Apply now for community-focused research placement projects and full-time paid PhDs – Leicestershire & Rutland
A collaboration of universities – called the Collaboratory Research Hub – has come together to pay for a series of projects bringing the worlds of academia and community together.
The Collaboratory programme is an eight-year ambitious project that commenced in 2022 and now includes the three Leicestershire universities – The University of Leicester, De Montfort University and Loughborough University – bringing the Leicestershire Universities Partnership Civic Agreement into the fold from April this year.
Places for full-time three-year PhD studies and part-time shorter research projects are available.
What are the research projects?
The projects aim to support growth and development within communities, broaden prospects, drive change, and improve wellbeing. This is about researching to find strategies to help solve real-life problems in the community, designed following input from researchers and those involved in local civic and community organisations.
Applications are open now, and the project team is looking for individuals, particularly those with a professional or community-centred background; those with experience and passion for creating positive change in the community are invited to apply.
Successful PhD applicants will undertake a paid, three-year period of research on the fully funded Doctoral Training Programme, resulting in a PhD qualification. Successful Research Placement applicants will undertake a paid, part-time period of research, over 10 weeks, resulting a formal Certificate of Recognition.
I would urge anybody with a passion to create positive change in our local community to apply for these PhD and placement projects. We’d particularly like to hear from researchers from non-traditional backgrounds who would like to develop their academic skills.
Professor Mike Kagioglou, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Planning, Research and Innovation at De Montfort University said: “At De Montfort University, we are deeply embedded in the heart of Leicester and committed to ensuring that our research reflects and responds to the needs of our communities. Collaboratory is an exciting opportunity to bring new talent into the research landscape — people with real lived experience and a passion for making a difference. “These projects are about working with communities to tackle challenges that matter to them. We’re proud to be part of a project that breaks down barriers and redefines what research excellence can look like, and we’re really looking forward to seeing applications from people who want to create lasting, positive change.”
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The PhD projects that are available explore challenges such as:
- Understanding the factors that influence children’s financial literacy skills in Coalville
- Energy for All: Spreading the benefits and broadening engagement in community energy projects in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
- The role of community-centred organisations and social enterprises in addressing “invisible” local poverty
- Rethinking models and policies for first and last mile travel – connecting rural areas beyond city boundaries
- Transformative and innovative strategies for improving social support, educational outcomes and opportunities for children, young people and families in Leicester
- Identifying nurse perspectives in suicide safety planning and risk management for children and adolescents in Leicester.
- Inclusive Heritage in Superdiverse Places: Redesigning inclusion in heritage content, practice, and policy in Leicestershire
The research placement projects include:
- (Re)Instilling civic belonging: The role of cultural infrastructure in everyday participation
- How prepared are gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for DoxyPEP?
- Co-producing resilience and placemaking lived experience narratives with refugees and asylum seekers in Leicester using participatory action research methodology
- New roots, active lives: Forced migrant wellbeing, community sport and physical activity in Charnwood
Apply now
Applications close on Sunday 29 June 2025.
Anyone interested is welcome to attend an information webinar which will introduce the Collaboratory programme, provide an overview of the research projects, how to apply and what the expectations are. Full details can be found on the Collaboratory website.