PhD Studentship - Maximising opportunities at Hampshire Hospitals to support a sustainable health and care system. (056017)

Maximising opportunities at Hampshire Hospitals to support a sustainable health and care system.

The University of Surrey, in collaboration with Hampshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT), is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to join the Practitioner Doctorate in Sustainability programme. Hosted by the internationally acclaimed Centre for Environment and Sustainability, the Practitioner Doctorate in Sustainability programme is the first of its kind, offering talented and ambitious researchers a unique experience in collaborative research spanning industry and academia. As a researcher on this programme (“Doctoral Practitioner” or “DP”), you will be primarily based with your industrial sponsor (“Partnering Organisation” or “PO”), HHFT, for the majority of your time on the programme, which will give you valuable industry experience that you could not otherwise gain from a “traditional” PhD. You will benefit from a personalised programme of skills training and academic modules; input from academic and industrial supervisors; a generous living stipend; flexible options for the length of study and the type of qualification you complete (ie. PhD or EngD). No other doctoral programme will offer you this level of flexibility and control over your studies. By completing a doctoral programme that is tailored to meet your specific needs, you will become best-equipped to fulfil your future ambitions as a sustainability leader, be it in academia or in industry.

Project Background and Rationale

Hampshire Hospitals provides acute hospital services from Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester. 

The Trust is a major energy user and reducing the use of fossil fuel based energy, supplies and services is a significant challenge.  The Trust uses energy to support clinical procedures and the products and pharmaceuticals we purchase are manufactured and transported by processes that consume considerable quantities of energy and resources.

Becoming more sustainable in managing these resources will ensure that the Trust can meet the needs of patients and the people of Hampshire in the future.

Project Aims

The project will focus initially on evaluating the progress towards meeting a 28% reduction in carbon by 2020 relative to 2013 base level. This will require understanding the existing methodology and developing it to take account of infrastructure and equipment changes. The second strand of the project will involve looking at all resource streams within the HHFT, including food waste and other waste streams to identify opportunities to improve resource efficiency and sustainability. Implementation and evaluation of selected process/behaviour changes will be a key part of this research strand.

Person specification

Ideally the candidate should have completed a Masters or Bachelors’ degree in Sustainability or Engineering & Energy Strong communication skills are necessary and evidence of stakeholder engagement at all levels is required. An interest in social research and behaviour change is important. Strong excel programming and analytical skills are required.  Acute setting experience is desirable The candidate must be able to display a strong capacity for independent thought, as well as a pragmatic attitude to working within industry.

 

How to Apply

To apply for this project, please contact d.richardson@surrey.ac.uk Apply to the same e-mail address for an information pack which will include:

A Project Brief; Information about the Centre for Environment and Sustainability; Details of the Practitioner Doctorate in Sustainability programme.

Having considered the Project Brief, candidates will be expected to clearly outline the relevance of their prior experiences in their covering letter. Candidates should have an interest or experience in social research as well as recycling of food waste and waste products.

 

Key Dates and Information

This project is due to begin no later than 2ndOctober 2017. The successful candidate will be primarily based at Basingstoke & North Hampshire Hospital but travel to Royal Hampshire County Hospital and Andover War Memorial Hospital will be required.  A staff bus is available between sites.  The candidate will spend an initial 12 weeks in Guildford undertaking intensive sustainability and personal development training.

The programme will run for a minimum of three years with the opportunity to extend to four years, dependant on the wishes of the Partnering Organisation and the DP.

The successful candidate will receive a generous stipend of £18,000 per annum throughout this time (with potential to increase to c. £20,000 per annum after two years). Stipends are usually tax-free and DPs will also benefit from an additional £500 p.a. allowance for attendance at conferences etc. In addition to this, full-time tuition fees will be covered at the current Home/EU rate for the duration of the programme.

The deadline for applications isSunday 6thAugust 2017 andInterviews for this post will take place in Basingstoke on Thursday 17thAugust 2017.

Closing Date: 06 Aug 2017
Category: PhD Studentships