The SSA is inviting people to apply for PhD studentships in addiction science. Find out more below, and register your interest to get weekly support with your application. The deadline for applying is 30 July 2026.

What does a PhD involve and how can the SSA support me?

The purpose of a PhD is to advance knowledge within a specific field. During the course of a PhD, you will design and conduct your own research, write a thesis, publish papers in peer-reviewed journals, and ultimately become a subject-matter expert.

PhDs require a substantial commitment. Full-time PhDs take around three years to complete. Part-time PhDs can take around six years.

SSA-funded studentships aim to support you on your PhD journey by providing:

  • a stipend of £20,780 (£22,780 with London weighting), in line with UKRI levels for 2025/26
  • up to £5,006 towards tuition fees
  • up to £5,000 for research and training costs across the course of the PhD
  • opportunities to advance your leadership and science communication skills
  • the support of the SSA staff and trustees, who are dedicated to offering the best learning experience, and who take an active interest in the wellbeing and future of PhD students

In 2026, the SSA is also delighted to be able to offer clinical PhD studentships through the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme (read more below). Designed to support research among people who work in registered professions (e.g. nurse, midwife, pharmacist, doctor, and dentist), clinical studentships will include:

  • full salary costs
  • ongoing clinical work for up to 20% of your PhD
  • up to £5,006 towards tuition fees
  • up to £5,000 for research and training costs across the course of the PhD
  • opportunities to advance your leadership and science communication skills
  • the support of the SSA staff and trustees, who are dedicated to offering the best learning experience, and who take an active interest in the wellbeing and future of PhD students

“The SSA provided outstanding support throughout my studentship, not only through funding but through its commitment to fostering an inclusive and stimulating academic environment. I would recommend the SSA without hesitation.”

Saba Ishrat, SSA-funded PhD student at the University of Oxford. Saba is researching how cannabis use affects brain structure and function, as well as long-term mental health outcomes.

What types of PhDs will the SSA fund?

The SSA funds PhDs in addiction science and invests in people who are committed to advancing the scientific understanding of addictive products and behaviours and the use of this knowledge in policy and practice. This includes research involving a wide range of methods, approaches, populations, and types of addiction.

If you are applying for a PhD studentship in Spring 2026, the SSA will also consider you for two targeted funding opportunities:

  • PhD studentships through the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme, designed to support research and impact on alcohol and drug treatment, recovery, and reduction of addiction-related harms
  • PhD studentships in alcohol and mental health, made possible through the trust of Martin Raynes

PhDs through the flagship research leadership programme

The Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme is funded by the UK Government’s Office for Life Sciences. It aims to support projects that drive innovative responses to addiction to illicit drugs and alcohol, and develop the next generation of leaders in addiction science.

There are two routes to doing a PhD through the flagship research leadership programme: the traditional academic route, involving doctoral research within a university; and the clinical route, involving doctoral research combined with ongoing professional practice.

PhDs funded through the flagship research leadership programme should:

  • Demonstrate a clear pathway to impact on addiction treatment, recovery, or reduction of addiction-related harms: The panel particularly encourages research relating to populations that meet dependence (ICD-11) or moderate–severe use disorder (DSM-5) criteria. This would usually include people in community drug and alcohol treatment settings, lived experience recovery organisations (LEROs), third-sector organisations, and NHS settings. The panel would like to see proposals for research that will have a real-world impact on populations that experience persistent and moderate to severe harms from alcohol or illicit drug use.
  • Align with the aims of Addiction Healthcare Goals: Strong applications may align with the aims of Addiction Healthcare Goals, the ten, James Lind Alliance, priority questions for addiction research, , and the aims of the UK Government’s 10-year drug strategy, ‘From Harm to Hope’.
  • Show innovation in terms of the subject, approach, or the intended impact: The panel would like to see innovations to improve treatment, recovery, or reduction of addiction-related harms; innovative subject areas within addiction research that can inform or improve treatment, recovery, or reduction of addiction-related harms; and innovative approaches to addiction research that can inform or improve treatment, recovery, or reduction of addiction-related harms.
  • Involve people with lived experience of addiction and/or treatment provider organisations: The panel would like to see research proposals that incorporate patient and public involvement and engagement.
  • Include links with relevant organisations or with industry: The panel would like to see research proposals that include relevant organisations (e.g. treatment providers, criminal justice bodies, or policy organisations), or an industry partner (e.g. pharmaceutical or technology company).
  • Be completed by 31 October 2031: The panel would like to see that applicants have a plan to complete their research by the end of the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme funding period. For example, applications for part-time PhDs may require a working pattern of 0.6 FTE rather than 0.5 FTE.

