Postgraduate research

Leicestershire Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Doctoral Training Programme

Qualification: PhD

Departments: Population Health Sciences Respiratory Sciences Sociology

Application deadline: Friday 7 February 2025

Start date: 1 October 2025

Overview

This prestigious PhD programme will look to address the unique health issues faced by Leicester and Leicestershire’s ethnically and culturally diverse population, recently amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to funding from the Wellcome Trust, we are offering funding opportunities for 25 Research Fellows over five years, which will provide nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and doctors with the chance to pursue academic research.  

Funding provided by the PhD Programme for Healthcare Professionals (HCP’s) will cover three years’ salary for each Fellow, as well as experimental research costs and training, delivered in partnership with the University of Leicester, Loughborough University, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester City Council’s Public Health team, and Leicester City CCG.

The Fellows will also benefit from well-established partnerships across the regional and national healthcare system, local government, industry and community groups in addition to the expertise at Leicester with the aim of developing a generation of innovative world-leading researchers in under-represented groups of health care professionals addressing important areas of health inequalities.

The programme is open to UK applicants and is now recruiting for October 2025 entry - See projects available below. 

Information about making an application can be found in the eligibility and how to apply sections below.

The programme will offer:

  • Various projects to support nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and doctors
  • Funding will cover three years’ salary for each Fellow, as well as experimental research costs and training
  • Total of 25 awards over 5 years (may be taken on a part-time basis - can be discussed at interview)

Learn more about the Wellcome Trust funded LHII Doctoral Training Programme

Projects for October 2025

Dr David Guttery:  Investigating the role of microbiomes and socioeconomic factors in oral cancer outcomes among South Asian and Caucasian populations in England (164 KB)

Dr Emer Brady: Improving our understanding of heart failure in women living in the UK (143 KB)

Dr Enya Daynes: Is a digital rehabilitation intervention feasible for the management of multiple long term conditions? (112 KB)

Dr Hannah Young: Developing a deep learning-based model to predict rehabilitation outcomes in underserved groups living with multiple long-term conditions (130KB)

Dr James King: A primary care intervention to support patients and healthcare professionals in managing obesity-related liver disease in minority ethnic communities  (125 KB)

Dr Kajal Gokal: Empowering those of Black and Asian ethnicity to engage in physical activity through the co-development of culturally appropriate resources within the oncology pathway to increase survival (169 KB)

Prof. David Stensel: Quantifying individual responsiveness to exercise to improve prescription and health outcomes in women and minority ethnic groups (151 KB)

Prof. Gerry McCann: A pilot randomized controlled trial of semaglutide in people living with multiple long-term and stage B heart failure (146 KB) 

Prof. Manish Pareek: The impact of post TB lung disease in the migrant population in Leicester  (123 KB)

Funding

Funding

The Wellcome Trust LHII DTP funding will provide:

  • Funding will cover three years salary for each Fellow
  • UK Tuition Fees for three years
  • Experimental research costs and training

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

You must hold a Bachelor’s degree

The minimum entry requirement for a research degree programme is an upper second class honours degree, or an equivalent overseas qualification, in a relevant subject. However, in exceptional circumstances, a special case for admission may be made based on one or more of the following criteria:

  • other qualifications held
  • training and experience
  • published works
  • upper second class strengths demonstrated in relevant modules of first degree

Special cases for admission to a research degree programme will be subject to approval from the Dean of the Doctoral College.

Your English level must meet our English language requirements

Informal enquiries

Informal enquiries

For further information, please e-mail lhiip@leicester.ac.uk.

How to apply

How to apply

Browse our webpage for full application help and advice.

To submit your application, please use the Apply Button at the bottom of the page and select September 2025 from the dropdown menu.

With your application, please provide:

  • CV
  • Degree Certificates and Transcripts of study already completed and if possible transcripts to date of study currently being undertaken
  • Personal statement - not exceed 700 words - explaining your interest in the project, your experience and why we should consider you. (The application system suggests a 1000 word personal statement, however, personal statements that are above the word limit of 700 words will be returned to the applicant for revision)
  • Evidence of English language if available
  • In the references section, please enter the contact details of two academic referees in the boxes provided or upload reference letters if already obtained
  • Complete the Widening Participation Questionnaire and upload it in the Research Proposal Section ( you do not need to upload a proposal)

In the funding section, please state Wellcome Trust LHII DTP

In the research proposal section, please provide the names of the project supervisor and the project title you want to be considered for in the spaces provided.

You can list up to 2 projects.

Eligibility

Eligibility

You must be a practicing AHP, nurse, midwife, doctor in training or GP

This programme is open to:

  • allied health professionals
  • nurses
  • midwives
  • doctors in training
  • general practitioners

We are using the NHS definition of allied health professionals. Find out whether your profession qualifies as an AHP according to NHS England.

Fellows recruited to the programme must be practicing healthcare professionals and be registered with a national professional regulatory body (e.g. the General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council) in the UK/Republic of Ireland.

Medical graduates must be registered on a UK/Republic of Ireland specialist training programme or must be a registered GP.

In order to apply for this programme you need to fulfil the following criteria:

You must be a UK applicant

This programme is not open to international applicants. If you are unsure whether you qualify as a UK applicant, please email PGRAdmissions@le.ac.uk with details of your current immigration status so that we can advise you.

Home/UK students

Generally to be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria and meet residency requirements:

  • Be a UK national or
  • Irish national or
  • Have EU settled status*, or
  • Have EU pre-settled status*  or,
  • Have Indefinite Leave to Remain or Enter

* for applicants holding EU settled and pre-settled status we will require a share code so that we can verify your status (the share code we require starts with S)  please email your share code together with your application ID to pgradmissions@le.ac.uk  once you have submitted your PhD application.

Further fee status advice can be found at UKCISA

Application options

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