Southampton City Council

Southampton City Council’s Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) is offering two placement opportunities for doctoral students who want to use and develop their research skills in a local authority setting. The placements will help the council make better use of evidence to inform decisions about the building blocks of good health.

Host Name:

Southampton City Council

Main Point of Contact / Placement Supervisor:

Sarah Nurse HDRC@southampton.gov.uk

Location:

The placements are hybrid. Successful applicants will be expected to attend the in-person HDRC team office day at Southampton City Council on Tuesdays throughout the placement. Other working days may be worked remotely, with meetings, supervision, and regular online support provided via Microsoft Teams. Remote and in-person working arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the HDRC Senior Research Officer as part of the placement.

Work Schedule:

The placements are offered on a full-time basis, working 37 hours per week. Flexible working arrangements are available and will be discussed and agreed in line with council policy. Placements are expected to begin around 1st October 2026 and run for three months. There may be some flexibility around the start date and placement timings, which can be discussed and agreed with the HDRC Senior Research Officer.

How to Apply:

To apply, please submit the following:

• A current CV
• A covering letter outlining your interest in the placement and explaining how your skills, experience and attributes meet the role requirements

Please send your CV and covering letter to HDRC@southampton.gov.uk. The deadline for applications is the 31st July 2026.

Applications will be shortlisted after the closing date and shortlisted applicants will be contacted by 4th August and invited to interview during the week commencing 10th August.

If you have any questions about the placements, or you would like to discuss other potential placement ideas within Southampton City Council, please contact Sarah Nurse, Senior Research Officer, at HDRC@southampton.gov.uk

Students are also advised to inform scdtp@soton.ac.uk if they submit an application.

Deadline for applications:

The deadline for applications is the 31st July 2026.

Number of placements available:

Two

Placement summary brief:

HDRC Southampton is developing a process to identify and capture Southampton City Council’s areas of research interest (ARIs). This will help council colleagues clarify research priorities, engage more effectively with research, and build stronger collaborations with academic partners.

The placements will play an important role in this work. One placement will explore existing data, including opportunities for data linkage, to understand what data is available and how it could support future decision making and research. The second placement will review published evidence on a topic identified through the ARI process, helping to identify what is already known, where there are gaps in knowledge, and where further research could add value.

Both placements will produce clear evidence summaries, recommendations, or reports to support future council decisions, service provision and research activity. Successful applicants will work with the HDRC Southampton team and relevant council officers, gaining practical experience of using data and evidence in local government while developing applied research skills.

Skills and attributes summary:

We are looking for applicants with strong research skills and an interest in using data and evidence to support local authority decision making. Applicants should be able to work independently, manage their time effectively, and communicate clearly with academic and non-academic audiences.

Desirable skills and attributes include:

• Experience of supporting research activities, such as literature reviews, presentations, and report writing
• Experience of processing data and an awareness of date quality considerations
• Knowledge of a range of research methods
• Ability to analyse, interpret, and summarise data and evidence
• Ability to translate research findings into clear, practical outputs for non-academic audiences
• Good IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office applications such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage deadlines
• Experience of using statistical software packages, such as SPSS, Stata or R