ESRC DTP Collaborative PhD Studentship: CHISEL - Clear Health Information Supporting Empowered Lives

[ESRC studentships cover fees at the home rate, a maintenance stipend, and extensive support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Support is available to both home and international applicants.] The University of Nottingham, as part of the Midlands Graduate School Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), invites applications for the ESRC DTP Collaborative PhD Studentship: CHISEL - Clear Health Information Supporting Empowered Lives. This opportunity is offered in collaboration with the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and is set to commence in October 2026. This project addresses a critical issue in health communication: forty-two percent of working-age adults in England struggle to understand everyday health information, which poses significant barriers to informed medical decision-making and patient safety. The CHISEL project aims to improve health literacy by identifying medical terms that are difficult to understand and examining how these terms affect the reading and comprehension of healthcare materials. The PhD research will focus on three core questions: (1) What is the processing cost of common versus less familiar medical terms? (2) How do readers process these terms during reading? (3) Can we predict which words an individual is likely to know, enabling tailored and accessible communication? To address these questions, the student will design and conduct experiments measuring recognition difficulty for medical terms and employ eye-tracking to assess processing challenges during reading. Advanced analysis techniques, including mixed-effects models, machine learning, and network analysis, will be used to analyze the data and identify problematic words. The findings will contribute to the development of a brief, easy-to-administer tool for healthcare providers to personalize written communication for patients. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with the Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board and benefit from interdisciplinary training in psycholinguistics, health communication, and analytic methods. The project offers a unique opportunity to join a multidisciplinary team and develop academic skills in literature review, research design, and data analysis. The skills acquired will prepare the candidate for diverse career pathways in academia, private industry, and third sector organizations focused on health innovation. Applicants should have a strong academic background in Linguistics, Cognitive Psychology, and/or advanced statistical modelling. A Master’s degree with distinction or merit is desirable, and current Master’s students are encouraged to apply, indicating their expected degree classification. The application process requires submission of an anonymised CV, cover letter, and transcripts via the online application form. The deadline for applications is Monday, 2 March 2026, with interviews scheduled for Monday, 9 March 2026. Funding for this studentship includes full tuition fees at the home rate, a maintenance stipend, and extensive support for research training and research activities. Both home and international applicants are eligible for support. For further details on eligibility, visit the Midlands Graduate School DTP website. Informal enquiries about the research or the School of English can be directed to Professor Kathy Conklin at [email protected]. This studentship is ideal for candidates passionate about making health communication accessible and reducing health inequalities. The project offers a stimulating research environment, strong collaborative links, and comprehensive training to support your academic and professional development.