Applications are now open for the NIHR Maternity Disparities Consortium Methodology PhD Studentships. These are fully funded PhD opportunities (for UK home students) focused on methodological research to reduce inequalities before, during and after pregnancy. Up to 13 studentships are available across leading UK universities.
The application deadline is 5pm on Monday 7th September 2026. International applicants are welcome but must cover the difference between UK and overseas tuition fees. There is no application fee. The studentships start in January 2027 and last up to 3 years full time or 4 years part time. You can check out more Internships, BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.
Key Details:
- Degree Level: PhD
- Host Country: United Kingdom
- Application Deadline: 5pm Monday 7th September 2026
- Nationality: All nationalities
- Funding Type: Fully funded for UK home students. Partial for international students
- Start Date: January 2027
- Duration: Up to 3 years full time or 4 years at 0.8 full time equivalent
- Application Fee: None
Interested in More Positions? Follow links below
- Free IELTS Preparation Course by University of Queensland (UQx)
- Free Online Forage Internships with certificate 2026
- Deakin University Postgraduate Research Scholarship (DUPR) Australia
- PhD scholarships at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
- Postdoctoral & Research Assistant positions at BAM in Berlin, Germany.
- OIST Visiting Scholars Program 2027 in Japan (Fully Funded)
- WHO Paid Internship in Geneva, Switzerland
What this scholarship offers:
- Full home tuition fees covered
- Tax free annual stipend at UKRI rates (£21,805 outside London or £23,805 inside London from 1 October 2026)
- £5,000 contribution towards research, travel, training and consumables
- Advanced training in methodological skills including health economics, statistics, data science, implementation science and co production
- Membership of a supportive UK wide research community focused on improving maternity outcomes
- Opportunities to develop as a future research leader in maternal health equity
- Access to professional development, networking and training across the Consortium
Also Check: PhD, Postdoc & Professor positions at the University of Freiburg, Germany.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants should be passionate about maternal health equity
- Applicants should have knowledge or experience in relevant methodological areas
- People from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds are particularly encouraged to apply
- People with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions are particularly encouraged to apply
- Candidates of all genders, ages and beliefs are welcome
- Applicants from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds can apply
- If the link to maternity inequalities is not immediately clear, explain in the covering letter how your skills will contribute
- Candidates must meet the entry requirements of the host university for the chosen project
Also Check: Technical University of Denmark PhD and Postdoc Scholarships 2026 (Fully Funded)
Methodology PhD Studentship Projects
- Accessible Maternity: An AI Powered Framework for Disadvantaged Communities
- Developing a unified conceptual and measurement framework of maternity inequalities to inform policy using routinely collected national data
- Pregnancy as control: co producing trauma informed perinatal mental health pathways with women with insecure immigration status who have experienced reproductive coercion
- Putting Women’s Experiences at the Heart of Maternity Care: A Co Produced Evaluation of Engagement and Participation Maternity Services
- Shifting participation power: embedding community research link workers in equitable periconception care
- Developing Rapid Realist Methods for Evaluating Accountability Frameworks in Maternity Services
- Mapping Place Based Inequalities in Access to Maternity Care
- Implementing Equitable Hospital to Home Care Pathways for At Risk Newborns
- Understanding and Communicating Maternity Disparities: Novel Statistical Methods for Improving Newborn, Child and Family Outcomes
- Developing an analytical framework of the societal cost of inequalities in perinatal mental illness
- Using implementation science to optimise cardiometabolic care bundle transitions between pregnancy, intrapartum, and early postnatal periods
- Using health economics to improve preconception care and reduce maternity disparities
- Health data science to understand pregnancy intention and reduce maternity disparities
Also Check: Deakin University Postgraduate Research Scholarship (DUPR) Australia
Application Process:
There are three stages. Always check the individual project pages as well.
Stage One: Application
Complete and submit the application form by 5pm on Monday 7th September 2026.
You may apply for a maximum of two projects. You can submit one covering letter or one covering letter for each project.
Upload:
- A two page CV
- At least one covering letter (maximum one page)
Identify two referees. One must be an academic referee.
Name your files using this format:
Surname_CV_project code
Surname_CL_project code
Stage Two: Interview
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview with the National Panel. Interviews take place on Thursday 15th and Friday 16th October 2026 in Newcastle.
If you are selected for two projects, every effort will be made so you only need to attend one interview.
Stage Three: University Placement
Successful candidates must register for a PhD at the host institution. You must also meet the specific entry requirements of that institution.
PhD studentships begin in January 2027.
Also Check: Deakin University Postgraduate Research Scholarship (DUPR) Australia
