The King's Foundation DPhil Scholarships in Nature, Health and Wellbeing
The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, in partnership with The King's Foundation, the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation at Kellogg College, and the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, is pleased to offer DPhil scholarships to train a new generation of researchers tackling pressing health and wellbeing issues at the intersection of nature, community health, and individual wellbeing.
About The King's Foundation
The King's Foundation creates sustainable communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony. Guided by King Charles III's philosophy of harmony, The King's Foundation promotes understanding the balance between ourselves and the natural world to create a sustainable future.
The King's Foundation runs a Health and Wellbeing Centre at Dumfries House in Ayrshire and is establishing a range of new health-related initiatives at Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire. Through these centres, they provide holistic services, complement local healthcare, and offer therapeutic and educational programmes. They also advance research on community health, social prescribing and the link between nature and wellbeing.
The Scholarship
This prestigious scholarship provides a unique research opportunity focused on the interconnections among personal wellbeing, community health, and relevant policy implications in the United Kingdom. The research will support evidence-Based approaches to understanding how social, economic and environmental factors improve the wellbeing of individuals and communities.
Scholarship recipients will be Based at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and are expected to undertake a placement at The King's Foundation's new Health and Wellbeing Centre at Highgrove. They will also be associate members of the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation at Kellogg College.
Award Details
Degree Programme: DPhil in Primary Care Health Sciences, starting in the academic year 2026-27
Funding: The scholarship provides:
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Full home fees for the DPhil in Primary Care Health Sciences
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A stipend above the UK Research and Innovation rate (minimum £20,000 per annum) for the duration of fee liability (typically three years)
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Additional provision for research expenses
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Mentoring and career development training
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Opportunities to organise conferences and events with The King's Foundation
International Applicants: Students with overseas fee status are welcome to apply but must fund the difference between home and overseas fees from alternative sources.
Eligibility: Applicants must hold a first degree in a relevant discipline and be expected to complete a DPhil during the award period. Selection is competitive.
Research Areas
We welcome applications from candidates with diverse academic backgrounds, including medical statistics, social sciences, health economics, health psychology, mixed methods geography, environmental studies, evidence-Based medicine, community health, social prescribing, health inequalities, integrated health systems and policy-making processes. Multidisciplinary research topics across the medical and social sciences are central to this initiative.
Your research should align with one or more of the following themes:
Social Prescribing
Social prescribing addresses people's needs holistically by linking them to local community groups or organisations to tackle social, economic and environmental factors affecting wellbeing. This includes addressing social isolation, housing issues, unemployment and mental health through non-medical interventions such as walking groups, cultural activities and community support services. Research in this area can draw on the work underway at The King's Foundation's Health and Wellbeing Centres.
Nature
Evidence demonstrates that connection to nature and exposure to natural environments is associated with enhanced cognitive function, improved mental health, better blood pressure regulation, increased physical activity, improved sleep quality and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Research suggests protective effects on mental health outcomes, with positive impacts observed for depression, anxiety and chronic diseases.
Urban Environments
Urban areas house more than half the world's population whilst occupying less than one per cent of Earth's land. Green urban spaces, from parks and gardens to green roofs and urban farms, provide vital benefits for both human wellbeing and the biosphere. Research in this area addresses challenges including pollution, loss of green spaces and the design of urban ecosystems that support quality of life.
Integrated Health
Integrated health takes a holistic approach, focusing on the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit. Education on health, wellness and wellbeing, combined with increased movement and activity, has demonstrated benefits including enhanced confidence and sense of purpose, improved self-management of chronic conditions, reduced social isolation and increased participation in health-promoting activities.
Heritage and Wellbeing
Research published by Historic England demonstrates that, similar to green spaces, proximity to historic places enhances quality of life for residents, regardless of whether individuals actively participate in heritage activities. We welcome research on the creative use of heritage assets to promote health and wellbeing, including heritage-led regeneration and adaptive reuse projects.
This list is not exhaustive. We welcome scholarship proposals that fall within these broad thematic areas and for which we have the research capacity to provide supervision.
Supervision and Training
Supervisory Arrangements: In the first year of training, students will be paired with at least two supervisors. Each student project will have an academic adviser from The King's Foundation. An interdisciplinary group of supervisors from The King's Foundation, the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation and the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine will oversee projects.
Identifying Supervisors: It is not necessary to identify a potential supervisor in your application. However, you are encouraged to contact potential supervisors during the application process to help develop your project idea, though there is no commitment at this stage. We will aim to match successful candidates with their preferred supervisors, though this cannot be guaranteed.
Highgrove Placement: Students will be expected to participate in placement activities at The King's Foundation, including at the Health and Wellbeing Centre at Highgrove. The Centre will open in 2027 to provide holistic services to the local community through general practitioner and patient-led services, with referrals from primary and secondary care providers. The Centre will offer an integrated health and wellbeing programme and will be open to health charities and other organisations.
How to Apply
Application Deadline: Friday 20 February 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
To be considered for full funding, candidates must submit their university application for the DPhil online by the deadline stated above.
Application Requirements:
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Complete the graduate application form for the DPhil in Primary Care Health Sciences
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Provide all supporting documents as outlined in the application guide
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This scholarship is not open to candidates who wish to hold a deferred offer to start in 2027-28
Information Sessions: The supervisory team will hold two online seminars to help applicants understand the suitability of their projects and provide guidance on the application process:
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Tuesday 20 January 2026, 09:00–10:00 United Kingdom time
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Tuesday 20 January 2026, 16:00–17:30 United Kingdom time
To book a place, please complete the registration form.
Interview Process:
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Shortlisting, scoring and academic interviews will take place during the week of 23 March 2026. Candidates must be available this week. Interviews will be conducted online.
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Second interviews Based on The King's Foundation scholarship criteria will take place from 30 March to 3 April 2026.
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All candidates will be contacted as soon as possible with the outcome of their applications.
Further Information
English Proficiency: International applicants must demonstrate English proficiency as outlined in the university's guidance.
Application Guidance: Tips for a successful application will be provided during the online information sessions.
Programme Information:
This scholarship is not open to candidates who wish to hold a deferred offer to start in 2026-27.
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DPhil in Primary Health Care: Admission
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DPhil in Primary Health Care: Information
Partner Organisations:
For further information or to discuss a potential research topic, please attend one of the virtual information sessions.