BU Research Blog

The Department of Sport and Event Management is advertising a match-funded PhD opportunity titled ‘Understanding marginalisation and experiences of Blue Spaces and water sports.’ This PhD is supported by the Royal Yachting Association, the UK’s national body for all forms of boating and watercraft. Additionally, it receives support from the Andrew Simpson Foundation, a charity committed to fostering inclusivity and accessibility in watersports, placing an emphasis on utilising the challenges inherent in watersports to develop young people. The deadline for applications is 22/01/2024. We kindly request staff to share this opportunity with interested networks.

Questions related to the project should be directed to Dr Ellie Gennings and the full project details are available online.

The aims of this PhD are broad as the potential candidate should identify how they would approach the topic and how this might link to them as an individual or to their experiences and expertise. The project will:

• Explore the experiences and relationship with Blue Spaces among social groups/communities experiencing overlapping forms of marginalisation;
• Engage with community groups and policy actors to co-create toolkits/guidelines and inform programmes that can support and enhance access to and engagement with Blue Spaces;
• Critically evaluate issues of access and relationship with Blue Spaces as vehicles for innovation in physical activity participation policy and identify the socio-cultural and policy shifts needed to successfully implement change.