Postgraduate research opportunities The Future Hospital & Beyond Its Walls
ApplyKey facts
- Opens: Monday 25 August 2025
- Deadline: Friday 31 October 2025
- Number of places: 10
- Duration: Up to 2 years
- Funding: Home fee, Travel costs
Overview
The 'Future Hospital' is a network that is agile, flexible and responsive, connected by a digital infrastructure. Long-term solutions in prevention of disease, remote monitoring, early diagnosis, and detection will be key components of Future Hospitals; they will have better processes enhancing patient experiences and outcomes. Up to 10 part-time MPhil studentships, each for up to two years' duration, will be awarded to professionals working in the Health, Social Care or Third Sector.Eligibility
We invite students to undertake projects part-time, over a period of two years.
Projects:
- must be supervised by academics at the University of Strathclyde. We encourage joint supervision across two academic departments to nurture integrated solutions for health and social care challenges
- must be supported by the NHS, Social Care or Third Sector and clearly demonstrate potential to make a significant positive impact on health and social care delivery under the auspices of the ‘Future Hospital’ by innovating within the sectors of pharmacy, surgery, mental health or social care in their host organisation
- engagement of the NHS, Care or Third Sector through the full studentship must be evidenced through a letter of support from the organisation and confirmation granting day release for the candidate to undertake their studies
- the NHS, Care or Third sector organisation is responsible for ensuring the student has allocated study leave (at no cost to the University of at least four working days per month) to support their MPhil study
The projects come with the opportunity to attend taught modules to support learners in their study.
Project Details
The 'Future Hospital' is a network that is agile, flexible and responsive, connected by a digital infrastructure. Long-term solutions in prevention of disease, remote monitoring, early diagnosis, and detection will be key components of Future Hospitals. The Future Hospital will have better processes enhancing patient experiences and outcomes. Up to 10 part-time MPhil studentships, each for up to two years' duration, will be awarded to professionals working in the Health, Care or Third Sector.
The ‘Future Hospital’ is supporting people to be cared for in their communities with at risk populations monitored remotely and empowered to engage and be active participants in their own health and care.
The ‘Future Hospital’ will have better flows and processes, be more efficient, saving costs and enhancing patient experiences and outcomes. Future care will focus heavily on the wellbeing and prevention agenda, rather than just responding to illnesses when they occur.
Long-term solutions in prevention of disease, remote monitoring, early diagnosis, and detection will be key components of the Future Hospital, reducing burden on inpatient services, optimising staff roles and workloads and unlocking new opportunities for innovative use of hospital and virtual spaces. We seek to engage more holistically with systems of care, which engage with inequalities, diversity and other social and economic challenges that intersect with health and wellbeing.
We are currently inviting applications with a focus around digital health and AI. The use of data, the connecting of different parts of the social care and health system, the smart use of analytics and algorithms will all play a key role in transforming services.
We are looking for a wider outlook on the theme: projects could research the impact of AI and digital health on service users and staff, or on emerging learning needs and opportunities. We would be interested in digital solutions and service connectivity and we would welcome research into barriers to implementation. Projects are welcome to investigate how the ‘hospital at home’ can connect healthcare and social service.
The digital transformation can bring huge benefits, freeing practitioners from repetitive tasks, and giving back time for quality patient-interaction. Yet it can leave front-line staff having to compete for the trust of patients against imperfect online algorithms. Against this background we see research need in trust and attitude, in legal issues and human factors.
All applications should address how they will assure patient and public engagement.
Applications should also show alignment to Strathclyde’s areas of expertise in the Future of Pharmacy, the Future of Surgery, Mental Health and in Social Care.
Further information
Projects are anticipated to start in January 2026.
Funding details
A maximum of £5,000 is available to fully cover the cost of tuition fees. Furthermore, there is funding available for travel, consumables and publications associated with the period of study thanks to philanthropic donations.
The total amount of funding for one studentship will be for a maximum of two years. Any costs beyond this duration will not be covered.
Exceptional candidates will be encouraged to proceed to PhD study. Part funding is available for PhD progression.
Funding per MPhil for duration (maximum two years)
- postgraduate fees, part-time 2024/25: £5,000 (over two years)
- consumables, travel relating to research undertaken as part of MPhil, publication, conference attendance: £500
- total funding from Strathclyde (six-year duration part-time): £5,500
While there is no funding in place for opportunities marked "unfunded", there are lots of different options to help you fund postgraduate research. Visit funding your postgraduate research for links to government grants, research councils funding and more, that could be available.
Supervisors
Academics from the University of Strathclyde will supervise the projects. Applicants should contact prospective supervisors early in the application process and get guidance on filling out the application form.
Apply
All potential applicants are advised to contact Health and Care Futures at healthandcarefutures@strath.ac.uk for any informal enquiries.
Applications should be made using the CDT Project Proposal Form (this link opens a Word document and should be returned along with the required supporting documentation).
The closing date for applications is 31 October 2025 at 12 noon.
Proposals should be submitted to healthandcarefutures@strath.ac.uk.
Entries will be reviewed and candidates with promising proposals will be invited to interview. Successful candidates will be informed by the beginning of December.
Number of places: 10
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