2019-20 Medical Research Foundation Antimicrobial Resistance PhD Studentship

One studentship is offered at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) for 2019-20 through the Medical Research Foundation (MRF) PhD Training Programme in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research.
This studentship is available for an excellent candidate interested in researching the problem of AMR in a cross-disciplinary manner. The successful candidate will commence study in January 2020.
This 4-year interdisciplinary studentship covers:
  • the cost of fees (at the Home/EU fee rate)
  • a tax-free stipend (at the MRC stipend ‘plus’ rate – GBP 17,000.00 in Year 1 increasing to GBP 18,500.00 in Year 4, including London weighting)
  • funding for research costs,
  • an interdisciplinary 3-month research project/placement allowance, and
  • an annual travel allowance.

Projects

There are two project choices for this studentship. These are:

MRF National PhD Training Programme in AMR Research

The National Training Programme, funded for the Medical Research Foundation, has been set up to train new researchers to explore ways to tackle AMR, one of the greatest emerging threats to human health. The strategic objectives of this National PhD Training Programme in AMR are to develop a strong and active network of new researchers for the UK with multidisciplinary skills who will be able to develop, undertake and, potentially, lead AMR research which crosses the traditional boundaries between research disciplines and sectors.
Benefits of joining the Medical Research Foundation National PhD Training Programme in AMR Research
  • All PhD projects will be based within interdisciplinary research consortia funded by the UKRI Cross-Council AMR Initiative.
  • All students will have access to enhanced training opportunities including residential skills and training courses, cohort-building activities, and annual conferences. All are designed to expose students to a range of discipline-specific languages and interdisciplinary research skills, which are essential for enabling them to thrive as multidisciplinary AMR researchers.
  • PhD students will undertake a fully-funded 3-month interdisciplinary AMR project allowing them to work outside of their primary research area or an elective placement in industry, publishing, media, policy development or in AMR-relevant charities and organisations.
  • All Medical Research Foundation-funded PhD students will also be part of a wider cohort of 150 PhD students from across the UK who are also studying AMR. The cohort will have access to a bespoke, innovative online learning environment, which will facilitate peer-to-peer networking, question setting and mentoring.
Further information can be found on the MRF National PhD Training Programme in AMR Research website.

Eligibility requirements

In order to be eligible for this funding applicants must meet both the entry requirement and fee status requirement set out below.
Entry requirement: Applicants must meet the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine’s research degree entry requirements. Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, at least a 2.1 honours degree in a relevant social science subject, and should have training and experience with ethnographic and/or historical methods. Please note that these are the LSHTM’s minimum entry requirements for a PhD, and provide a baseline only for competitive studentship funding. Please read additional guidance on the LSHTM PhD Programme page.
Fee status requirement: Applicants must be assessed to have Home/EU fee status. Fee status is determined by UK government regulation. Details of this can be found on the UKCISA website. To qualify for Home/EU fee status, an applicant must be a UK or EU citizen who has maintained ordinary residence in the UK or EU continuously for 3 years prior to 1 January 2020. Please see the LSHTM’s Fee Assessment Policy for further details.

How to apply

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Dr Justin Dixon or Professor Martin Gorsky for further information and an informal discussion about the project prior to submitting a formal application.
Applicants should submit an LSHTM online application for research degree study to commence study in January 2020, using one of the project details (title and proposed supervisor) provided in this advert. As part of the applications, applicants will be expected to submit a research proposal. The research proposal should use one of the project descriptions provided and expand upon it. Under the ‘Funding’ section please indicate that you are applying for a Medical Research Foundation National PhD Training Programme in AMR Research funded (MRF AMR) project.
The deadline for applications is midnight BST on Friday 4 October 2019.

 Applicants short-listed for this funding will be interviewed by an academic panel from the AMR consortium at LSHTM. Interviews will be held at LSHTM.