Postgraduate research opportunities The Future Hospital & Beyond Its Walls

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Key facts

  • Opens: Monday 24 August 2026
  • Deadline: Friday 30 October 2026
  • Number of places: 10
  • Duration: Up to 2 years
  • Funding: Home fee, Travel costs

Overview

Building a Health and Care System Fit for the Future – join a new generation of researchers innovating the NHS and care sector. We're seeking applications for MPhil projects focused on addressing the major challenges facing health and social care. Aligned with national priorities to modernise services, improve productivity, support prevention, and deliver more personalised care, these projects will generate evidence to help create sustainable health and care services for future generations.
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Eligibility

We invite students to undertake work-related projects part-time, over a period of two years.

Areas of interest include:

  • digital health and care innovation
  • artificial intelligence and data-enabled services
  • prevention and early intervention
  • supporting independent living and self-management
  • community-based and integrated care
  • workforce development and service transformation
  • reducing health inequalities
  • improving outcomes for people with long-term conditions
  • technology-enabled care and remote support

Successful applicants will contribute to research that supports a shift towards more preventative, person-centred, digitally enabled and sustainable models of care across the NHS, social care, third sector and community services.

A key focus of the call is on health and social care transformation in Scotland but we do invite relevant proposals from across the four Nations as well as international. Students should be based in the British Isles. 

Resources:

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. Applicants are advised to contact prospective supervisors to discuss their vision before submitting a proposal
  • 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 creating an NHS and Social Care sector fit for the future
  • engagement of the NHS, Care or Third Sector throughout the full studentship must be evidenced through a letter of support pointing out how the proposed project relates to the applicant’s day work and how the link between professional practise and academic research has the potential to innovate
  • the NHS, Care or Third sector organisation is requested to provide allocated study leave (at no cost to the University of at least four working days per month) to support the non-work related part of MPhil study (library work, writing retreats, conference contributions)

The projects link professional practice with academic innovation and development. The work should empower practitioners to innovate from the frontline. To be successful the day-to-day work has to contribute to the MPhil project and as the research progresses, in turn the project reviews, guides and informs ongoing work and innovation in the workplace.    

The projects come with the opportunity to attend taught modules to support learners in their study.

THE Awards 2019: UK University of the Year Winner
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Project Details

The 'Future Hospital' is part of an NHS and a Social Care Sector fit for the future. It 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 holistic future care. The Future Hospital will have better processes enhancing patient experiences and outcomes.

Moving care from hospital into community, the ‘Future Hospital’ is supporting people to be cared for in their home environment 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.

All applications should address how they will assure patient and public engagement.

Applications should also show alignment to one or more of Strathclyde’s areas of expertise in Digital Health & Care, in the future of Pharmacy, the future of Surgery, in Mental Health and in Social Care as well in Systems-Engineering Care and in linking the Professional Service to informal Caregivers.

Further information

Projects are anticipated to start in January 2027.

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Funding details

A maximum of £5,200 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 2026/27: £5,200 (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.

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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.

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Apply

All potential applicants are advised to email 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 30 October 2026 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 in November. 

Number of places: 10

To read how we process personal data, applicants can review our 'Privacy Notice for Student Applicants and Potential Applicants' on our Privacy notices' web page.