Research Studentships

Graduate Teaching Fellowships – Three Positions

Background

Social and environmental sustainability are at core of the UN sustainability goals that underpin our hosting within Lincoln International Business School (LIBS) of a UNESCO Chair focused upon the responsible foresight that effective governance demands. Decolonial methodologies anchored on environmental justice, sustainability, and equity inform LIBS approaches on aspects of the ESG agenda in all our departments.

Project Description

Sustainable operations and the process of transition to them are central concerns of our Department of Management, which hosts our Smart, Circular Sustainable Supply Chain LAB. This include particular interest in how Humber regional developments are impacting on supply chains and the Net Zero agenda.

They also form a significant part of the ways in which we address Marketing and Tourism in Marketing, Languages and Tourism. Colleagues in Accounting, Finance and Economics are working around both the ways in which environmental and social sustainability concerns are integrated into corporate governance and how transitioning to a more sustainable future can itself be sustainably financed.

Decolonising should of course be central to the ways in which we make our organisations and institutions more socially sustainable and decolonising approaches to knowledge have considerable potential to bring back to the fore otherwise forgotten insight into environmentally sustainable practice.

Aims

Proposed projects should make clear links between the UN sustainability goals and should clearly articulate how the proposed research will address one of more of these.

Person Specification and Requirements

The Graduate Teaching Fellowships combine PhD study with teaching duties. Therefore, applicants should demonstrate how their current skills and experience address both elements of the role.

Funding

A Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified.

All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend.

Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year, and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

How to Apply

To apply for a Graduate Research Fellowship please send your CV, cover letter, and a personal statement that addresses your vision for the research project and your teaching experience to LIBSFellowships@lincoln.ac.uk  Please use the attached job description to inform your statement. Please include the details of two academic referees and attach the diversity monitoring form to your application email.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

For further information, please contact Professor Simon Lilley, Director of Research, at slilley@lincoln.ac.uk, or Dr Siobhan Wray, Head of Postgraduate Research, at swray@lincoln.ac.uk.

Graduate Teaching Fellowships

A Reinforcement Learning Approach to Demand Response

Supervisor: Dr Sepehr Maleki

Project Description

Demand response is a mechanism used by electricity grid operators to manage fluctuations in electricity demand in real-time. It is a way to incentivise electricity consumers to reduce their usage during times of peak demand, usually by offering financial incentives. Refrigeration systems are one of the major contributors to energy consumption in commercial and industrial settings. Demand response strategies can be applied to refrigeration systems to reduce their energy consumption during peak demand periods. Reinforcement learning has been applied to demand response for refrigeration systems in recent years, with promising results. Previous small-scale studies have shown the potential that approximately 10% energy could be saved by only using a "smart plug" between the refrigerator and mains supply.

This PhD project will investigate a reinforcement learning-based approach to the control and scheduling of commercial refrigeration systems. You will work within a vibrant and rapidly growing community of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in the School of Engineering. You will become a member of the School’s Industrial Digitalisation and Systems Intelligence (IDSI) Research Group and have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from Computer Science, and other areas across the College of Science and beyond as needed.

Person Specification and Requirements

Graduate Teaching Fellowships combine PhD study with teaching duties. Therefore, applicants should demonstrate how their current skills and experience address both elements of the role.

Applicants must have a first or upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in Engineering or Computer Science. Candidates with a background or experience in other relevant areas such as physics and mathematics are encouraged to apply only if they have evidence of knowledge (e.g. publications) relevant to the skills required for the post (i.e. Deep Reinforcement Learning). Excellent English language communication skills (IELTS score of 6.5 or above for non-native speakers) and the ability to work to deadlines are essential.

Funding

This is a fully-funded studentship for four years, applicable to Home and International applicants. It covers all fees and provides an annual stipend of £17,668 paid in monthly instalments.

How to Apply

Please apply by sending a CV (two pages), cover letter, certified copies of degree certificates and transcripts, and a personal statement outlining how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements (about one page) to smaleki@Lincoln.ac.uk. Please include "GTF:RL-DR" in the subject of email. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly to arrange a suitable time for an interview.

Please include the details of two academic referees and attach the diversity monitoring form to your application email.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

For further information, please contact Dr Sepehr Maleki by email at smaleki@Lincoln.ac.uk.

Sustainable Glasshouse Heating and Cooling Using Integrated Renewable Sources

Supervisor: Dr Aliyu Aliyu

Project Description

This project concerns research into the solar/thermal heating and cooling of glasshouses and large-space buildings. Previous results stemming from EU funded solar/thermal technology research have shown a reduction in annual fuel consumption by around 50% on a veal farm in France. This project aims to investigate the use of a combination of phase change materials and heat pumps integrated with solar/thermal systems to raise this to at least 80% savings in fuel consumption for heating and cooling of water on farms.

You will work within a vibrant and rapidly growing community of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in the School of Engineering. You will become a member of the School’s Sustainable Energy and Power Research Group and have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from other areas across the College of Science and beyond as needed.

Person Specification and Requirements

Graduate Teaching Fellowships combine PhD study with teaching duties. Therefore, applicants should demonstrate how their current skills and experience address both elements of the role.

Applicants must have a first or upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in Mechanical, Chemical, Energy Engineering, or closely related fields. Candidates with a background or experience in other relevant areas such as physics and mathematics are encouraged to apply only if they have evidence of knowledge (e.g. publications) relevant to the skills required for the post (i.e. 1D to 3D energy modelling and heat transfer). Excellent English language communication skills (IELTS score of 6.5 or above for non-native speakers) and the ability to work to deadlines are essential.

Funding

This is a fully-funded studentship for four years, applicable to Home and International applicants. It covers all fees and provides an annual stipend of £17,668 paid in monthly instalments.

How to Apply

Please apply by sending a CV (two pages), cover letter, certified copies of degree certificates and transcripts, and a personal statement outlining how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements (about one page) to AAliyu@lincoln.ac.uk. Please include "GTF:SUS-GIRS" in the subject of email. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly to arrange a suitable time for an interview.

Please include the details of two academic referees and attach the diversity monitoring form to your application email.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

For further information, please contact Dr Aliyu Aliyu by email at AAliyu@lincoln.ac.uk.

Deep Learning Techniques for the Modelling of Climate Neutral Integrated Energy Systems

Supervisor: Dr Amir Badiee

Project Description

This project will investigate the design of Digital Twins for the integrated monitoring and control of off-grid 100% renewable islanded power systems for farms to support Control Environment Agriculture (CEA) e.g. Vertical Farming. The project is to provide energy and carbon capture/storage management, and decision-making capabilities to CEA. The School of Engineering is currently involved in development of sustainable energy systems for local farms and have experience in developing research scale vertical farms. The School is also involved in developing commercial digital twins for Siemens Energy, which is planned to be deployed within the next 2 years.

This PhD project will investigate development of a digital environment to support and manage on-farm sustainable energy generation and carbon capture/storage. You will work within a vibrant and rapidly growing community of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in the School of Engineering. You will become a member of the School’s Net-Zero and Sustainability Research Group and have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology, and other areas across the College of Science and beyond as needed.

Person Specification and Requirements

Graduate Teaching Fellowships combine PhD study with teaching duties. Therefore, applicants should demonstrate how their current skills and experience address both elements of the role.

