PhD Studentship: Foresight and Horizon Scanning Approach to Environmental Sustainability in M

PhD Studentship: A Foresight and Horizon Scanning Approach to Environmental Sustainability in Medical Technologies

Newcastle University

• Qualification Type:
  PhD
• Location:
  
  Newcastle upon Tyne
• Funding for: UK Students
• Funding amount:
  Not Specified
• Hours:
  
  Full Time
• Placed On: 15th July 2026
• Closes: 12th August 2026
• Reference: PH067

100% of home tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rates (2026–27). This studentship is open to home fee paying applicants only.

Interested in shaping a more sustainable future for healthcare? This PhD will explore how environmental sustainability can be embedded in next-generation medical technologies using horizon scanning and foresight methods. The project will investigate how sustainability is currently applied in Med Tech and identify emerging trends, risks, and opportunities. It will examine how stakeholders across policy, regulation, healthcare, and industry balance environmental, clinical, and economic priorities in innovation and adoption decisions.

Through horizon scanning, evidence synthesis, and empirical research, the student will develop frameworks, methods, or tools to support anticipatory sustainability assessment and future-oriented decision-making in Med Tech.

• Applicants should have (expect to achieve) at least a 2:1 honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant subject, such as health sciences, biomedical engineering, or related discipline.
• You should have strong research skills (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods) and an interest in sustainability, healthcare systems, and innovation processes, alongside an interest in horizon scanning and foresight.
• If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.5 overall (minimum 5.5 in each sub-skill).

1

21st September 2026

3 year full-time

Newcastle University

• Dr Katie Thomson, Newcastle University
• Professor Gill Norman, Newcastle University
• Professor Dawn Craig, Newcastle University

• Dr. Katie Thomson
  Email: k
• Dr. Gill Norman
  Email: