Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement
3-year PhD Studentship
To commence February 2025
Applications have now closed
The NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and King's College London are offering one fully funded 3-year PhD studentship in Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement. The successful candidate will have a background in a science that provides quantitative and/or qualitative training from any background. Those who have used mental health services are highly encouraged to apply.
This award is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), through the Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
Our aim is to pioneer multidisciplinary translational research and experimental medicine in the areas of mental health and neuroscience.
To achieve this we select the best students and provide them with excellent training, tailored flexibly to their individual needs and interests. We will equip them with the intellectual and technical skills that are needed for the future of translational research, and complement this with key transferable skills (including public engagement, business development and entrepreneurship) to ensure that they emerge as well-rounded scientists, prepared for their next career stage. Our excellent clinical setting will ensure all students benefit from an understanding of the context of their research and produce scientists with a strong translational ethos.
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is the UK’s largest NHS mental health service provider with a long history of involvement in translational research and training in partnership with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London.
The IoPPN is the largest academic community in Europe dedicated to the study, treatment and prevention of mental health problems and neurodegenerative disease. It is the world’s leading centre for mental health research in terms of citations of our publications. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework the IoPPN was judged to have a 100% 'outstanding' (4*) world leading research environment. The impact of its research outside academia scored 92% 'outstanding' (4*) and 8% 'very considerable' (3*).
The IoPPN offers excellent opportunities for research training in basic and clinical science across the mental health spectrum including its interface with physical health, precision psychiatry, novel therapeutics and translational informatics. Studying at the IoPPN you will benefit from world class research and clinical facilities plus internationally recognised supervisors.
We continuously strive to be an inclusive, culturally aware and culturally competent organisation that respects the differences of our community by providing an environment that both acknowledges and celebrates diversity and embraces inclusion.
Important: Before applying for this studentship, please read the information provided under the headings below.
The submission deadline for Stage One applications is 23:59 GMT on Sunday 17 November 2024.
Interviews are planned for week commencing 25 November 2024. All interviews will be held online via MS Teams. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Potential applicants are welcome to email Professor Dame Til Wykes for more information regarding the project and studentship: til.wykes@kcl.ac.uk
Project Description: Informed consent is a cornerstone of ethical research, particularly in mental health studies involving vulnerable populations like individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. The process of obtaining informed consent has become increasingly complex due to evolving ethical guidelines, legal requirements, and institutional policies. While efforts have been made to streamline the consent process, researchers still face significant challenges related to comprehension and retention of information provided to participants. Participants often struggle to understand the information contained in Participant Information Sheets which can hinder their ability to make informed decisions about participation. In mental health research, this issue is compounded by factors such as cognitive impairments and the emotional state of individuals with schizophrenia, which may affect their capacity to consent. The primary aim of this set of projects is to enhance the informed consent process by examining current practices and participant understanding. This includes investigating current processes to improve the consent process in a systematic review and to understand how complexity and readability has changed over time in NHS ethics applications and compare these procedures university ethics procedures. The final study will investigate the effects of co-developed informational materials (written and video) to improve participant understanding compared to standard formats.
This thesis will employ mixed-methods and is designed to improve the participant informed consent process with a comprehensive understanding of current practices, challenges, and potential improvements.
Objectives / project plan: This investigation employs a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design aimed at enhancing the informed consent process in schizophrenia research. The study consists of three distinct but interconnected phases: a systematic review, a randomised controlled trial (RCT), and a qualitative study involving participant interviews. Each phase is designed to build upon the findings of the previous one, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of current practices, challenges, and potential improvements in the informed consent process.
Supervisors
Professor Dame Til Wykes
Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience
Email: Til.wykes@kcl.ac.uk
Website: https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/til.wykes.html
Professor Gareth Barker
Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience
Email: gareth.barker@kcl.ac.uk
Website: https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/gareth.barker.html
Two representative publications from supervisors
Publication 1: JILKA S., HUDSON G., JANSLI S.M., NEGBENOSE E., WILSON E., ODEI C.M., MUTEPUA M. & WYKES T. (2021) How to make study documents clear and relevant: the impact of patient involvement. BJPsych Open 7, e202, 108; doi: 10.1192/bjo.2021.1040.