Applicants must have a first or upper second-class honours degree (or equivalent) in Engineering or Computer Science. Candidates with a background or experience in other relevant areas such as physics and mathematics are encouraged to apply only if they have evidence of knowledge (e.g. publications) relevant to the skills required for the post (i.e. Deep Learning). Excellent English language communication skills (IELTS score of 6.5 or above for non-native speakers) and the ability to work to deadlines are essential.

Funding

This is a fully-funded studentship for four years, applicable to Home and International applicants. It covers all fees and provides an annual stipend of £17,668 paid in monthly instalments.

How to Apply

Please apply by sending a CV (two pages), cover letter, certified copies of degree certificates and transcripts, and a personal statement outlining how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements (about one page) to ABadiee@Lincoln.ac.uk. Please include "GTA:IntEnergy" in the subject of email. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly to arrange a suitable time for an interview.

Please include the details of two academic referees and attach the diversity monitoring form to your application email.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

For further information, please contact Dr Amir Badiee by email at ABadiee@Lincoln.ac.uk.

Graduate Teaching Fellowships - Two Positions

Supervisor: Mat Goddard

Background

Soils underpin all terrestrial ecosystems, harbour one quarter of the world’s biodiversity, contain more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, and support the production of 98% of the world’s food calories. However, agriculture and climate change mean that soils are becoming degraded due to intensive management and sea-level rise induced seawater ingress. This is an acute problem both locally and globally and understanding how to manage soils to reverse this decline is a key local, national, and international strategic priority. Lincoln has growing research success and reputation in precisely this area. We are looking for highly motivated individuals with interest and experience in any areas of soil science to join and contribute to our team to help tackle and solve these problems.

Project Description

These Graduate Teaching Fellowships will provide opportunities for new interdisciplinary collaborations between our currently funded research projects to develop innovative and impactful research and knowledge exchange. Our existing projects and expertise cover all areas of soil physics, chemistry/geochemistry, and biology, and we encourage these projects to be cross disciplinary.

With supervisor input, the successful students will help develop specific research projects that strongly align with and span our research core themes encompassing: the effects of soil salinisation due to sea level rise and ways to mitigate this; methods to reduce soil greenhouse gas emissions; methods to improve soil health and carbon sequestration; and the effects of land-use change, such as conservation farming and rewilding, on soils. We particularly encourage applications from those interested in fusing soil biology with soil functions, using approaches such as molecular biology, soil microbiology, biogeochemistry, plant-soil interactions, and soil greenhouse gas flux modelling, and those interested in the effects of increased soil salinity on soil properties and crop yields, and ways to mitigate these.

The team have a range of projects funded by BBSRC, Innovate UK, Defra, the EU, AHBD, and Natural England, and you will join a research team that includes seven postdoctoral fellows. The University offers state-of-the-art molecular and chemical analyses facilities at the Joseph Banks Laboratories at our Brayford Pool Campus and state-of-the-art soil physics and agricultural facilities at our Riseholme Campus. We collaborate closely with a diverse range of local and national farming and conservation organisations and a network of over 37 European institutions. The University is offering a number of Graduate Teaching Fellowships and you will progress through your PhD as a cohort. As well as interactions with academic audiences both within the University and at national and international conferences, you will have the opportunity to interact with local and national agricultural and environmental organisations.

Person Specification and Requirements

We are seeking applicants with enthusiasm and motivation to study interdisciplinary soil science and contribute to our team. You should have a 2:1 or higher undergraduate degree in a relevant science subject including but not limited to biology and subdisciplines of, agriculture, physical geography, environmental science, earth science, geology, and applicants with related Master's degrees are particularly welcome. A driving licence and any field and/or relevant experimental experience would be highly desirable. You must enrol and commence the Fellowship in October 2023.

Funding

A Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified. All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17,668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend. Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year, and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your CV with a cover application letter to Professor Mat Goddard by email at mgoddard@lincoln.ac.uk with the subject as the "PhD GTF Studentship Application". The cover letter should be no more than 600 words and outline your experience with soil science or related environmental and biodiversity areas. Please indicate what areas of research detailed in the project description section of this advert you would like to investigate for your doctoral work. Please also explain how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements.

Please include the details of two academic referees and attach the diversity monitoring form to your application email.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

For further information, please contact Professor Mat Goddard by email at mgoddard@lincoln.ac.uk.

Graduate Teaching Fellowship

Supervisor: Professor Louise Manning

Background

Sustainability is a cross-cutting theme relevant to a wide range of sectors including food production, farming, chemical production, manufacturing, construction, and service sector and retail, as well as at a policy level. The need for sustainable development is becoming increasingly important throughout the UK and globally, and organisations are now reflecting this in the decisions they make and the policies they put in place.

The Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT) has set out its vision: Reimagining the agri-food system and technologies to create a sustainable future. Sustainability is at the core of the work we are leading both in research, engagement with policy makers and industry, and teaching. Whilst we have a world-leading team in Robotics and AI at Lincoln drawn from staff across the College of Science, including those based in LIAT, we are only at the beginning of the journey of developing a world-leading team on sustainability (economic, socialm, and environmental), decarbonisation and Net Zero, increasing resource circularity and just transitions. Research income supporting this area of development includes research projects worth £2.5m (cultured meat production, technology adoption, animal welfare, bioenergy crops, nitrogen use efficiency, carbon, and soils and water).

Project Description

This Graduate Teaching Fellowship is one of a number at the University of Lincoln and will provide opportunities for new interdisciplinary collaborations between our currently funded research projects to develop innovative and impactful research and knowledge exchange. With supervisory team support, the successful student will help develop a specific research project that will strongly align with our research core themes. We particularly encourage applications from those interested in improving resource utilisation and efficiency, improving circularity, and as a result reducing food loss and food waste. The project can be focused on one particular stage of food production e.g. the farm or further processing, or link to the whole supply chain.

The post is based at the University’s 200-hectare Riseholme Campus which is home to a working farm, woodlands, grasslands, and watercourses, agroforestry, and a robotic fruit farm including polytunnels and cold storage facilities. The postholder will benefit from excellent facilities, equipment, and established links to the University’s extensive network of industry partners across the agri-food chain. The Riseholme Campus is also home to Lincoln Agri-Robotics (LAR), the University of Lincoln’s research group focused on applying robotics solutions to agricultural challenges (awarded £6.4 million from Research England). Academics and students in this field apply their excellent track record in robotics, autonomous systems, manipulation, grasping, mobility, sensing, perception, and communication. This post will also, depending on the specific topic, link with other research teams across the University of Lincoln. As well as interactions with academic audiences both within the University and at national and international conferences, you will have the opportunity to interact with local and national agricultural organisations.

Person Specification and Requirements

We are seeking applicants with enthusiasm and motivation to study interdisciplinary soil science and contribute to our team. You should have a 2:1 or higher undergraduate degree in a relevant science subject including but not limited to biology and subdisciplines of, agriculture, physical geography, environmental science, earth science, or geology, and applicants with related Master's degrees are particularly welcome. A driving licence and any field and/or relevant experimental experience would be highly desirable. You must enrol and commence the Fellowship in October 2023.

