PhD studentships in the Faculty of Health and Medicine at Lancaster University and Blackpool Council
An exciting PhD Studentship fully funded by the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) is available at the Faculty of Health and Medicine (Lancaster University) and Blackpool Council on:
Investigating the health impacts of housing regeneration in Blackpool: a framework for evaluation grounded in spatial analysis and lived experience.
Aim of PhD
This fully-funded NWSSDTP PhD will aim to capture the potential health impacts of a large housing regeneration project in Blackpool, and produce a framework for evaluation of housing regeneration project using spatial analyses and lived experience. This is a novel PhD which will develop expertise in high quality mixed research methods and in health inequalities.
Background
Blackpool is the most deprived local authority in England, with the lowest life expectancy for men and women. It has considerable health inequalities, many of which are attributed to poor housing. In 2024, the scale of Blackpool’s urgent housing issues was recognised and £90 million was awarded to Blackpool for housing regeneration by the UK Government and Homes England. Blackpool Council has now commenced a regeneration programme to create new homes in central Blackpool.
Despite growing recognition of the link between housing and health, the evidence base for housing regeneration as a mechanism to improve population health is limited. Some health impacts of housing are clearly documented, such as respiratory illness and the impact of excess cold and damp and mould growth. However, other relationships are less clear, such as how the socio-economic impacts of housing improvements may lead to health-promoting behaviours. There is also some evidence of the harms of regeneration, including gentrification, displacement of the pre-existing population, and destabilisation of community organisations.
Blackpool presents a unique opportunity to address this gap. With its concentrated deprivation, active regeneration programmes, and well-documented health challenges, it offers a compelling case for studying the intersection of housing and health. In addition, Blackpool Council was one of the first ten local authorities to be awarded NIHR funding to establish a Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) and this research infrastructure enables effective translation of evidence into policy.
What the student will do?
The student will adopt a mixed-methods design across four sequential projects, each of them forming an individual chapter of the dissertation which objectives are:
1. To review national and local regeneration case studies in coastal towns or with similar deprivation level.
2. To map baseline housing conditions and associated health inequalities across Blackpool prior to/early in regeneration, both within the regeneration zone and comparable neighbourhoods.
3. To explore local lived experiences of housing renewal and its perceived impact on wellbeing.
4. To combine interdisciplinary qualitative and quantitative primary and secondary data to develop a spatial framework for evaluating regeneration projects and informing policy.
There is some flexibility in the approach, depending on the student’s interests.
In terms of outcomes, the project will advance interdisciplinary understanding of how housing regeneration affects health and wellbeing in Blackpool, and deprived coastal communities more widely. Rich datasets will be generated (including geospatial layers, health indicators, and community narratives) that can be used for future research and planning.
The framework represents a practical tool for local authorities to assess regeneration outcomes and guide investment decisions. Nationally, the project will contribute to evidence-based policy development by highlighting the health dimensions of housing interventions, supporting integrated approaches to regeneration, public health, and social equity.
Skills and eligibility
We are open to applicants from all disciplinary backgrounds, but preference will be given to candidates with experience in health and/or social care, and in using mixed methods approaches.
You will need excellent communication skills, and a willingness to work as part of a team. Essential attributes include being highly motivated, a desire to improve public health and any relevant research experience working with human participants is desirable.
Applicants should hold a 1st class honours degree (undergraduate) (1+3 PhD programme – see salary and additional benefits section) or a Distinction at Masters level in social science (3 years PhD programme). We expect that most applicants will have an undergraduate + master qualification.
The award is available to both Home and International candidates. International students will not be expected to pay any additional tuition fees themselves because the University will waiver the additional international fee for those who successfully obtain the studentship. However, NWSSDTP limit the number of studentships that can be awarded to international applicants.
We particularly welcome applications from groups traditionally under-represented in postgraduate study, and especially from those communities that often have been marginalised. Lancaster University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive environment for all.
If English is not your first language, you must fulfil Lancaster University English Language criteria before the start of your studies (https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/entry-requirements/postgraduate-english-requirements/).
Training available
As well as the fortnightly supervision (and monthly meetings with the whole supervisory team), training is provided across all stages of the programme, with emphasis placed on the elements of particular relevance to this PhD (including research ethics, systematic literature reviews, secondary data analysis, advanced statistics, qualitative data collection and analysis etc). PhD students within the Faculty of Health and Medicine are encouraged to access a range of interdisciplinary research training from across the university, and to engage with the Lancaster University Doctoral Academy (www.lancaster.ac.uk/research/doctoral-academy).
Salary and additional benefits
A three year fully funded PhD studentship (there is an opportunity for master’s + PhD within a fully funded four year programme if the student does not already have a social science master’s qualification), which includes at standard UKRI home rate, plus UKRI standard stipend (with an additional £2000 to be added to their salary in each of the first two years of study), research costs, equipment and dissemination costs. In addition, the student will have access to a Research Training Support Grant for reimbursement of research related expenses including – but not limited to – conference attendance, training courses and payment of participants. There is also the potential for an additional three months of studentship funding to be allocated to enable a three months Research in Practice Placement within Healthier Fleetwood if this is of interest to the successful student.
The PhD can be held either on a full time or part time basis.
Selection process
Please send:
- CV not exceeding three pages, font 12 and standard margins. In your CV, please include your overall degree classifications to date, any relevant research experience, and details of two academic references.
- Supporting letter not exceeding two pages, font 12 and standard margins. Support letter should detail how your interests and experience relate to the project.
- An up-to-date copy of the degree courses you have studied including marks awarded (for non-UK qualification transcripts not in English, an official translation must be provided)
- And a completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (https://nwssdtp.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/equal-opportunities-monitoring-form.docx)
to Dr Luigi Sedda epidemiology@lancaster.ac.uk by Thursday 12th March.
Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams later in March.
Start date 1st October 2026
For informal enquires please contact Dr. Luigi Sedda (Lancaster University) l.sedda@lancaster.ac.uk and/or Dr. Sarah Blagden (Blackpool Council) sarah.blagden@blackpool.gov.uk
LUIGI SEDDA 