About the Project
Applications are invited for a fully-funded studentship in Health Economics at the Department of Economics, University of Bristol. The project will explore the gene-environment interplay in the generation of health inequalities across the life course. We invite applications from eligible students for a studentship that would commence in October 2018 if the availability of funding is confirmed.
The project
The project will advance understanding of gene-environment interactions (GxE) in the formation of life course inequalities in health. Combining methods from genetics and social science, it will test whether privileged environments protect against genetic susceptibility to risky health behaviours, such as smoking and drinking.
Although GxE analysis is not new, only a few studies have attempted to take into account the possible endogeneity (i.e. unobserved confounding) of the environment. This studentship will exploit ‘natural experiments’ to deal with unmeasured confounding, using data such as the UK Biobank and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).
This studentship will link to a larger (NORFACE DIAL) award due to start in March 2018, allowing the successful candidate to enjoy the many opportunities for training and collaboration through this wider network, and learn from many senior researchers, post-docs, as well as other PhD studentships funded through the project.
Training: The PhD student will engage in genetic, epidemiological, economics, as well as econometrics training. This will allow the student to work and collaborate across disciplines. The project will provide a general framework to analyse GxE for health outcomes, based on solid empirical identification.
Supervision: The interdisciplinary supervisory team consists of Dr. Stephanie von Hinke (main supervisor; Department of Economics, University of Bristol), Professor Frank Windmeijer (Department of Economics, University of Bristol), Dr. Neil Davies (Bristol Medical School), and Professor Tim Frayling (Medical School, University of Exeter).
Funding
Funding: The studentship would be funded through the GW4 BioMed MRC DTP. It consists of full UK/EU tuition fees, as well as a Doctoral Stipend matching the UK Research Council National Minimum (£14,553 p.a. for 2017/18, updated each year). The studentships would typically be a maximum of 3.5 years full-time or up to 7 years part-time, and can be longer where additional training is undertaken (e.g. a Masters); the award will be payable in instalments, subject to satisfactory progress. Additional research and training funding is available over the course of the programme. This will cover some costs, such as research consumables, courses, conferences and travel.
Eligibility
The DTP welcomes applications from both UK and EU applicants, especially in areas of economics, social science, and statistics. Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK. For this project, we are looking for someone with strong quantitative skills, ideally in economics or a related discipline, though we are happy to consider applicants with other quantitative backgrounds.
To be eligible for a full award (fees and stipend) from a Research Council, a UK or EU student must have no restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the studentship.
An EU student who has not been resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the studentship is generally eligible for a fees-only award from the Research Council: to be eligible for a fees-only award, a student must be ordinarily resident in a member state of the EU; in the same way as UK students must be ordinarily resident in the UK. The DTP has additional funding from the partner universities to support a limited number of EU students who do not meet the UK residency requirements, so long as they meet the criteria for a fees-only award; these studentship will therefore be fully funded (fees and stipend).
Please note that negotiations regarding ‘Brexit’ will not affect recruitment of EU students for studentships starting in October 2018.
English: If English is not your first language you will need to have achieved at least 6.5 in IELTS (and no less than 6.5 in any section) by the start of the programme.
More information
Department of Economics, University of Bristol: More information on postgraduate study within the Department of Economics, University of Bristol, can be found here: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/2018/ssl/phd-economics/
More information on the Department of Economics can be found here: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/economics/
Enquires
For informal and project-related queries, please contact Dr. Stephanie von Hinke: [Email Address Removed].
For DTP enquiries please contact the DTP Manager, Sarah Brasher [Email Address Removed]
How to apply
You will need to complete an application to the GW4 BioMed MRC DTP for an ‘offer of funding’ by 5pm, 24 November 2017. The Research Theme Panels will complete the shortlisting and inform applicants by 19 December 2017. Full details of the application process are given on the GW4 website: http://www.gw4biomed.ac.uk/projects-2/
Applicants who have not been contacted by 1 February 2018 should assume that they have been unsuccessful.
The process
If you are shortlisted you will need to:
• Contact the supervisors to discuss your application between 3/1/2018-12/1/2018
• Submit two references and a copy of your academic transcript(s) by 19/1/2018
• Attend an interview in Cardiff on 24th or 25th January 2018
Further details will be included in the shortlisting letter.
Closing date for applications: 5pm, 24 November 2017
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