Shifting participation power: embedding community research link workers in equitable periconception care(code A1.2_Sheffield)

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Inequalities Challenge: Maternity Disparities Consortium (MDC) is proud to announce its PhD Studentship competition. We are seeking the next generation of researchers to help us tackle persistent inequalities in maternity. 

The MDC brings together a UK wide collaboration of universities, NHS trusts, councils, charities, and industry partners. You can find information about our consortium members here. Our goal is to improve outcomes for women and babies before, during, and after pregnancy through inclusive, evidence-based research. 

Capacity Development

The MDC capacity development programme aims to build the next generation of maternity disparities research leaders, strengthen the workforce to deliver and sustain impact across the UK and deliver on the government priorities including the Women’s Health Strategy for England and 10 Year Health Plan for England.  

The Consortium focuses on growing long-term research capacity and expertise, especially within underrepresented disciplines, professions and underserved communities; inspiring and supporting the next generation of researchers with the right skills mix to work across clinical, practice and research sectors.  

The Opportunity

We are offering up to 13 funded PhD studentships (1 co-funded with the NIHR School for Public Health Research) across a range of potential projects at universities across our Consortium. We are specifically looking to grow research capacity in methodological areas, including but not limited to, health economics, statistics, trial design, digital research, data science, implementation science and co-production methods where expertise is currently limited. 

Start: January 2027 

Duration: Up to 3 years (Full-Time) or 4 years at 0.8WTE (Part-Time) 

Funding:  

• Full home tuition fees covered (at 2026/27 UK rates). 
• Tax-free annual stipend at UKRI rates (£21,805/£23,805 outside London/ inside London from 1^st October 2026). 
• £5,000 (per award) contribution towards research, travel, training and consumables. 
• International students are welcome to apply but must secure alternative funding for the difference between UK and Overseas tuition fees.

The Project

This project is co-funded by The NIHR Inequalities Challenge: Maternity Disparities Consortium (MDC) and the NIHR School for Public Health Research.

Rationale and Expected Impact

Preconception and interpregnancy health are critical determinants of maternal, neonatal and long-term child outcomes. However, access to high-quality preconception care remains inequitable, particularly for women from minoritised ethnic communities, socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, and those experiencing systemic barriers within maternity systems. Communication gaps, fragmented service pathways and limited community engagement contribute to delayed access and suboptimal health optimisation before pregnancy.

This PhD will investigate how access, communication and experience of preconception and interpregnancy services can be improved through co-produced, community-informed and digitally enabled models of care in South Yorkshire. The project will generate actionable evidence to support prevention-focused, community-based maternal health strategies aligned with national maternity policy and NIHR priorities.

Aims

1. To map current access pathways, barriers, and facilitators to preconception/interpregnancy care.
2. To explore the lived experiences of service users and professionals.
3. To co-produce and evaluate recommendations for improved, equitable care pathways incorporating digital tools where appropriate.

Methods: Using community-based participatory research and implementation science frameworks, the study will work in partnership with local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations to:

1. Train and embed Community Research Link Workers (CRLWs) from underserved communities to facilitate focus groups, recruit participants and co-produce culturally grounded engagement strategies.

2. Co-design adaptations to periconception and interpregnancy interventions (e.g., folic acid uptake, medication optimisation, smoking cessation, pregnancy planning support).

3. Evaluate the impact of CRLW-led engagement on equitable reach, uptake and early outcomes using mixed methods and equity-stratified routine data analysis (with DELTA support).

Data will be analysed using thematic analysis and implementation science frameworks. Where appropriate, routinely collected data may be used to examine disparities in access and outcomes. By shifting research participation power to community members, the project will strengthen trust, cultural safety and representativeness in implementation.

Capacity Development: The student will gain training in mixed methods research, community co-production, health inequalities research, implementation science, patient and public involvement (PPIE), and digital health evaluation. The project will strengthen interdisciplinary capability across maternal health, public health and health services research.

Contact Supervisor– Professor Dilly Anumba : [email protected]

Who is a MDC PhD studentship for? 

We welcome applications from individuals passionate about maternal health equity with particular methodology knowledge and experience. We are committed to building a supportive, inclusive, and caring research community. We particularly encourage applications from: 

• People from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. 
• People with disabilities, neurodivergent conditions, and long-term health requirements 
• Candidates of all genders, ages, and beliefs. 
• We encourage applicants with experience of a wide range of methodologies to apply if they believe they can bring valuable skills to research on maternity inequalities. If it is not immediately obvious, please use your cover letter to explain how your disciplinary background will allow you to carry out your research. 

Eligibility Criteria

Essential

• First/Upper Second-Class Honours degree (2:1 or above) in a relevant subject. 
• A Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field. Exceptional candidates without a Master’s degree but with significant research experience may also be considered.
• Understanding of and commitment to tackling maternity inequalities. 
• Relevant previous research experience – this experience may be relevant to either the research or methodological area. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Highly motivated. 
• Able to work both independently and as part of a team. 
• Able to plan and manage own work. 
• Strong quantitative research skills and experience analysing complex datasets, ideally including routinely collected data.
• Experience (academic or applied) in qualitative or mixed-methods research.
• Ability to work collaboratively with community and professional stakeholders.
• International applicants are welcome to apply for studentships, but applicants who are selected for interview must be able to provide proof of funding for international fees and immigration costs prior to their interview.   
• English language requirement which can be found on individual university postgraduate admission web pages.

Desirable

• Experience in patient and public involvement (PPIE) or co-production.
• Knowledge of NHS maternity systems or public health policy.
• Experience working with underserved or marginalised populations.
• Interest in digital health or service innovation.
• Training in data analysis software (e.g., NVivo, R, Stata, SPSS or similar).
• We strongly encourage applications from candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and those with lived or community experience relevant to the project.

*All students will be expected to be based at their host university and meet the individual university PhD studentship regulations. Please check individual university postgraduate admissions.

Accessibility and Support

We want you to perform at your best. You may contact individual supervisors when asking for more details about the projects and your suitability for the project. General enquiries about the recruitment process and MDC, including if you require any reasonable adjustments for the application process or the interview (such as alternative formats, extra time, or specific technological needs), please contact:  [email protected].  

NIHR and DHSC have a duty as a public body to promote equality of opportunity.  We will contact all applicants throughout the application period with an Equality Monitoring Form. Monitoring ensures that all applications to NIHR MDC Programmes are treated equally in terms of gender, ethnicity and/or disability. Information will be anonymised and stored separately from your application, only be used for the purpose of monitoring equal opportunities and be kept securely and in confidence.