tech4health: four year PhD in Digital Health Technologies

Summary

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training iN diGital heAlth technoloGiEs (ENGAGE) - Multiple PhD Studentships

The challenges for healthcare systems are unprecedented; exacerbated by the burdens of infectious and chronic disease, ageing populations, inequalities, fragmented systems and workforce shortages. The NHS has launched a mission to become world leaders in digital healthcare, and digital health saw a record $24 billion of investment in 2020. This highlights the importance of new technological approaches that are needed to harness the potential of routine and novel health data and digital solutions to enable transformational improvement of care pathways and outcomes.

Our doctoral training programme will address this deficit by creating a new coordinated training curriculum, partnering world-leading academic and NHS organisations and industry, to produce the new generation of highly skilled, multidisciplinary digital health technologists, researchers and innovators trained at the intersection of engineering, computing, data science and healthcare.

The programme consists of four themes, covering all disease areas:

1. Diagnostic and prognostic indications
2. Treatment and care optimisation
3. Disease tracking, surveillance and modelling
4. Health data security, interoperability and sharing

Research Environment

The degree is part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Health Technologies, which is run jointly between Ulster University and UCL. Students will benefit from the world leading departments and facilities of both institutions across engineering and health technology research. Ulster University hosts cutting-edge facilities for health technology development, prototyping and manufacture, including the industry-led Northern Ireland Connected Health Innovation Centre, the Biodevices Rapid Prototyping Lab, and the Centre for Digital Health Technology.

The centre also partners with 3 NIHR Biomedical Research Centres (UCL Hospitals, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Great Ormond Street) and UCL Partners (healthcare providers from primary to tertiary care across London and Essex).

Students are registered and supervised for their PhD at Ulster University and undertake their programme of research at UU. Additionally, students may participate in formative cohort training and development activities organised jointly with UCL. Some of these activities will be delivered by UCL however they do not constitute a formal or assessed part of the PhD programme.

Training and Networking Opportunities

The CDT model provides a unique opportunity for students to avail of:

• Cohort based training
• Individual training
• Networking opportunities
• Patient, public involvement and engagement (PPIE) training
• EDI training and wellbeing opportunities
• A 3-month clinical or industrial secondment (Year 1)
• A 3-year PhD research project (specialising from year 2)
• Our annual doctoral conference, bringing together current students and expert digital health scientists

Employability

The rapid evolution and wider impact and deployment of the technologies you’ll study means that your skills will be sought across many different disciplines, in industry and research.

Graduates of this programme will be adept at:

1. Identifying unmet need by engaging end-users and co-creating research questions with them.
2. Undertaking discovery research in engineering and physical sciences, bringing together approaches from different disciplines to tackle health challenges.
3. Understanding technology translation to the market via innovation & entrepreneurship.
4. Understanding the translational pipeline for sustainable digital health technologies, including ideation, development, evaluation, trials, regulation, adoption. This necessitates cohort-based training to provide a common skills profile across graduates, mapping directly to the needs of healthcare and industry.

https://www.tech4health.co.uk/

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal
• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• Masters at 65%
• Work experience relevant to the proposed project
• Publications - peer-reviewed

Equal Opportunities

The University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community, particularly from those with disabilities.

Appointment will be made on merit.

Funding and eligibility

This project is funded by:

• EPSRC

Our fully funded PhD scholarships will cover tuition fees and provide a maintenance allowance  of £20,780 per annum for four years* (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

These scholarships are open to applicants worldwide, regardless of residency or domicile.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.