and military veterans and families health.

We would encourage PhD proposals which aim to examine health and health and social care provision and practices in their widest sense via interdisciplinary approaches which demand integration of practice-led concerns with those of health-related social sciences (including e.g. health economics, health policy, health psychology, medical geography, medical sociology, social gerontology, social epidemiology, sociology, social policy, social work and education).

Students who do not have a Masters will take a full Masters recognised by the ESRC prior to beginning their PhD studies. Applicants who have a non-ESRC accredited Masters qualification will take a 60 credit PG Cert in Research Methods. For guidance on the best training route and further information, please feel free to contact departments directly.

Durham University

At Durham University the Health, Well-being & Society pathway is embedded in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health spanning Anthropology, Geography, and Sociology. All encourage interdisciplinary PhD applicants whose proposed projects have a health and social science focus which may be embedded within any of the above disciplines. HWS students at Durham also benefit from membership of the Wolfson Institute for Health & Well-being. Health@Durham takes a broad non-clinical approach to individual, community, population and cross-cultural health issues. Please see Departmental webpages below for supervisors who share your interests.

Ulster University

The Health, Wellbeing and Society Pathway at Ulster University is based in the School of Medicine within the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences. The Faculty offers opportunities to collaborate across our world-leading schools of Medicine, Psychology,, Nursing, Geography, Sport and Exercise Science and Health Sciences. We would encourage inter-disciplinary PhD proposals across these areas that seek to develop strategic and applied research relevant to the health and social wellbeing of people to create healthy and active societies.

Newcastle University

Newcastle University Population Health Science Institute (PHSI) is a large, multi-disciplinary research institute within the Faculty of Medical Science (FMS) and has collaborative links across all three Newcastle University Faculties. PHSI comprises a vibrant multidisciplinary academic community working collaboratively alongside colleagues and partners from the wider health, care, industry and voluntary sectors as well as the public. Through research and education, our vision is to improve health, care and well-being for all and reduce health inequalities.

PHSI is the hub for Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, one of five UKCRC Research Centres of Excellence which brings together the five North East universities with Practice and Policy partners from across the region. Fuse is led by Professor Sheena Ramsay Fuse is a member of the NIHR School for Public Health Research, led by Professor Ashley Adamson (PHSI). PHSI also hosts the Director (Professor Eileen Kaner) and many theme leads for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria (ARC NENC). This partnership aims to harness clinical and academic expertise for timely patient benefit from research.

PHSI has a proven track record of supporting and developing researchers, and has hosted a wide range of prestigious research fellowships including: NIHR Doctoral, Postdoctoral, Career Development, Clinical Lectureships, Clinician Scientist, and Professorships; MRC Research Training Fellowships at the doctoral, postdoctoral and senior research level; and ESRC awards at all levels from doctoral to professorial.