Ageing and/as Performance

Applications are invited for full-time interdisciplinary doctoral research focused on using performance as a lens to make connections across aspects of the ageing experience which so far are treated separately and independently from one another. The work will be undertaken in the context of the Dunhill Medical Trust Reimagine Ageing Doctoral Research Programme embedded in the Interdisciplinary Reimagine Ageing Research Network.

The Network focuses on improving the quality of life, functional capacity and well-being of people as they age. It is embedded in and is being co-created with community partners with the intent for meaningful interdisciplinary engagement from colleagues across the University of Leeds and with the communities whose lives they seek to improve.

This interdisciplinary project aims to mobilise the term performance, across its many manifestations in different fields of research and human activity, as a lens to analyse, bring together and develop a comparative understanding of different aspects of ageing. 

Performance is a broad term which encompasses artistic products, social behaviours and identity categories. Performance, also, signifies achievement according to a pre-established standard and in this way it can also refer to professional attainment as well as technological or physiological function. As a research field, performance has been linked to ageing in various ways: for example in terms of access to and/or participation of older adults in the performing arts; the performance of ageing through representations in media; and finally the performance of medical and health care technologies for maintaining independence and well-being. 

The aim is to develop a novel methodology that enables connections to be made across aspects of the ageing experience which so far are treated separately from one another. For example, the project may examine the links between the performance/function of healthcare technologies and the performance of care and disease; or the relationship between participation in the performing arts and performance of social and civic roles. 

The award is open to full-time candidates (UK only) who meet the eligibility for a place on a PhD degree in the School of Medicine.

The Reimagine Ageing Interdisciplinary Research Network is hosted by the Horizons Institute University of Leeds. The focus is on how approaches and innovative solutions might enhance the perceptions, narratives and experience of ageing.

The Network brings together academics, clinicians, industrial partners, charities, the third sector, and local authorities to stimulate new interdisciplinary collaborations and co-create novel, imaginative responses to the global challenge of ageing. The Reimagine Ageing PhD Programme has been funded by Dunhill Medical Trust and the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Leeds. 

Whilst the PhD students will be hosted by the Faculty of Medicine and Health the focus will be on interdisciplinary work.

Eligibility

Applicants to this scholarship in the School of Medicine should normally have an Undergraduate degree of 2:1 or above (or international equivalent) in a relevant subject area. A Master’s degree is desirable, but not essential.

The minimum English language entry requirement for postgraduate research study in the School of Medicine is an IELTS of 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid.

Applicants must not have already been awarded or be currently studying for a doctoral degree. Awards will be taken up sometime in the 2024/25 academic year. Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this scholarship, with the expectation they will contribute to development of the Reimagine Ageing Network.

How to Apply

To apply for this scholarship applicants should complete an online application form and attach the following documentation to support their application:

• a full academic CV
• degree certificate and transcripts of marks
• evidence that you meet the University’s English language requirements (if applicable)
• Applicants interested in this topic should submit an outline proposal identifying which specific area they wish to focus on. Please contact Maria Kapsali for further information

To help us identify that you are applying for this scholarship project please ensure you provide the following information on your application form

• Select PhD in Medicine as your programme of study
• Provide the area you are interested in and briefly outline the type of research you wish to pursue relevant to the area identified
• For source of funding please state you are applying for a Dunhill Medical Trust Scholarship