The closing date for applications is Monday 01 July 2019.

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Hallam University are inviting applications for collaborative PhD scholarships in the area of Child Health Technology. Two PhD scholarships are available, jointly funded by Sheffield Hallam University and The Children’s Hospital Charity.

Applicants should have a clinical or specified healthcare professional background.

The focus of the call is for novel developments in Child Health Technology. This new collaboration will enable two PhD researchers to explore creative approaches to developing health technologies which directly address an identified clinical need and improve healthcare outcomes for patients. It is expected that applicants will develop their own topics and research proposals, based on their clinical knowledge and understanding of current issues and needs.

We are inviting research proposals in all areas of Child Health Technology; possible areas of focus include (but are not limited to):

• Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality / Gamification
• Sensor
• Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
• Robotics
• Telehealth
• Cybersecurity
• Big Data
• Diagnostic Technologies
• Tissue Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing
• Wearables
• Assistive Technology
• Mobile Hardware / Software
• Apps
• Communication
• Digital

Your research proposal should demonstrate that it aligns with national strategic priorities in child health and addresses an identified clinical need. You are encouraged to find out more about our staff and their current research to inform the development of your proposal. You should contact potential supervisors at an early stage to discuss and develop your research ideas.

For information on potential clinical supervisors at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, please contact Professor Paul Dimitri (Director of Research and Innovation; paul.dimitri@sch.nhs.uk) or Dr Gillian Gatenby (Associate Director of Research and Innovation; gillian.gatenby@sch.nhs.uk).

Information and contact details for potential academic supervisors at Sheffield Hallam can be found by browsing the relevant Research Centre or Institute pages. Areas with research expertise of particular relevance to this call are:

• Materials and Engineering Research Institute
• Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre
• Cultural, Communication and Computing Research Institute including Lab4Living
• Centre for Sports Engineering Research
• Centre for Sport and Exercise Science

Or see our full list of Research Centres and Institutes. If you need further advice, please contact the University’s Doctoral School (doctoralschool@shu.ac.uk).

For successful candidates, the full supervisory team will be confirmed as part of the recruitment and admissions process. All projects will have joint academic and clinical (or clinical academic) supervision.