Hill Kulu

St Andrews–Max Planck PhD Studentship in Population, Health and Data Science is open for a highly motivated PhD candidate interested in population health, data science, demography, geography, statistics, and quantitative social science. The project examines the social and environmental determinants of health and socio-economic outcomes in adolescence and emerging adulthood. It uses a life-course approach to study how adverse socio-economic exposures accumulate or act during sensitive periods and shape outcomes in young adulthood across housing, family formation, education, and health. The research will use advanced quantitative methods to explore individual-level and structural/area-level determinants of inequality, including regional variation. The studentship is jointly funded by the University of St Andrews and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR). The student will spend the first 21 months at MPIDR in Rostock, Germany, and the remainder at the University of St Andrews, joining the Population and Health Research Group in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development. The project is also linked to the International Max Planck Research School for Population, Health and Data Science (IMPRS-PHDS), the Centre for Population Change & Connecting Generations, and the Max Planck–University of Helsinki Center for Social Inequalities in Population Health. Funding includes a gross salary of about €40,000 per year during the Germany period, plus travel, research training, and data acquisition support. In the UK period, the award provides a maintenance grant at the St Andrews stipend rate (currently £19,775 per year), a £750 annual research training support grant, and a full tuition fee waiver. Eligibility: applicants should hold an excellent master’s degree (distinction or merit in the UK) or equivalent qualification in social sciences, statistics, or applied mathematics. Applicants must submit a personal statement and an academic writing sample. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in the second half of June. Deadline: 8 June 2026.

University of St Andrews and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research are recruiting for a fully funded 3.5-year PhD studentship in Population, Health and Data Science . The project examines the social and environmental determinants of health and socio-economic outcomes in adolescence and emerging adulthood, using a life-course approach to understand how exposures accumulate and shape outcomes across housing, family formation, education, and health. The research will use advanced quantitative methods , including demographic, longitudinal, and spatial analysis, with a strong focus on population inequalities and regional variation. The first 21 months are based at the Laboratory of Population Health at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany. The remainder of the studentship is at the University of St Andrews , where the student joins the Population and Health Research Group in the School of Geography and Sustainable Development. Funding includes a contract in Germany with a gross salary of about €40,000 per year plus travel, research training, and data acquisition support. In the UK, the award covers a maintenance grant at the St Andrews stipend rate (currently £19,775 per year for 2026/27, subject to increase), a £750 per year research training support grant, and a full tuition fee waiver . Eligibility highlights: applicants should have a master's degree or equivalent national qualification in a social science field, including statistics or applied mathematics, with strong interest in quantitative population research. A distinction or merit-level qualification (or equivalent) is expected. Applicants must upload a personal statement and an academic writing sample, typically a chapter from a master's dissertation. Apply for the PhD Geography (Science) programme through the University of St Andrews postgraduate research application route. The deadline is 8 June 2026 , and shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in the second half of June.