Developing and implementing interventions to improve adherence to spectacle wear in children with learning disabilities.

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

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.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

Black, S., McConnell, E. et al., (2019) In-school eyecare in special education settings has measurable benefits for children’s vision and behaviour. Plos One.

Congdon, N., Zheng, M. et al. (2009) Prevalence and determinants of spectacle nonwear among rural Chinese secondary school children, Jama Ophthal, 126(12), 1717-1723.

Donaldson, L., Karas, M. et al., (2019) Findings from an opt-in eye examination service in English special schools: Is vision screening effective for this population? Plos One. 14(3).

Holgguin, AMC., Congdon, AM., (2006) Factors associated with spectacle-wear compliance in school-aged Mexican children. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 47(3), 925-928.

Ma, X., Zhou, Z., et al., (2014) Effect of providing free glasses on children’s educational outcomes in China: cluster randomized control trial. BMJ, 349, g5740.

McConnell, E.L., Black, S.A. et al., (2020) Parents and teachers of children in special education settings value in-school eyecare and written reports of visual status. Plos one, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0238779.

McKerr, L., McConnell, E., et al., (2020) Meeting vision needs of children with special educational needs: Case studies of the impact on behaviour and academic achievement. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 48(1), pp.45-58.

Pirindhavellie, G-P., Yong, AC., et al., (2023) The impact of spectacle correction on the well-being of children with vision impairment due to uncorrected refractive error: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 23, 1575.

Public Health England (2020) Eye care and people with learning disabilities: making reasonable adjustments.