Funding

A Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified. All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17,668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend. Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year, and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

How to Apply

To apply for this, please send your CV with a cover application letter to Professor Louise Manning by email at LManning@lincoln.ac.uk with the subject as the "PhD GTF Studentship Application". The cover letter should be no more than 600 words and outline your experience with sustainability or related areas. Please indicate what areas of research detailed in the project description section of this advert you would like to investigate for your doctoral work. Please also explain how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements.

Please include the details of two academic referees and attach the diversity monitoring form to your application email.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

For further information, please contact Professor Louise Manning by email at LManning@lincoln.ac.uk.

Graduate Teaching Fellowship

Case Studies in Cultural Assets: Higher Education Institutions, Regional Ecologies, and the Arts and Cultural Industries

Background

Building upon our success in the National Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), the Lincoln School of Creative Arts at the University of Lincoln invites applications for a Graduate Teaching Fellowship on Higher Education Institutions, Regional Ecologies, and the Arts and Cultural Industries. The Fellowship provides a PhD fee waiver plus the equivalent of a UKRI-equivalent stipend (£17668 p.a. in 2022-23) for 4 years of full-time study, to be combined with a limited amount of teaching at the University of Lincoln.

Project 

In 2022, the University of Lincoln became one of a handful of UK Higher Education Institutions to receive ACE National Portfolio Organisation status for the next three years. In 2023, the former Lincoln Performing Arts Centre will relaunch as the Lincoln Arts Centre, embedded within a HE environment and with a remit to further contemporary arts practice, artist and audience development, and research and knowledge exchange. In 2024, supported by funds from the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ scheme and investment from the University of Lincoln, the Barbican Creative Hub will open in Lincoln to boost innovation and growth across the region’s arts and cultural industries. 

At this pivotal moment in the development and implementation of the University’s arts and cultural strategy, the Lincoln School of Creative Arts seeks to appoint a Graduate Teaching Fellow to document, chart and contextualise the functioning of these cultural assets locally, regionally, and nationally. Through comparative analysis of similar arrangements across the UK, doctoral research will return qualitative and sectoral knowledge on how HE-based arts providers contribute to the development of civic outreach and contemporary arts practice, examining the crossovers and confluences between the cultural industry, professional practice, pedagogy, and research. Located squarely at the intersection of academia and industry, the successful applicant will be supported to produce impactful research, scholarship, and knowledge exchange.

Research enquiries will emerge from project co-design between the PhD student, Director of Studies (Dr Jacqueline Bolton, Senior Lecturer Drama and Theatre) and relevant Cultural Asset Leads, but are likely to include:  

• How can learning, research and creative environments collaborate to generate new production environments, policy-making spaces, and creative methodologies within the cultural sector?  
• How well-placed are HE-based arts providers to deliver on Arts Council England’s (ACE) ‘Let’s Create’ strategy (2020-2030)?  
• What models of knowledge exchange between HEIs and the arts and cultural industries can be developed by HE-based arts providers, and how might this inform and influence stakeholder engagement and cultural policy?  
• Have recent UK arts strategy developments succeeded in a redistribution of creative agency as well as cultural investment?

Research Environment 

Research that addresses, intersects with, and enables industry developments in the contemporary arts landscape is a priority area within the Lincoln School of Creative Arts, led by the School's Contemporary Arts and Culture Research Group and supported by scholars across the University. The successful applicant will, in addition to doctoral research supervision, be provided with a bespoke, graduated introduction to teaching, involving mentorship, training, and support for attaining HEA Associate Fellow status.

Funding

A Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year, full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified.

All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend.

Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

Requirements/Eligibility  

This is a developmental role for those aspiring to an academic post in the future. You will be given the opportunity to work across disciplines and engage with colleagues from the University of Lincoln’s Contemporary Arts and Culture Research Group. You should possess a good undergraduate Honours degree (2:1 or higher) and Master’s degree in a discipline cognate with the Arts and Humanities. 

Interested applicants are encouraged to demonstrate skills, experience, and/or potential relevant to a future career in teaching and researching aspects of contemporary arts practice and the cultural industries. Evidence of the ability to engage in postgraduate research and to work collaboratively as part of a teaching team, including excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English, are required. Successful applicants will enrol on an appropriate PhD programme at the University of Lincoln. 

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please send your CV, cover letter, personal statement, and EDI monitoring form to Dr Jacqueline Bolton (jbolton@lincoln.ac.uk) with the subject heading “Case Studies in Cultural Assets: Higher Education Institutions, Regional Ecologies, and the Arts and Cultural Industries."

Your personal statement should provide: (1) information on how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements of the Graduate Teaching Fellowship Programme (500 words); (2) an outline of your proposed doctoral project, noting which theme it aligns with (1000 words excluding bibliography); (3) the contact details for two academic references.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

Graduate Teaching Fellowship

Literature and Environmental Crisis

Background

Building upon our recent success in the national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), the Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage at the University of Lincoln is offering a fully-funded Graduate Teaching Fellow position in English Literature and the Environment (comprising a PhD fee waiver, plus the equivalent of a UKRI stipend, for four years full-time).

We invite talented individuals to submit applications for this fellowship, which combines PhD study with limited teaching duties at the University of Lincoln. We are particularly interested in interdisciplinary doctoral projects that link to our overarching theme of ‘Literature and Environmental Crisis’ and which draw upon our staff expertise in ecocriticism.

English is an area of research excellence at the University, with staff undertaking a diverse range of research projects spanning the medieval to the contemporary, with particular strengths in nineteenth century studies, twenty-first century literature, Gothic literature and American literature. The successful applicant will be supervised in undertaking their doctoral research, and will simultaneously be provided with a graduated introduction to teaching, involving mentorship, training, and support for attaining HEA Associate Fellow status. Teaching contact hours will build gradually up to a maximum of no more than 8 hours per week during term time over the course of the Graduate Teaching Fellowship.

Aims

The climate emergency cannot be addressed purely through scientific, technological, or economic solutions; fundamentally, any meaningful response to environmental crisis demands imaginative transformation, an understanding of how we lived in the past, and new stories about how we might live in the future. To change how people behave, we need to change how people think about our relationship to non-human nature. Whether depicting non-human nature as a source of both terror and wonder, or projecting a future shaped by climate catastrophe, literature can deconstruct anthropocentric modes of thought and re-evaluate our connection to the non-human, and how we use and value resources and landscapes. This Graduate Teaching Fellowship will address these urgent cultural, political, and philosophical questions by exploring the intersection of literature and environmentalism after 1800. Applications should be for a doctoral project that aligns with one of the following themes:

(1) flooding and coastal erosion;

(2) landscape and place-making;

(3) globalisation and the environment.

Research Environment 

The successful applicant will join the vibrant research culture in English, centred around the Nineteenth-Century and 21st Century Research Groups, and become part of an active community of research students in the School. The environment is a major strategic focus of English research, and current activity in this field includes projects on Gothic, walking and environmental awareness (Dr Scott Brewster), historical flood narratives (Dr Laura Gill), and contemporary fiction and the petrochemical industry (Dr Ruth Hawthorn).

Requirements/Eligibility

This is a developmental role for those aspiring to an academic post in the future. You will be given the opportunity to work across disciplines within and beyond the Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage. You should possess a good undergraduate Honours degree (2:1 or higher) and Master’s degree in English.

