Funding

Funded (UK/EU and international students)

Project code

DHC50610126

Start dates

October 2026

Application deadline

16 January 2026

Applications are invited for a fully-funded three year PhD to commence in October 2026.

The PhD will be based in the Faculty of Science and Health, and will be supervised by Dr Rebecca Stores, Dr Susannah Helps and Mr Chris Wells.

Candidates applying for this project may be eligible to compete for one of a small number of bursaries available. Successful applicants will receive a bursary to cover tuition fees for three years and a stipend in line with the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26). Bursary recipients will also receive a £1,500 p.a. for project costs/consumables.

Costs for student visa and immigration health surcharge are not covered by this bursary. For further guidance and advice visit our international and EU students ‘Visa FAQs’ page.

This funded PhD is only open to new students who do not hold a previous doctoral level qualification.

 

 

The work on this project could involve:

  • Developing an educational intervention to aid the knowledge and confidence of UK hairdressers and barbers to screen customers for signs of head and neck skin cancer.
  • Piloting the educational intervention with hairdressers and barbers.
  • Evaluating the educational intervention with hairdressers and barbers in terms of their knowledge of head and neck skin cancers, their confidence to screen and advise customers for suspicious moles and skin lesions, and their actual screening practices of customers’ for of the head and neck area for suspicious moles and skin lesions.

The video based educational intervention will be designed and developed in collaboration with UK skin cancer charities with whom the research team are already in contact, and with appropriate medical practitioners, including dermatologists, who work with the charity. A sample of local hairdressers and barbers will also be involved in its design.

The intervention will include a QR code (which will record usage) and mirror clings for easy access.

The intervention will be piloted with a sample of hairdressers and barbers in the СÀ¶ÊÓƵ area utilising existing contacts from our previous research.

A cluster randomised control trial will be conducted to evaluate the educational intervention in relation to knowledge, confidence and screening practice around suspicious moles and skin lesions. 

An intervention and control (no intervention) group will be employed and, depending on the nature of the final educational intervention, it may be that more than one intervention group will be included to compare all or some of the individual components of the intervention.

Evaluation will involve obtaining both quantitative and qualitative data from hairdressers and barbers and potentially their customers too. Quantitative data will be collected via online surveys and qualitative data via online interviews.

Entry requirements

You will need a good first degree from an internationally recognised university (minimum upper second class or equivalent, depending on your chosen course) or a Master’s degree in an appropriate subject. In exceptional cases, we may consider equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications. English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

Essential: A degree in a relevant subject area (minimum upper second class or equivalent), relevant research skills, motivated and organised.

Desirable: A Master’s degree in an appropriate subject, prior research experience in a relevant field.

 

How to apply

Please note that email applications are not accepted. If you have any project-specific questions please contact Dr Rebecca Stores (rebecca.stores@port.ac.uk) to discuss your interest before you apply, quoting the project code.

When you are ready to apply, please use this . Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees, proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV. Our ‘How to Apply’ page offers further guidance on the PhD application process.

If you want to be considered for this funded PhD opportunity you must quote project code DHC50610126 when applying.