Publication 2: Paul McCrone, Iris Mosweu, Deokhee Yi, Tamatha Ruffell, Bethan Dalton, Til Wykes, Patient Preferences for Antipsychotic Drug Side Effects: A Discrete Choice Experiment, Schizophrenia Bulletin Open, Volume 2, Issue 1, January 2021, sgab046, https://doi.org/10.1093/schizbullopen/sgab046
Award
Funding is available for:
- One 3-year PhD studentship to commence February 2025.
The award covers:
- Full Home rate tuition fees;
- A stipend (currently £21,237 per year);
- A contribution towards training, conference attendance and research costs.
Overseas applicants may apply but will need to cover the difference in tuition fees.
Fee status guidance - Home or Overseas?
Determining whether you are classified as home or overseas depends on whether you meet certain criteria. These criteria are set by the Government’s Department for Education. To be classed as a home student, applicants usually fit into one of the following categories, subject to residency requirements being met:
- be a UK national (meeting residency requirements)
- have settled status
- have pre-settled status
- have indefinite leave to remain or enter.
For full details of all the different categories of student who can be classified as home, please read UKCISA guidance, including the explanatory information provided in this PDF guide.
If you do not fit into one of these categories, you are most likely classified as overseas.
For Stage One of the application process please self-identify your fee status as best you can using the guidance and links provided above. If you progress to Stage Two, your fee status will be fully assessed and confirmed by KCL Admissions.
Entry Requirements
The programme is very competitive and applicants must have, or be predicted to obtain at least a 2.1 or equivalent overseas qualification in a relevant science subject.
Students who do not meet the above primary criteria may apply if they satisfy the following conditions:
- A 2.2 BSc degree and a MSc in a relevant subject with Merit or Distinction.
- A 2.1 or higher non-science first degree (BA) and a MSc in a relevant subject with Merit or Distinction.
English Language
Applicants for these studentships must meet the King's College London Band D English language requirements. Any offer you are made will be conditional upon you meeting these requirements prior to enrolment.
Further information is available on the King's College London English language entry requirements page.
Strengthening our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
In line with the NIHR's national strategy we aim to:
- foster an inclusive environment
- engage the talents and energy of diverse people in all areas of our work
- improve the relevance and quality of our research
To do this we will widen access for greater diversity and inclusion of applicants across under-represented groups. This includes, but is not restricted to gender and sexuality, diverse racial and ethnic groups, people from different geographical regions of varied socio-economic backgrounds, people with disabilities or lived experience of mental health issues.
People who have used mental health services are actively encouraged to apply.
You will benefit from the wide range of training and support offered by King's College London to its postgraduate research students.
NIHR Maudsley BRC students are members of the NIHR Academy and have access to resources and training opportunities provided nationally through the Academy and wider NIHR infrastructure.
Applying to this programme is a three-stage process.
Stage One
To apply for this studentship at Stage One please send the following to rachael.constable@kcl.ac.uk by 23:59 GMT on Sunday 17 November 2024:
- CV – including both educational and professional history;
- Personal statement – on why you are interested in this project;
- At least one supporting reference - see below.
Academic references – all applications require at least one supporting reference. If the applicant is relying on their referees to submit a reference directly to the College after they have submitted their admissions application, then the applicant must ensure that (1) their chosen referee is made aware of the funding deadline (i.e. 7 days from application deadline) and (2) that the reference needs to be sent from an institutional email address.
Please note there is no need to include a research proposal in your application as the project has already been set. Potential applicants are welcome to email Professor Dame Til Wykes til.wykes@kcl.ac.uk for more information regarding the project and studentship.
Stage Two
- Successful candidates will be invited to attend a panel interview.
Interviews are planned for week commencing 25 November 2024.
Following interviews, candidates will be contacted via email and informed of the outcome of their interview. The successful candidate will be required to complete Stage Three.
Stage Three
- The successful candidate will be asked to submit an application and Project Approval Form (PAF) via King’s Apply where final checks on academic qualifications, English language requirements and fee status will be made.
This will need to be completed by the first week of December 2024.
Providing all checks at Stage Three are successful, the candidate will be sent a formal offer letter confiirming their programme of study and funding.
The submission deadline for Stage One applications is 23:59 GMT on Sunday 17 November 2024.
Further Information:
If you have questions please email: rachael.constable@kcl.ac.uk
Follow the NIHR Maudsley BRC on Twitter @nihrmaudsleybrc
Read our latest research news: https://www.maudsleybrc.nihr.ac.uk/blog/