Interested applicants are encouraged to demonstrate skills, experience, and/or potential relevant to a future career in teaching and researching aspects of literature in relation to the environment. Evidence of the ability to engage in postgraduate research and to work collaboratively as part of a teaching team, including excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English, are required. Successful applicants will enrol on an appropriate PhD programme at the University of Lincoln.

Funding

A Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year, full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified.

All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend.

Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please send your CV, cover letter, personal statement, and EDI monitoring form to Dr Scott Brewster (sbrewster@lincoln.ac.uk) with the subject heading “Literature and Environmental Crisis Graduate Teaching Fellow Application”.

Your personal statement should provide: (1) information on how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements of the Graduate Teaching Fellowship Programme (500 words); (2) an outline of your proposed doctoral project, noting which theme it aligns with and your preferred supervisors (1000 words excluding bibliography); (3) a statement outlining how you would approach teaching post-1800 English literature to undergraduates, including any relevant experience if applicable (500 words); and (4) the contact details for two academic references.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to contact their preferred supervisors (see Research Environment section) for informal advice about developing their doctoral project in advance of submitting their applications.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

Graduate Teaching Fellowships – Three Positions

Transcending Boundaries in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages

Background

Building upon our recent success in the national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), the School of Humanities and Heritage at the University of Lincoln is offering three fully-funded Graduate Teaching Fellow positions in Medieval Studies (comprising a PhD fee waiver, plus the equivalent of a UKRI stipend, for four years full-time). We invite talented individuals to submit applications for these fellowships, which combine PhD study with limited teaching duties at the University of Lincoln. We are particularly interested in interdisciplinary and comparative doctoral projects that link to our overarching theme of ‘Transcending Boundaries in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages’ and draw upon our staff’s expertise in archaeology, archives, art history, history, linguistics, and literature.

Medieval Studies is an area of research excellence in the University that attracts scholars from around the world who work on Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Successful applicants will be supervised in undertaking their doctoral research, and will simultaneously be provided with a graduated introduction to teaching, involving mentorship, training, and support for attaining HEA Associate Fellow status. Teaching contact hours will build gradually up to a maximum of no more than 8 hours per week during term time over the course of the Graduate Teaching Fellowship.

Aims

The late antique and medieval world (300-1500) was one of blurred edges, where politics, societies, religions, and cultures mapped onto space and time in constantly shifting patterns. Yet modern scholarship tends to describe the period in rigid categories of race and denomination reflecting and supporting contemporary agendas of nationhood and state-building, and to reconstruct it with sets of tools determined by the divisions of modern university departments and disciplines. To encourage innovative, comparative, and intersectional approaches to examining Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, we invite applications for our Graduate Teaching Fellowships that employ intersectional methodologies to studying Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Applications should be for doctoral projects that align with one of the following themes:

1. Languages, communities, and beliefs: a proposal for a doctoral project that explores multilingual, intercultural, or inter-religious contacts, martyrs, and saints, and/or networks and networking in the Iberian Peninsula.
2. Gender, identities, aristocracies, and power: a proposal for a doctoral project that reconceptualises women’s roles and/or explores new ways of understanding lordship and elites across different regions.
3. Archives, heritage, and medievalism: a proposal for a doctoral project that uses, recovers, and/or reconstructs neglected collections, works, or sites, preferably in/around Lincoln and with digital approaches.

Research Environment 

The successful applicants will join the University’s thriving Medieval Studies Research Group, which enjoys an international reputation for its publications and projects. Situated within the beautiful cathedral city of Lincoln, the Group has strong links to civic partners, including Lincoln Cathedral with its peerless holdings of medieval manuscripts, the Collection Museum with its repository of ancient and medieval finds, Lincoln Castle, and Lincolnshire Archives, one of the UK’s largest regional collections. Our externally funded research includes the Medieval Iberian Saints Project (AHRC), and we host two Leverhulme early career researchers (Dr Hannah Boston and Dr Anaïs Waag).

The three Graduate Teaching Fellowship themes reflect the main research areas of the Medieval Studies Research Group:

1. Languages, communities, and beliefs: The Group hosts the largest concentration of scholars working on pre-modern Spain and Portugal outside the Iberian Peninsula itself. Our members study aspects of Iberia and the Mediterranean world, including intellectual cultures, hagiographies, and Christian-Muslim exchanges. Current related research features: Making a Martyr in Medieval Iberia; Medieval Iberian Saints; the Early Medieval Iberia Research Group; Late Antique and Early Medieval Iberia; and the Society for the Medieval Mediterranean.
2. Gender, identities, aristocracies, and power: The Group includes a critical mass of scholars whose research examines the intersections of gender, identity, status, and power amongst European aristocracies and ruling elites. Current related research includes: Medieval People; and the Noblewomen Network.
3. Archives, heritage, and medievalism:  The Group’s members work on archives and medieval records, buildings and historic sites, literary and material culture, and digital interpretations and visualisations of the medieval past. Current related research encompasses: A State within A State: The Making of the Duchy of Lancaster; the Lincoln Record Society; the International Arthurian Society; and Ruralia – European Association for Medieval and Post-Medieval Rural Archaeology.

Funding

A Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified. All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend. Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

Requirements/Eligibility

This is a developmental role for those aspiring to an academic post in the future. You will be given the opportunity to work across disciplines and engage with colleagues from the University of Lincoln’s Medieval Studies Research Group. You should possess a good undergraduate Honours degree (2:1 or higher) and Master’s degree in Archaeology, Classical Studies, History, Art History, Linguistics, Medieval Studies, or English.

Interested applicants are encouraged to demonstrate skills, experience, and/or potential relevant to a future career in teaching and researching aspects of life and culture in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Evidence of the ability to engage in postgraduate research and to work collaboratively as part of a teaching team, including excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English, are required. Successful applicants will enrol on an appropriate PhD programme at the University of Lincoln.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please send your CV, cover letter, personal statement, and EDI monitoring form to Professor Louise Wilkinson (medievalstudies@lincoln.ac.uk) with the subject heading “Medieval Studies Graduate Teaching Fellow Application”.

Your personal statement should provide: (1) information on how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements of the Graduate Teaching Fellowship Programme (500 words); (2) an outline of your proposed doctoral project, noting which theme it aligns with and your preferred supervisors (1000 words excluding bibliography); (3) a statement outlining how you would approach teaching Medieval Studies to undergraduates, including any relevant experience if applicable (500 words); and (4) the contact details for two academic references.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to contact their preferred supervisors for informal advice about developing their doctoral projects in advance of submitting their applications.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

Graduate Teaching Fellowships – Three Positions

Museum Audiences: Past, Present, and Future

Background

Building upon our recent success in the national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), the Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage and the Lincoln School of Design at the University of Lincoln are offering three fully-funded Graduate Teaching Fellow positions to research museum history and museum studies (comprising a PhD fee waiver, plus the equivalent of a UKRI stipend, for four years full-time).

We invite talented individuals to submit applications for these fellowships, which combine PhD study with limited teaching duties at the University of Lincoln. Our overarching theme is ‘Museum Audiences: Past, Present and Future’ and we are interested in doctoral projects that link to this theme, based on the three areas described below, which align with our areas of expertise.

Museum studies, museum audience experiences, and the history of museums are areas of research excellence at the University with scholars across the institution contributing to the latest research in the field. Successful applicants will be supervised in undertaking their doctoral research, and will simultaneously be provided with a bespoke, graduated introduction to teaching, involving mentorship, training, and support for attaining HEA Associate Fellow status. Teaching contact hours will build gradually up to a maximum of no more than 8 hours per week during term time over the course of the Graduate Teaching Fellowship.

Aims

The Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage and the Linoln School of Design at the University of Lincoln are seeking to recruit to three Graduate Teaching Fellowship places in the Museum Audiences: Past, Present and Future cluster, aimed at investigating how museums have engaged and are engaging with their audiences and the evolving expectations regarding their collections, practices, displays, digital provision, and historical perspectives.

Users of museums have recently come to the fore as researchers seek to understand their crucial role in co-producing the museum, to decolonise and ensure relevance, and decentre the curator as sole authority. There is, however, a huge amount which is still unknown about the diverse audiences and users of museums and their collections, and this cluster aims to fill some of these gaps, in ways which prioritise interdisciplinarity, impactful and useable research, and methodological innovation.

Applications should be made for the following doctoral projects:

1. Inclusive exhibitions: Accessibility and co-creation. This studentship will prototype and test a range of new ways of accessing museum collections collaborating with disabled and non-disabled visitors, staff, and sector organisations. The action-based research will draw on live projects in Design and Conservation (including Lincoln Conservation). For this vacancy, we are seeking a graduate in Design or cognate programmes, with demonstrable interest in social design, accessibility and heritage, and exhibition design.
2. Collections databases: Useability and users. This studentship will evaluate existing museum collection databases to consider how far they reflect and enable the interests of different groups of users from researchers to ‘the public’, considering issues such as decolonising practice and the legacy of historical methods of documentation in museums. For this vacancy we are seeking someone with qualifications and/or professional/voluntary experience in museums/museum studies, digital humanities, or a related humanities subject.
3. Museums, young people and education: A historical study. This studentship will focus on school children and teachers as a key and understudied museum audience component, looking at some part of the period 1870-2000, in order to understand how and why the experiences of this group have developed. For this vacancy we are seeking candidates with backgrounds in history, museum studies, or education, and demonstrable experience in archival and/or oral history research.

Research Environment 

Both Schools sit within the College of Arts which has a vibrant and rapidly growing community of PhD students, as well as cross-disciplinary training, events, and support such as the Critical Heritage Research Group. You will join a community of researchers working on museum history, heritage, and design. We are engaged with the local museum community, including the Collection Museum (soon to be renamed The Lincoln Museum) and the Usher Gallery, to support our teaching and research. Our research interests span the local to the global. Our supervisory team are currently recipients of major grants including an £1 million AHRC grant: ‘The Sensational Museum’, an AHRC network grant ‘Making Museum Professionals 1850 – present’ and an AHRC CDP studentship ‘Women collectors of South Asia, c. 1800 – 2000’.

The successful applicants will join this growing team of researchers focused on museums, objects, and collecting, while also benefiting from Lincoln Conservation, our own in-house conservation consultancy. The Graduate Teaching Fellowships reflect our expertise in museum design and tangibility, museum history, and critical examination of museums in the present.

Funding

The Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year, full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified.

All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17,668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend.

Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year, and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

Requirements/Eligibilty

All candidates must have a first or upper second-class bachelors degree in a relevant subject (see description above), and be able to demonstrate experience in research design and management, for example through an excellent Master's-level dissertation, and evidence of interest in both museums and the heritage sector, and HE or equivalent level teaching, for example through involvement in peer mentoring, seminar leading, or other. Evidence of the ability to engage in postgraduate research and to work collaboratively as part of a teaching team, including excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English, are required.

How to Apply

To apply for this studentship, please send the following documents to collegofartsPGR@lincoln.ac.uk with the subject heading ‘Museum Audiences Graduate Teaching Fellow Application’. Please include:

1) CV (maximum two sides A4)

2) Covering letter indicating which studentship you wish to apply for, and describing your reasons for wishing to undertake this project, how your prior experience prepares you for this studentship (both research and teaching), how you would refine the project based on your interests and experience, and a proposed research plan (maximum three sides of A4).

3) Contact details of two referees

4) EDI questionnaire

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

Graduate Teaching Fellowships

Background

The University of Lincoln is funding a number of Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTFs), to enrol in the academic year 2023-2024.

The aim of this initiative is to generate a cohort of Post Graduate Research students and provide opportunities for successful candidates to develop their teaching experience and practice.

The School of Psychology will host two GTFs.

Project 1 Description

PhD GTF Funded Studentship

Reference Number: 1AC-2AV-539120

Screening for gambling disorder and gambling-related harm within mental health and drug and alcohol services

Supervisory Team

Professor Amanda Roberts, Dr Kyla Pennington and Dr Jim Rogers.

Approximately 1% of the UK population report severe gambling behaviours that warrant a diagnosis of gambling disorder. Harmful gambling is a public health issue linked to adverse health outcomes, including, poor mental and physical health, as well as high levels of suicidality, and there is pressing need for initiatives to minimise disordered gambling and related harms.

However, people experiencing harmful gambling do not ordinarily seek help, and if they do it is typically ‘crisis driven’, only occurring after experiencing severe harm. Community healthcare services for mental health and substance misuse and third sector organisations may be well placed to provide secondary prevention initiatives (i.e., routine enquiry/referral to treatment) for disordered gambling.

There is a need to ascertain a range of perspectives on the viability and barriers of a secondary prevention intervention from such services.

Aims

This GTF project will seek to better understand the prevalence and profiles of people experiencing harmful gambling amongst people attending substance misuse and mental health services in the UK. The work will inform treatment provision and highlight which options best suit their clients. 

Research Environment

The successful candidate will join the Psychological Health and Wellbeing Research Group (PHew) PHWRG | Research | University of Lincoln 

Project 2 Description

Police approaches to supporting people who experience substance related harms

Supervisory Team

Dr Lauren Smith, Rachael Mason and Professor Amanda Roberts

The University Policing Network facilitates relationships with Lincolnshire Police to connect academics with practice-related projects. This has started to develop conversations around the police use of Naloxone, as well as projects with the Integrated Offender Management (IOM) Team (which includes a practitioner who supports people experiencing substance-related harms) who work with many people who use substances. Lincolnshire Police IOM team are one of few forces who have developed a youth cohort, meaning any findings may help to develop future provision.

Aims

This GTF project will evaluate police approaches to supporting people who experience substance related harms.

Research Environment

The successful candidate will join the Forensic and Crime Research group (FCRG) FCRG | Research | University of Lincoln

Person Specification and Requirements

The Graduate Teaching Fellowships combine PhD study with teaching duties. Therefore, applicants should demonstrate how their current skills and experience address both elements of the role.

Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant area. Applicants with a relevant Masters in psychology or related areas are encouraged to apply. Applicants should possess excellent report writing and English language communication skills and an ability to work to deadlines

Funding

A Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified.

All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend.

Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year, and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

How to Apply

To apply for a Graduate Research Fellowship please attach:

• Your CV (no longer than two pages)
• Covering letter
• Personal statement (about one page) that includes information on your research and teaching experience and vision for how you would like to develop your research and teaching in the future. The personal statement should outline how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements.
• The EDI monitoring form 
• Contact details for at least two academic references.

In a zip file to Maureen Young (studentshipscss@lincoln.ac.uk) with the subject as the “GTF Application”. Please quote project ID in the subject line of the email.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

Interviews will take place on 12 May 2023.

For further information, please contact Professor Amanda Robers aroberts@lincoln.ac.uk 

Graduate Teaching Fellowships

Background

The University of Lincoln is funding a number of Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTFs), to enrol in the academic year 2023-2024.

The aim of this initiative is to generate a cohort of Post Graduate Research students and provide opportunities for successful candidates to develop their teaching experience and practice.

The School of Social and Political Sciences will host three GTFs.

Project 1 Description

PhD GTF Funded Studentship

Reference Number: 1AC-2AW-539669

Supervisory Team

Dr. Trish Jackman (School fo Sport and Exercise Science), Prof. Mark Gussy (Lincoln International Intstitute for Rural Health), and Prof. Sam Hillyard (School of Social and Political Sciences)

Coastal Community Health, Sustainability and Resilience: mobility and movement in everyday life in coastal communities

There is considerable policy momentum behind supporting and reinvigorating coastal communities. The pressing health needs of these underserved communities was recognised by Chief Medical Officer Whitty. What is not yet known are the local conditions and the community’s voice and wishes. Inequities in access to services, disparities in health and wellbeing, ageing populations, state withdrawal of services, and seasonal economies are all established and well-documented. Yet, how people use and enjoy their localities at the everyday level and how barriers limiting health and mobility restrict their enjoyment of the coast is neglected.

For further information, please contact Dr. Trish Jackman (pjackman@lincoln.ac.uk).

Aims

This GTF seeks to explore and answer how older residential communities can better enjoy the coast through physical activity. It asks: 

• What are the experiences of older populations in coastal regions in physical activity and what activities do they most enjoy at the coast?
• How does this evolve and change during the lifecourse and in response to coastal challenges?
• What are the immediate barriers residents face in their everyday mobility and how might pleasurable, coastal-based physical activity be best supported among older adults in these communities?

Project 2 Description

PhD GTF Funded Studentship

Reference Number: 1AC-2AW-539669

Supervisory Team

Prof. Sam Hillyard (School of Social and Political Sciences), Dr. Trish Jackman (School of Sport and Exercise Science), and Prof. Mark Gussy (Lincoln International Intstitute for Rural Health).

Coastal Community Health, Sustainability and Resilience: a bell for Mablethorpe

There is considerable policy momentum behind supporting and reinvigorating coastal communities. The pressing health needs of these underserved communities was recognised by Chief Medical Officer Whitty. What is not yet known are the local conditions and the community’s voice and wishes. Inequities in access to services, disparities in health and wellbeing, ageing populations, state withdrawal of services, and seasonal economies are all established and well-documented. Yet, what people actually want, why they remain or relocate to rural coastal communities, and how they engage with their own localities is chronically underrepresented. 

For further information, please contact Prof. Sam Hillyard (shillyard@lincoln.ac.uk).

Aims

This GTF seeks to explore and answer what rural coastal communities – such as Mablethorpe – not only need, but actually want.  As one Mablethorpe newcomer put it, find a bell for Mablethorpe[1]. 

• Why do people relocate to Mablethorpe?
• How do local people engage with their locality and what impact do the local conditions have for the residents of Mablethorpe?
• What do its local community most wish for and why?

[1] The folklore tale of a remote community asked what it wanted, such as new housing or services, etc.  The village requested a bell, which they could ring when a church service was about to begin, for all to hear if they wanted to attend.

Project 3 Description

PhD GTF Funded Studentship

Reference Number: 1AC-2AW-539669

Coastal Community Health, Sustainability and Resilience: health provision and patterns in coastal communities

Supervisory Team

Prof. Mark Gussy (Lincoln International Intstitute for Rural Health), Prof. Sam Hillyard (School of Social and Political Sciences), and Dr. Trish Jackman (School of Sport and Exercise Science)

There is considerable policy momentum behind supporting and reinvigorating coastal communities. The pressing health needs of these underserved communities was recognised by Cheif Medical Officer Whitty. What is not yet known are the local conditions and the community’s voice and wishes. Inequities in access to services, disparities in health and wellbeing, ageing populations, state withdrawal of services, and seasonal economies are all established and well-documented. Yet, how health needs have changed in rural and coastal areas vis-à-vis national provision is less understood.

For further information, please contact Prof. Mark Gussy (mgussy@lincoln.ac.uk).

Aims

This GTF seeks to explore and answer how coastal health care provision has changed in the post-war period. It takes a national comparative approach, mining into the data of coastal and rural areas, such as Mablethorpe and Skegness, particularly.

• How have healthcare services changed in coastal areas since the introduction of a National Health Service? How do rural and coastal areas compare?
• What policy context and background informs provision?
• What case studies are there for successful coastal provision of services? What lessons can be learned from these?

Research Environments

These projects sit within the University of Lincoln's specialism in coastal community research, spanning the Schools of Social and Political Sciences, Sport and Exercise Sciences and the Lincoln International Institute of Rural Health. 

All three GTFs benefit from co-supervision across the School of Social and Political Sciences, the School of Sport and Exercise Science, Lincoln International Insitutute of Rurual Health, and the School of Social and Political Sciences Postgraduate seminar series and respective research seminar series. Teaching opportunities will likewise sit across these Schools, according to the successful candidates’ skillsets.

Person Specification and Requirements

You will be given the opportunity to work across disciplines and engage with colleagues from the University of Lincoln.  You should possess a first or upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in sport, exercise, physical activity or a related discipline. Applicants with a relevant Masters are particularly welcome.  A strong aptitude for qualitative research is essential. Applicants should possess the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team. Excellent communication skills, in both written and spoken English, is required.

Funding

A Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified.

All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend.

Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year, and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

How to Apply

Please attach:

• Your CV (no longer than two pages)
• Covering letter
• Personal statement (about one page) that includes information on your research and teaching and professional practice experience and vision for how you would like to develop your research and teaching in the future. The personal statement should outline how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements. Please also outline the skills you would bring to the role.
• The EDI monitoring form 
• Contact details for at least two academic references.

Please send the above documents in a zip file to Maureen Young (studentshipscss@lincoln.ac.uk) with the subject as the “GTF Application”. Please quote project ID in the subject line of the email.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

 

Graduate Teaching Fellowships - Four Positions

Background

The University of Lincoln is funding a number of Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTFs), to enrol in the academic year 2023-2024.

The aim of this initiative is to generate a cohort of Post Graduate Research students and provide opportunities for successful candidates to develop their teaching experience and practice.

The School of Health and Social Care will host four GTFs. 

The school has an established regional, national, and international reputation for its teaching, its research, and its broad educational opportunities. We are home to a variety of professionally accredited courses in Nursing, Midwifery, Allied Health Professions, and Social Work as well as our vocationally-oriented Health and Social Care degree. We undertake a broad range of high quality research projects across multi-disciplinary teams.

Aims

Three studies will be developed around the theme ‘Care Closer to Home’.

