Suicide Prevention: Fully Funded PhD studentship within the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Research Scholarship (RS905)

Funding providers: This PhD is based in the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Research (funded by Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW).

Subject Areas: Epidemiology, systematic reviews, suicide prevention, public health, policy translation

Project start dates: 1 January 2026 **(Please see the note below regarding potential later start dates)

Supervisors: Dr Amanda Marchant, Professor Ann John

Aligned programme of study: PhD Medical and Health Care Studies

Mode of study (Full or part time): Full time/part time to be arranged with successful student

Place of Study: National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Research, Swansea University (Singleton Campus)

Project Description:

The National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Research in Wales is a national hub for research and innovation, ensuring that policies, interventions, and support systems are informed by the best possible evidence. This fully-funded studentship is part of the centres goal to advance research excellence, inform policy and practice and to develop future research leaders. 

This PhD project will be centred on the use of Near Real-time suicide surveillance (RTSSS) in Wales. This data enables rapid evaluation of interventions and timely action when increases in suicides might be anticipated (e.g. as result of unemployment or media reporting). The successful student will be closely aligned with Public Health Wales and will link RTSSS data with routinely collected data held within the SAIL databank at Swansea University (including health, education, social care, criminal justice) to explore targeted prevention and intervention opportunities for example, in women and girls, those who have experienced domestic violence or individuals in contact with social care or criminal justice. Work will be guided by emerging themes within RTSSS. Co-production with lived experience experts will be embedded in the project from the outset. A key outcome of this PhD will be translation of research into real world impact and providing evidence for policy and practice. 

Key Information

As a PhD student at the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Research you will benefit from:

• a supervisory team comprised of experts in the fields of suicide prevention and data science
• joining the team and the National Centre for Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Research in Wales, which is an advisory body to Welsh Government, facilitating the translation of research into real-world change
• possibility of an honorary contract with Public Health Wales
• experience and training with the SAIL databank, a world-class secure research environment with some of the richest population data in the world
• being positioned in a diverse and thriving team of skilled researchers
• opportunities for collaborative research as part of the Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Research Institute at Swansea University
• a range of social and research events and activities, including the annual post-graduate student conference.

Scholarship open to UK fee eligible applicants only.  

PhD: Applicants for PhD must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 (or non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University).

English Language

IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.5) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.

Note for international and European applicants: details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and stipend (UKRI rate £20,780)

To apply, please complete the entire application form:

In order to be considered for this scholarship award the following steps are also required. 

1) In section ‘Programme Related Information’ please input the relevant RS Code for the scholarship award i.e. RS905

2) In section ‘Research’ you will see ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’* (Mandatory) 

• In ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’ please input:  
  • the RS Code, RS905 and 
  • the scholarship title.   
• Please leave Proposed Supervisor field blank 
• Please leave Research Project (if applicable) blank 
• In ‘Do you have a proposal to upload?*’(Mandatory) Please select Yes 
• Then upload copy of advert (you can save the advert by clicking print, and then print to pdf) 

3) In section ‘Funding information’ please choose the option ‘Scholarship Funding’ only. Please ensure no other options are selected.  

*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award. 

If you’ve previously applied for this programme, the system will display an “Application Submitted” warning and block a new submission. In this case:  

1. Apply for the same course with the next available start date (e.g., select January if October is unavailable).  
2. Email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with your student number and the relevant scholarship RS code, requesting the start date be amended to match the advert.  
3. Admissions staff will then update your application accordingly.  

One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards. 

NOTE: Applicants for PhD/EngD/ProfD/EdD - to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University you are required to complete an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form in addition to your programme application form.    

Please note that completion of the EDI Monitoring Form is mandatory; your application may not progress if this information is not submitted. 

As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email):

• CV
• Degree certificates and transcripts (if you are currently studying for a degree, screenshots of your grades to date are sufficient)
• A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project.
• One reference (academic or previous employer) on headed paper or using the Swansea University reference form. Please note that we are not able to accept references received citing private email accounts, e.g. Hotmail. Referees should cite their employment email address for verification of reference.
• Evidence of meeting English Language requirement (if applicable).
• Copy of UK resident visa (if applicable)
• Confirmation of EDI form submission

Informal enquiries are welcome; please contact: Dr Amanda Marchant (A.L.Marchant@swansea.ac.uk) and Bethanie David (B.H.Denyer@Swansea.ac.uk)

*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.

** In exceptional circumstances, and subject to the discretion of the University and/or the relevant funding body, a deferral of offer may be granted to the next available enrolment period. Such deferral will typically not exceed a duration of three calendar months from the originally stipulated commencement date. Please note that only one deferral may be considered, and any such deferral is not guaranteed.