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Social Work research and PhD programmes

Social Work at Brunel University is aligned with grand challenges for social work research including focus on individual and family well-being, creating a stronger social fabric, and developing a just society. The Social Work team has expertise in many current issues with which social work engages, such as ageing, children and families, LGBT identities, mental health, migration, health, loss/grief and environmental concerns.  The team holds strengths in social policy and interdisciplinary practice as well as planning for and adapting to current societal shifts. Brunel is one of the leading providers of social work and social policy research in London, funded by high-profile organisations like the ESRC, the AHRC, Nuffield Foundation, the Rowntree Trust, the European Union, the Department for Education and Skills and the NHS.

Research opportunities for students

Research students are welcomed to Brunel as valued members of our thriving, research-intensive community. Browse PhD opportunities below and find out about the funding available for students. A PhD in Social Work aims to enable you to develop knowledge in a specialist area and offers the opportunity to make a valuable and novel contribution to knowledge in a policy, practice or educational aspect of Social Work. At the core of your research studies will be the relationship with your supervisor. We encourage you to contact the academic with related interests using our supervisor search tool online, to discuss your proposal before submitting your application.

Research in Social Work

Find people, projects, groups and publications in Social Work and read more about related research to this area. 

Independent assessment of our research quality (REF 2021)

Browse examples of our work

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Research centres and groups related to Social Work

 

Fully-funded studentships

Our funded studentships become available at different times of the year. Please keep checking our page regularly to see the latest funded opportunities. We also advertise all our funded studentships as soon as they become available on the @BrunelResearch twitter account.

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