There will be some flexibility to allow the successful candidate to shape the study around their own specific interests and supervisory teams will be confirmed according to the successful applicant’s interest and project focus.

Project 1 Description

Care Close to Home (1) Areas focussing on retaining health: including avoiding hospital admission; ageing well and equality in access to public health interventions – across different geographies and demographics and innovation in care to support people to age well at home.

Project 2 Description

Care Close to Home (2) Research focussing on transitions in care: will incorporate research on hospital avoidance and better discharge back into the community and better understanding of the determinants of smooth transition to alternative care settings; health and social care integration and workforce issues.

Project 3 Description

Care Close to Home (3) Recovery and staying at home. Will include Treatment and Rehabilitation in Rural Communities: developing health and social care/social work roles and interventions for people with complex and high support needs.

Project 4 Description

A fourth PhD will be a collaboration with the School of Psychology. Preference will be given to Professional, Statuatory, and Regulatory Body registrants.

Work is currently being completed to explore patient pathways for people who present to the ambulance service with concerns relating to substance use. A Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement group has helped to develop a funding application for a project to start the development of an intervention, and the focus will include taking a participatory action research approach. The GTF will conduct research to aid the development of an intervention for the ambulance service.  

Research Environment 

Depending on the focus of the PhD, the successful candidates will join one of our highly productive and successful research groups or centres withing the School of Health and Social care, for example, The Healthy Ageing Research Group (HARG), The Mental Health, Health and Social Care Research Group (MH2aSC) or the Community and Health Research Unit (CaHRU).

Person Specification and Requirements

For the GTF positions in the School of Health and Social Care, applicants must be registered with a relevant Professional, Statutory/Regulatory Body (PSRB) in the UK before taking up the position. PSRBs relevant for these positions are:

• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Social Work England (SWE)

Please see further eligibility criteria in the job description.

Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant area. Applicants with a relevant Masters in a health or social care subject are encouraged to apply, however this is not mandatory. Applicants do not have to be registered for a PhD at the point of application, but if successful will apply directly to the University of Lincoln Doctoral Programme. Applicants should possess excellent report writing, English language communication skill, and an ability to work to deadlines.

Funding

A Graduate Teaching Fellow position is a four-year full-time role which combines PhD study with teaching duties. Applicants with relevant personal circumstances may be enrolled for six years on a part-time basis, but only where this is justified.

All Graduate Teaching Fellows will have their PhD fees waived, whether they incur home or international fees. They will also receive the equivalent of the standard UKRI stipend (£17668 p.a. in 2022-2023), partly as salary and partly as a stipend.

Graduate Teaching Fellows will be provided with appropriate training and support to undertake their teaching role. It is envisaged that their teaching duties, including associated administrative support and training, will not exceed 468 hours (0.3 FTE) per year, and in no case will exceed 20 hours of duties per week.

How to Apply

Please attach:

• Your CV (no longer than two pages)
• Covering letter
• Personal statement (about one page) that includes information on your research and teaching and professional practice experience and vision for how you would like to develop your research and teaching in the future. The personal statement should outline how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements. Please also outline the skills you would bring to the role.
• The EDI monitoring form 
• Contact details for at least two academic references.

Please send the above documents in a zip file to Maureen Young (studentshipscss@lincoln.ac.uk) with the subject as the “GTF Application”. Please quote project ID in the subject line of the email.

Application deadline is 17 April 2023.

Interviews will take place on 2 May 2023.

Start Date is October 2023 (subject to agreement – start date of Spring 2024 can be negotiated in certain circumstances)

For further information, please contact Professor Ros Kane: rkane@lincoln.ac.uk

PhD Studentship

AI-based Novel Biomarkers Discovery for Diagnosing and Grading the Severity of Spinal Disorders with MRIs

Supervisory Team: Dr Lei Zhang, Prof Xujiong Ye, Prof Paul Lee

Background

We are offering a full 3-year PhD studentship jointly funded by the University of Lincoln and MSK Doctors Ltd. The successful candidate will join the Laboratory of Vision Engineering in the School of Computer Science, in close collaboration with MSK Doctors Ltd (https://www.mskdoctors.com/), which is an independent private medical clinic specialising in the management of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

Project Description

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to assess spinal disorders (e.g. lumbar spine deformities, intervertebral disc degeneration, osteoporosis, vertebral fractures etc.), as it provides non-invasive soft tissue visualisation with enhanced contrast alongside different modalities.

However, traditional manual image interpretation(reading) in clinical practice is prolonged and there can be variability in manual diagnoses, subject to the radiologist's experience. Automated AI based solutions can help to reduce the diagnostics errors caused by human clinical practice, and increase the efficiency of the clinical workflow. This research aims therefore to develop novel explainable AI approaches for diagnosing and grading the severity of spinal disorders with MRIs.

Research Aims

This research is to identify novel biomarkers from MRIs using state-of-the-art AI models to support diagnosis of spinal disorders, of which the efficiency, accuracy, and robustness will be validated in the clinical practice. The specific objectives are:

• To conduct requirement analysis and engage stakeholders in the co-design of the AI solution used for clinical practice
• To develop novel explainable AI approaches for automated lumbar vertebral segmentation and intervertebral disc localisation
• To exploit novel biomarkers to grade the severity of spine disorder (disc degeneration) based on the quantitative measurements
• To validate the new technologies and test their acceptability and usability at clinical sites (MSK Doctors).

Person Specification and Requirements

You will be given the opportunity to work across disciplines and engage with colleagues from the University of Lincoln and work with experts and clinicians in clinical practice. You should possess a good honours degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or related discipline. Applicants with a relevant Master's are particularly welcome.

Interested applicants are encouraged to demonstrate any skills and/or experience relevant to the project subject area(s) of interest, including (but not limited to) (medical) image analysis, segmentation, surface reconstruction, and machine/deep learning. Evidence of ability to engage in scientific research and to work collaboratively as part of a team, including excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English, is required.

Funding Notes

A fully-funded studentship is available for home and international fees applicants for up to three years, as well as funding for travel and participation in conferences.

How to Apply

To apply for this, please send your CV, cover letter, and personal statement in a ZIP file to Dr Lei Zhang at lzhang@lincoln.ac.uk with the subject as the “PhD Studentship Application”. The personal statement should outline your approach to the project and also explain how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements (about one page). Please include contact details for at least two academic references.

Application Deadline: 28 February 2023

For further information, please contact Dr Lei Zhang (lzhang@lincoln.ac.uk) or Prof Xujiong Ye (xye@lincoln.ac.uk) at the University of Lincoln, or Prof Paul Lee (leep@mskdoctors.com) at MSK Doctors. The successful candidate will receive clinical training and work with an interdisciplinary team at MSK Doctors based in Sleaford, Lincolnshire.

International PhD Studentship

Health 4.0: Improving Resilience of Future Healthcare Systems through Digitalisation

Supervisors: Professor Dirk Schaefer, Dr Sepher Maleki

Today’s healthcare networks are plagued by high cost, varying levels of customer satisfaction, and the inability to respond effectively to short-term variations in operations and disruptions. In a different context, Industry 4.0 and digital manufacturing set out the concepts for how companies can achieve faster innovation and increase efficiencies across horizontal and vertically integrated value chains. However, in the domain of healthcare, which is still largely dependent on siloed, segregated information and processes, incorporating the paradigm of Industry 4.0 would allow to redefine efficient and effective future healthcare service provision, along with new business and strategic operational models based on digitisation and virtualisation.

