School of Sport and Physical Activity

Call for Applications for White Rose funded PhD Scholarships

The School of Sport and Physical Activity welcomes applications for White Rose funded PhD scholarships, starting in October 2026. Applicants are advised to submit their own project ideas on any topic aligned with the Sport pathway (see research group information below). Scholarships are available for both full-time and part-time PhD study. Please refer to our application page for full-time study or part-time study and the White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) website for detailed information about the awards, eligibility, and materials to support putting together an application. Successful applicants will join Sheffield Hallam University’s highly active community of researchers and doctoral students in the School of Sport and Physical Activity, based at Collegiate Campus, which is close to Ecclesall Road and its bustling shops and cafés.

Postgraduate Research at the Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre

The Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC) delivers world-class, multidisciplinary applied research and innovation with real world impact. Students from around the globe undertake doctoral studies at SPARC in fields as diverse as engineering and sports equipment, to exercise psychology, performance analysis, and health and disease prevention and treatment. Research supervisors are leading experts in the field, often holding prominent positions within sport federations, governing bodies, and international sport boards, opening networking opportunities for students. All doctoral students are supported by a comprehensive programme of doctoral training and are encouraged to present their research findings at national and international conferences.

Research Groups in the Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre

Researchers within SPARC provide market-leading applied research and commercial services to a wide range of clients in the UK and internationally, including government departments, public bodies, governing bodies of sport, commercial organisations, and organisers of major sporting events. The real-world impact of the research delivered by SPARC is rated as world leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) in the most recent Research Excellence Framework assessment. SPARC is ranked fourth in the UK for research power and encompasses four internationally renowned research groups:

1. Physical Activity, Wellbeing and Public Health: Conducts applied research to support people in leading healthy and active lives to prevent and treat chronic disease. The group holds expertise in the disciplines of physiology, psychology, strength and conditioning, and nutrition.
2. Sport and Human Performance: Aims to understand and optimise human performance through scientific enquiry. The group holds expertise in the disciplines of sport and exercise biomechanics, psychology, skills acquisition, sociology, strength and conditioning, physiology, and nutrition.
3. Sport Industry: Applies the principles of economics, management science, and social science to solve real world problems and deliver positive social impact. The group holds expertise in the disciplines of economics of sport, sport participation, elite sport, outdoor recreation, performance management, and social impact and value.
4. Sports Engineering: Develops fundamental knowledge and delivers applied solutions to enhance athletic performance, reduce injury, and promote physical activity. The group holds expertise in the disciplines of applied computing, biomechanics, design engineering, and active travel.

Further information about the research groups within SPARC can be accessed here.

Please note: We welcome applications that do not sit within these research groups provided we have relevant supervisor expertise within the Centre.

How to apply

Applications for the WRDTP awards are not submitted directly to the WRDTP but to Sheffield Hallam University.

1. Pre-application stage:

Please contact Dr Kate Whitfield if you are interested in applying. Kate will be able to put you in contact with a potential supervisor to support you in putting together your application. We have academic staff working across each of the research clusters who are interested in supervising new PhD students and you can read more about their areas of research interest and expertise here.

Key Date: Please submit a working proposal via email to Dr Kate Whitfield by 17:00 on October 6th 2025.

2. Application stage:

You will need to make a formal application for a PhD at Sheffield Hallam University.

Key date: The closing date for Sheffield Hallam Applications is 17:00 on 14 November 2025. No late applications will be accepted.

Full details about the application process is located here: Sheffield Hallam WRDTP and the WRDTP website pages.

To make an application please visit our application page for full-time study or part-time study.