PhD Studentship in Mathematics: System Dynamics Modelling of Services for Children with Complex Health Needs UCL in United Kingdom

[Fully funded studentship for 44 months including a tax-free stipend, full tuition fees at the home or international rate for the same period, and a research training allowance. Stipend amount during the 2026/27 academic year is £1,983.75 per month.]

A fully funded PhD studentship is available at University College London (UCL) in the Department of Mathematics, working within the Clinical Operational Research Unit (CORU). The project is part of the NIHR/EPSRC-funded SPROCKET Hub (Systems and Process Redesign and Optimisation at Childhood Key Events and Transitions), a multidisciplinary initiative focused on improving services for children and young people with complex health needs.

The successful candidate will work with Professors Sonya Crowe, Christina Pagel, and Nici Zimmermann on an Operational Research / System Dynamics project. The research will develop system dynamics simulation models to explore how children with complex health needs transition from hospital to home, and how transitions occur when starting school or moving from primary to secondary school. The project sits at the interface of mathematics, health services research, systems thinking, and service redesign, with close collaboration expected across healthcare, social care, education, and other stakeholder groups.

SPROCKET brings together expertise in operational research, paediatric practice, implementation and evaluation, intervention design, community facilitation, special educational needs, co-production, and parents of children with complex health needs. The aim is to transform services for children and young people by understanding and improving key transitions in care and education. Applicants should be interested in system dynamics as developed by Jay Forrester and willing to work in an interdisciplinary environment with collaborators from multiple disciplines.

Funding is comprehensive: the studentship provides a tax-free stipend for 44 months, full tuition fees at the home or international rate for the same period, and a research training allowance. The stipend will be £1,983.75 per month during the 2026/27 academic year. International applicants are welcome. The role also includes teaching assistant duties in the Department of Mathematics, so applicants need a mathematics-rich academic background suitable for supporting teaching.

Eligibility requirements include at least an upper second-class UK Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Operational Research, System Dynamics, or a relevant subject, or an equivalent qualification from another country. An MSc or MSci at merit or distinction level is typically held by successful applicants. The start date is 1 February 2027.

Applications must be submitted through the UCL Postgraduate Applications portal. Applicants should select Research Degree: Mathematics (degree code RRDMATSING01) and list the three supervisors in the Proposal section. No research proposal is required. Instead, applicants should describe their interest in the SPROCKET project, motivation for doctoral study, and relevant experience and skills. Informal enquiries can be directed to [email protected]. The application deadline is 25 October 2026.