Aims

The aim of this project is to investigate if lessons learned from digital manufacturing may be applied to the domain of healthcare to improve resilience through digitalization, digital twins, and data analytics. The project consists of five phases.

1. Background research and literature review, comparison of the manufacturing and healthcare systems domains.

2. Definition of resilience and metrics in the context of healthcare systems and in general and the NHS in particular. Analysis of past events and root causes that triggered bottlenecks and other disturbances that negatively impacted resilience.

3. Development of an agent-based model of one NHS subsystem of manageable complexity to study the impact of digitalisation and data analytics on the resilience of this subsystem.

4. Development of a digital twin of this subsystem and its processes for data capture, visualisation, and data analytics, including computational methods to identify and predict potential issues and propose interventions.

5. Test, verification, and validation of the proof-of-concept system.

Research Environment

You will work within a vibrant and rapidly growing community of PhD students in the School of Engineering and have the opportunity to collaborate with a clinical advisor and colleagues from Computer Science, Lincoln Medical School, and other units across the College of Science.

Funding

This is a fully-funded studentship for three years, applicable to Home/International applicants. It covers all fees and provides an annual stipend of £17,668 paid in monthly instalments.

Requirements

A first or upper second class honours degree in a relevant area. Candidates with background in manufacturing, systems engineering, data analytics, etc. are strongly encouraged to apply. Excellent English language communication skills (IELTS score of 6.5 or above for international students) and the ability to work to deadlines are essential.

How to Apply

Please contact pgreng@lincoln.ac.uk with a CV, covering letter, certified copies of degree certificates, and transcripts, and a personal statement outlining your approach to the project and how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements. You must also include contact details for at least two academic references. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly to arrange a suitable time for an interview. Applications are reviewed continuously until the position is filled.

International PhD Studentship

A Machine Learning-based Approach to Risk Management in Supply Chains

Supervisors: Professor Dirk Schaefer, Dr Sepehr Maleki.

Background

Modern supply chains are an example of the interconnected world we live in today. Companies rely on one another to keep their production lines running, and in most cases, companies are only aware of their immediate suppliers. This unawareness implies if a supplier further down the network cannot function properly, companies in the higher tiers will be affected unknowingly. One major challenge of these hidden dependencies is the lack of resilience in unexpected situations. The COVID-19 pandemic is a recent example that disrupted manufacturing and posed significant global challenges for supply chains. However, Supply chain disruptions can emerge due to other incidents, such as natural disasters or events such as Brexit. Nowadays, social media platforms such as Twitter play a prime role in the rapid propagation of disruptive news. This information can be processed to identify the events that can affect certain supply chains at an early stage.

Aim and Scope

This project aims to investigate the design and development of a machine learning-based decision support system to discover threats that could impact certain supply chains and recommend alternative solutions.

The project has three phases:

Phase 1: Discovery of hidden links: The student will utilise Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and graph reasoning to infer hidden links in a given supply chain.

Phase 2: Discovery of threats: The student will utilise Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to process social media data and discover potential threats that impact the supply chain on interest.

Phase 3: Recommender system: The student will investigate and develop a recommender system to suggest alternative suppliers to higher-tier companies.

This project is an excellent opportunity to develop and apply state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to solve real-world problems.

Research Environment

You will work within a vibrant and rapidly growing community of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in the School of Engineering. You will become a member of the School’s Industrial Digitalisation and Systems Intelligence (IDSI) Research Group and have the opportunity to collaborate with a clinical advisor and colleagues from Computer Science, the Medical School, and other units across the College of Science and beyond as needed.

Funding

This is a fully funded studentship for three years, applicable to Home and International applicants. It covers all fees and provides an annual stipend of £17,668 paid in monthly instalments.

Required Skills

Applicants must have a First or Upper Second Class honours degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science. Candidates with background/experience in other relevant areas, such as engineering and mathematics, are encouraged to apply only if they have evidence of knowledge (e.g., publications) relevant to the skills required for the post (i.e., Deep Learning, NLP, and recommender systems). Excellent English language communication skills (IELTS score of 6.5 or above for non-native speakers) and the ability to work to deadlines are essential.

How to Apply

Please send your CV, cover letter, and personal statement in a zip file to pgreng@lincoln.ac.uk with the subject as the title of the position. The personal statement should outline your approach to the project and also explain how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements (about one page). Please include contact details for at least two academic references.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly to arrange a suitable time for an interview. Applications are reviewed continuously until the position is filled. If you have questions about this position, please contact Dr Sepehr Maleki (smaleki@lincoln.ac.uk) directly.

International PhD Studentship

Deep reinforcement learning-based dynamic scheduling

Supervisors: Professor Dirk Schaefer, Dr Sepehr Maleki.

Background

The job shop scheduling problem is an optimisation problem with various industrial applications, including distributed computing, airline scheduling, and manufacturing systems. In general, the problem considers minimising the completion time for several tasks (jobs) with varying processing times assigned to a limited number of resources. Thus far, scheduling solutions mostly rely on simplifying assumptions such as a static environment. Therefore, investigating the scheduling problem in the presence of real-time events, known as dynamic scheduling, has attracted a lot of attention due to the flexibility and agility it can deliver.

Aim and Scope

This project aims to develop deep reinforcement learning-based techniques for dynamic scheduling problems. Reinforcement learning is a natural candidate for building optimal strategies given the state of the resources and a list of tasks. 

This project has three phases:

Phase 1: Background research and literature review to understand the dynamic scheduling problem and the state-of-the-art solutions.

Phase 2: Modelling and formal representation of scheduling problems.

Phase 3: Develop deep reinforcement techniques to propose optimal strategies for dynamic scheduling problems.

Research Environment

You will work within a vibrant and rapidly growing community of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in the School of Engineering. You will become a member of the School’s Industrial Digitalisation and Systems Intelligence (IDSI) Research Group and have the opportunity to collaborate with a clinical advisor and colleagues from Computer Science, the Medical School, and other units across the College of Science and beyond as needed.

Funding

This is a fully funded studentship for three years, applicable to Home and International applicants. It covers all fees and provides an annual stipend of £17,668 paid in monthly instalments.

Required Skills

Applicants must have a First or Upper Second Class honours degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science. Candidates with background/experience in other relevant areas such as engineering and mathematics are encouraged to apply only if they have evidence of knowledge (e.g., publications) relevant to the skills required for the post (i.e., Deep Learning and Reinforcement Learning). Excellent English language communication skills (IELTS score of 6.5 or above for non-native speakers) and the ability to work to deadlines are essential.

How to Apply

Please send your CV, cover letter, and personal statement in a zip file to pgreng@lincoln.ac.uk with the subject as the title of the position. The personal statement should outline your approach to the project and also explain how your qualifications and experience meet the requirements (about one page). Please include contact details for at least two academic references.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly to arrange a suitable time for an interview. Applications are reviewed continuously until the position is filled. If you have questions about this position, please contact Dr Sepehr Maleki (smaleki@lincoln.ac.uk) directly.