Current PhD Opportunities

Supervisory team: Dr. Cristina Tealdi (Heriot-Watt University), Dr. Erkal Ersoy (Heriot-Watt University), and Dr. Catia Nicodemo (University of Oxford)

Research Centre: The Centre for Social and Economic Data Analytics

Deprivation is a key component of social inequality. It is widely acknowledged that deprivation increases the risk of early death and is associated with higher rates of illness from certain diseases. According to the Scottish Public Health Observatory, in 2013-2014, healthy life expectancy for those living in the 10% most deprived areas was approximately 20 years lower compared to those living in the 10% least deprived areas. The aims of this proposal are twofold: first, to study deprivation in Scotland, document and model how deprivation has evolved in the past few decades and as a consequence of the recent and ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and second, to make recommendations of effective policies to address deprivation in the country. Using frontier econometric techniques and spatio-temporal modelling, the second objective is to evaluate how improvements (or worsening) in economic conditions in one local area could have spillover effects on other (geographically and/or spatially) adjacent areas.

Applicants for this project should have an MSc in Economics (or a closely related area).

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr. Cristina Tealdi (c.tealdi@hw.ac.uk) or Dr. Erkal Ersoy (e.ersoy@hw.ac.uk).

Apply at this link.

Application deadline: 25 November 2021