Are you interested in how housing shapes people’s lives, health, safety and access to essential services?
Two PhD opportunities are currently available at the University of Huddersfield that may be of interest to prospective doctoral students who want to undertake applied, policy-relevant housing research.
Both projects explore how housing connects to wider social challenges, including domestic safety, prevention, workforce wellbeing, public service delivery and local resilience. They offer the opportunity to develop advanced research skills while working on issues with clear real-world relevance.
Applications for both opportunities close on Friday 19 June 2026.
Fully funded PhD studentship: poor-quality housing, domestic fire risk and prevention
The first opportunity is a fully funded PhD studentship in the School of Human and Health Sciences at the University of Huddersfield, starting in October 2026.
The project is titled:
Poor Quality Housing, Domestic Fire Risk and the Prevention Agenda: The Role of the Fire and Rescue Services in Cross-Sector Housing Safety
Poor-quality housing is widely recognised as a key determinant of health and wellbeing. However, its relationship with domestic fire risk remains underexplored.
This PhD will examine how housing conditions may shape fire risk within the home, while also exploring the prevention role of Fire and Rescue Services. It will consider how issues such as poor housing conditions, overcrowding, energy insecurity and related vulnerabilities may contribute to domestic fire risk, and how these risks are currently understood and addressed through prevention activity.
The project will also explore how Fire and Rescue Services may identify, flag and refer housing-related concerns to relevant agencies, including housing providers, local authorities and public health partners.
The successful applicant will have the opportunity to work on a project that sits across housing studies, public health, emergency services and prevention. The research will be situated within the Healthy Housing Initiative and will be developed in collaboration with Fire and Rescue Services, building on existing partnerships.
The project is expected to use a mixed-methods design, combining analysis of fire incident and housing-related data with qualitative interviews and case study research involving Fire and Rescue Services and relevant partners.
This project would suit applicants interested in:
- Housing, health and wellbeing
- Domestic safety and fire prevention
- Fire and Rescue Services
- Public health and prevention
- Cross-sector partnership working
- Applied mixed-methods research
- Policy-relevant research with practical impact
Funding and eligibility
This is a 3-year full-time PhD studentship covering tuition fees and a tax-free bursary starting at £21,805 for 2026/27.
Applications are welcome from UK applicants only. Applicants should ideally have an MSc in a relevant subject area, although applicants with a First-Class Honours degree may also be considered.
Subject-specific enquiries: [email protected]
Fee waiver PhD opportunity: housing affordability, key workers and public service resilience
The second opportunity is a PhD Fee Waiver Scholarship led by Dillon Newton at the University of Huddersfield.
The project is titled:
Housing, Workforce Stability and Public Service Resilience: The Role of Housing Affordability in Key Worker Recruitment, Retention and Wellbeing
Housing affordability and availability are increasingly important issues for the sustainability of essential public services. Rising housing costs, constrained housing supply and changing local housing markets can make it harder for key workers in healthcare, fire and rescue, policing and social care to live near their place of work.
This is particularly important for services where geography matters, including emergency services that rely on retained or on-call staffing models.
This PhD will investigate how housing markets and the operational geographies of public services interact to influence workforce recruitment, retention, productivity and wellbeing. It will examine how housing pressures affect key workers’ ability to access suitable accommodation, and what this means for commuting, work-life balance, job satisfaction, service delivery and local resilience.
The project will adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining analysis of housing and workforce data with qualitative research exploring the lived experiences of key workers across different sectors. The successful applicant will also have opportunities to engage with policy stakeholders, public service organisations and housing providers.
This project would suit applicants interested in:
- Housing affordability and local housing markets
- Key workers and public service resilience
- Workforce recruitment, retention and wellbeing
- Public policy and public health
- Labour markets and social inequalities
- Urban studies and local resilience
- Applied quantitative and qualitative research
The successful candidate will contribute to an emerging and highly policy-relevant area of housing research, with potential to inform debates on workforce shortages, housing provision and the sustainability of essential public services.
Subject-specific enquiries: [email protected]
Share with prospective applicants
Housing Studies Association members and colleagues across the housing research community are encouraged to share these opportunities with prospective students and relevant networks.
Both projects offer exciting routes into doctoral research for applicants who want to explore how housing connects to some of the most urgent social, health and public policy challenges facing the UK.
Application deadline: Friday 19 June 2026
