Warwick Industrial Fellowship - PhD Studentship Complex Deaths: A Sociological Study of Complex Palliative Needs in Practices and Experiences of Dying in Community Settings

This studentship will explore how understanding contexts, people or needs as ‘complex’ is creating inequities in practices and experiences of a good death in palliative care. The student will investigate the relationship between wider ideas of society and healthcare as complex and how palliative care understands itself as addressing people’s ‘complex needs’. This aim is to better understand how ideas of complexity are contributing to the emergence of novel forms of dying and inequitable experiences of a good death in palliative care.

To do this the student will work with Marie Curie, who as well as a provider of palliative services, are the leading charitable funder of research into end of life and palliative care in the UK. The collaboration with Marie Curie provides a unique opportunity to draw on their networks and connections to both support the student’s research project and maximise the impact of findings and recommendations. The student will undertake placements at the West Midlands hospice (Solihull) and with Marie Curie’s national Research and Policy Team (London). Working with the hospice will provide the student with practical experience of working in a research active multidisciplinary clinical environment. The opportunity to work with Marie Curie’s national Research and Policy teams will provide important learning and knowledge exchange opportunities that the student will be able to draw upon as they develop their policy recommendations. This will ensure the doctoral research generates significant impact across all of Marie Curie’s hospices, the hospice community more widely, and the NHS.

The successful applicant will be supervised by Dr John MacArtney and Professor Celia Lury. The successful applicant will enrol at the University of Warwick. For any enquiries relating to this studentship please contact Dr John MacArtney: [email protected]

Person specification:

Applicants should have a Masters degree (merit or distinction) in a relevant health or social sciences area or in research methods. Experience and/or understanding of both quantitative and qualitative methodology in a healthcare setting is desirable. Previous research experience, particularly in a settings with potentially vulnerable populations, would be an advantage.

How to apply:

To be considered for this PhD, please submit a CV and covering letter. The covering letter should include a brief statement (up to two pages) describing your interest in this PhD topic and your suitability for this role with regard to your education and experience to date. It should include the names of two referees. Short-listed applicants will be interviewed in the morning Thursday 9 June 2022.

The studentship comes with a yearly tax-free stipend (rate for the academic year 2022-23 is £15,940) plus Home tuition fees, and £1,049 for expenses (e.g. laptop, travel, research costs).