LIDC is contributing thousands of pounds towards field costs for five three-year PhD Studentships.The funds will support research projects in a range of innovative and specialised areas including using mobile phones to help monitor infectious disease, analysing sexual behaviour among young women in South Africa, and exploring land and legal issues in post-conflict countries in Africa. They will supplement the five development Studentships, out of a total of 13 Studentships, offered by The Bloomsbury Colleges. Each development project - Studentship plus field costs – is worth more than £60,000.

Successful applicants will begin their PhDs in September/October 2010 as part of the scheme run by The Bloomsbury Colleges (a consortium made up of Birkbeck, Institute of Education, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Royal Veterinary College, School of Oriental and African Studies, and The School of Pharmacy). Each student will be guided by two academics - a lead supervisor from one of the Bloomsbury Colleges and a collaborating supervisor from another. This joint supervision approach will promote interdisciplinary research, a primary aim of LIDC. The Colleges, via the consortium, will provide Studentships to include tuition fees and a stipend. LIDC is committed to contributing a total of approximately £31,000 towards the field research costs across the five development Studentships.

Research questions
The five PhD research areas and the academics responsible for supervising them are set out below (lead supervisor listed first):

 

Mobile learning for development: participatory design of an open mobile knowledge exchange network for the detection, identification and monitoring (DIM) of infectious diseases	Dr Niall Winters, London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, and Nick Short, Royal Veterinary College
Social and educational determinants of sexual partner choice and risk behaviours among young women in South Africa	Dr James Hargreaves, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Professor Dick Wiggins, Institute of Education
China’s emerging role in global health governance:  navigating between access to medicines and economic development	Dr Keeley Lee/Dr Chris Holden, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Dr Julia Strauss, School  of Oriental and African Studies
Land and law in war to peace transitions in Africa	Professor Christopher Cramer, School of Oriental and African Studies, and Professor Patrick McAuslan, Birkbeck
Good health at low cost: understanding the contribution of political, economic and structural factors promoting good health	Professor Mushtaq Khan, School of Oriental and African Studies, and Dr Dina Balabanova, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

 

Background
The Bloomsbury PhD Studentships were created to promote cross-College collaboration, particularly in areas likely to benefit from interdisciplinary work. They are awarded every year for a range of topics, including international development.

Applications
Click here for more information and to apply. The Studentships cover the cost of UK/EU tuition fees and a maintenance stipend. Applications are welcome from students of all nationalities. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2010.

By Guy Collender, Senior Communications Officer, LIDC