Queen Mary University of London: department of Linguistics, School of Languages, Linguistics and Film and School of Medicine and Dentistry

Life Sciences Studentship: Language Attitudes and Public Health Promotion

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship on language attitudes in the UK and public health promotion. The studentship is one of 12 advertised and funded by the Life Sciences Institute at QMUL.

The research will build on a randomized clinical trial led by Professor Cynthia Pine involving over 2,000 families across England and Scotland in school-to-home intervention techniques. The trial uses specially developed creative storybooks with embedded behaviour change techniques designed to enhance parental control of their child’s dietary sugar and to establish twice daily tooth brushing, with the aim of decreasing dental caries (the most common childhood disease globally). Each storybook is now to be converted into animated cartoons on DVDs with voice-overs. The aim of the research is to investigate the persuasive effect of using different regional, local and multi-cultural accents on the voice-overs, including the potentially different reactions of parents and children. For sociolinguistics, the research will develop an understanding of the relationship between age, ethnicity, social class and language attitudes, with implications for sociolinguistic theory; for medical science, the research will fill a gap in the evidence base for effective health behaviour change, contributing to our understanding of how to present health promotion messages in such a way that they can be heard and internalised, with subsequent engagement in consistent action.

Supervision: The PhD student would be based in the department of Linguistics at QMUL and would be co-supervised by Professor Jenny Cheshire (Linguistics) and Professor Cynthia Pine (School of Medicine and Dentistry). The student would be expected to follow the Linguistics Postgraduate Research Training Programme, with opportunities to join seminars in the School of Medicine and Dentistry and to engage with Public Health England and the World Health Organisation (Geneva) international advisor to the trial.

The student: Queen Mary University of London is committed to appointing only the very best candidates to its PhD programmes. To apply you should have a good first degree (BA or BSc Honours or equivalent) at upper second class or equivalent with evidence of some 1st class work, and a Masters qualification (at Merit or above with evidence of some Distinction level work) in a cognate discipline related to the studentship such as (socio) linguistics, the social psychology of language or language pathology. You should also have an interest in health promotion. All applicants will be judged according to the same criteria, namely record of academic and/or professional achievement and compatibility with the theme of the studentship.

The Award: Life Sciences Studentships are open to suitably qualified candidates from the UK & EU only. The Studentship consists of the full cost of tuition fees and £15,786 a year for maintenance for 3 years, beginning September 2014. Award holders will be expected to be resident in London during the 3 year period.

How to apply: Candidates are encouraged to discuss their research proposal with Professor Cheshire (j.l.cheshire@qmul.ac.uk) or Professor Pine (c.m.pine@qmul.ac.uk). To apply, please visit http://www.qmul.ac.uk/lifesciences/phd/index.html

Application Deadline: The closing date for applications is 31st January 2014. All short-listed applicants will be interviewed shortly after the closing date (either face-to-face or by telephone).