Empowering families affected by dementia: building emotional resilience and supporting the health and well-being of family caregivers

Applications are invited for an Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP-funded Collaborative Doctoral Award at The Open University, in partnership with Age UK, Salford.  

Faculty of Wellbeing, Education Languages and Linguistics (WELS) 

 

This fully-funded studentship is available from October 2025. Further details about the value of an Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP award are available on the DTP’s studentships page.  

Stipend: Approximately £19,237 per annum for 3 years and 3 months for full time (6 years 6 months for part-time) 

 

Closing date: 7th January 2025, midday UK time. 

The studentship is a partnership between The Open University and AgeUK Salford. The proposed studentship will broadly address how services interventions can most effectively build and sustain the emotional resilience and well-being of family caregivers of people with dementia living in Salford. It offers a unique opportunity to explore AgeUK Salford’s Empowered Carers programme for family caregivers of people living with dementia, identify caregivers’ unmet needs, and inform the development of the programme in collaboration with diverse stakeholders.  

Applicants have the opportunity to shape their project and we welcome innovative, well-designed research proposals that broadly fit the overall brief. The successful applicant will be able to shape their research project across the different stages of the research process.  

Potential projects could include:  

  • Family carers’ experiences of caring for people living with dementia 

  • How family carers balance their own needs with those of people with dementia they are caring for 

  • Factors determining family carers’ resilience when caring for people living with dementia 

  • The effectiveness and impacts of services interventions to support family caregivers of people living with dementia 

All creative research methods in arts and humanities and social sciences that can elicit insights into family carers’ lived experience and responses to transitions in caring for and communication with people living with dementia will be considered. These include arts-based research methods such as visual experience mapping tools, storytelling, photo-elicitation and photography.  Proposals using comparative methods are welcomed.   

 

  

Supervision 

Dr Kerry Jones and Professor Nicola Yeates, The Open University, and Emma Smith, Project Manager, Empowered Conversations, Age UK Salford will jointly supervise the research project.  

What the studentship provides 

The studentship offers comprehensive well-rounded learning, skills development and professional networking opportunities throughout the project, including those that directly benefit employability, career development, and lifelong learning. The successful candidate will access a range of professional expertise and training opportunities throughout their doctoral research. As an integral member of the AgeUK Salford hub, they will have access to its internal research documents and comprehensive learning and skills-development opportunities, including participation in regional and national networks of subject specialists and practitioners in the field of dementia care and caregiving. Senior staff in AgeUK Salford will provide bespoke mentorship and skills development for the student that complement and extend The Open University’s doctoral academic development programme.  

Age UK Salford is a member of the national Age UK network which includes over 130 affiliates across all four nations of the UK. Students are strongly advised to explore the following web links:  

www.empowered-conversations.co.uk 

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/salford/The Empowered Conversations Approach - YouTube 

The Empowered Conversations Approach - YouTube 

 

The Open University offers a comprehensive programme of academic skills development for doctoral students at all stages of their study. Faculties offer discipline- and subject-specific skills development opportunities through research centres and networks (e.g. the Care and Carers group, a vibrant cross-faculty, inter-disciplinary research group).  

How to apply 

We invite applications from candidates from all backgrounds and ethnicities. Applicants will ideally have a good relevant first degree and a master’s degree in the arts, humanities or social sciences. They will have studied and successfully completed a social research methods course. Applicants should meet the eligibility criteria for Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC studentships. 

Please read all sections of OOC guidance before completing the application forms  

 

  • You are reminded that you must sign the form and should give the names and addresses of two academic referees and their institutional email addresses who are willing to comment on your academic achievements to date and on your potential for undertaking research. (Please check that your referees will be available to be contacted during the application period.)    

  • For an informal discussion about the opportunity and how you might frame your approach to the CDA project, please contact Dr Kerry Jones kerry.jones@open.ac.uk  in the first instance. 

 

 

You should apply to the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership by [Midday 7th January 2025.) indicate your interest in being considered for an Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP studentship, and submit a completed copy of the OOC DTP Application Form at the same time.