Research that solely focuses on primary prevention, nicotine, tobacco, or behavioural addictions will not be eligible for funding.

Am I eligible to apply?

All applicants must meet the following conditions to be considered for an SSA-funded PhD studentship:

  • You must be a resident in the UK
  • You must have been accepted for a place at a UK university and have supervision arrangements in place
  • You must be employed and/or supervised within a UK university for the duration of the PhD
  • You will already have a first or upper-second (2:1) class degree and an MSc or equivalent clinical research experience in an area of study directly relevant to addiction
  • If you are applying for a clinical PhD, this work must be agreed with your employer before applying

You will be ineligible to apply for funding if, in the past three years, you have been employed by, or received funding from, non-pharmaceutical ‘addictive product industries’. Addictive product industries are defined as businesses, people, or other legal entities that make money from selling, promoting or lobbying to promote use of non-pharmaceutical, addictive products. This includes, but is not limited to, the alcohol, non-pharmaceutical cannabis, gambling, tobacco and non-pharmaceutical nicotine (e.g. vaping) industries.

You will also be ineligible to apply for funding if you are an employee of an ‘Industry Social Aspect Organisation’. Industry Social Aspect Organisations are those that are funded by addictive product industries – sometimes through secondary organisations – that often have a stated purpose to reduce the harms of those addictive products.

Before awarding funding, the SSA must be satisfied that there is no risk of bias, ethical concerns, or risk to the reputation of the SSA.

Potential conflicts of interest are assessed by the SSA in a two-stage process. Stage one identifies potential conflicts of interest that would render an application ineligible for SSA funding. Stage two requires applicants to declare any potential conflicts of interest, which would then be reviewed by the SSA’s conflicts of interest subcommittee.

To be eligible, you must declare all potential conflicts of interest on the application form. These should include financial, professional, personal, and other interests that are either specific to your project or general to addictions:

  • Specific conflicts of interest are those that might relate to your research. For example, if your research focuses on a technology in which you hold a financial stake.
  • General conflicts of interest relate to any kind of interest you hold in relation to addictive products and industries.

What do I need to prepare before applying?

All applications must be made using the online application form below. You can save progress as you go; however, this will rely on your browser’s cookies, so progress may be lost if your cookies are deleted.

It may help you to prepare the following items before starting:

  • Document summarising your PhD plan (max. 2,000 words, excluding references)
  • Gantt chart depicting the timeline for your PhD
  • Details of all costs, including your proposed stipend (or salary for clinical applicants), tuition fees, and research expenses
  • ORCiD number and URL
  • Email and address of an appropriate reference
  • Letter of support from your proposed supervisor confirming that their department is willing to support your PhD

All attachments will need to be in PDF format.

Please see the application guidance for details about the requirements of each question or document.

How can I prepare a strong application?

There is a robust review process for applications. All applications are first assessed to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme. After this, eligible applications are sent for peer review: people who have relevant expertise and who do not have a conflict of interest in relation to the applicant or application will provide a rating and a narrative summary of the application. A scientific review panel is then convened, which will make recommendations for who to fund based on scientific merit. The SSA, Addiction Healthcare Goals, and/or the trust of Martin Raynes may then consider additional factors to ensure that funding is spread across a diverse range of applications: UK region, substance and intervention, study type and population, and the professional or scientific background of applicants.

Strong applications will satisfy the reviewers that the candidate has demonstrated excellence throughout their studies and has the potential to become a future leader, the candidate has plans to develop their skills and experience, and the candidate’s research will have an impact on addiction treatment, policy, and/or research.

1. Eligibility review: The SSA will check that applications are complete and meet the eligibility criteria for the overall scheme. The SSA will also use information throughout the application form to assess whether proposed projects meet the eligibility criteria of the targeted funding opportunities: the Addiction Healthcare Goals flagship research leadership programme; and the alcohol and mental health PhD studentships from the trust of Martin Raynes.

If there are minor issues with completion or eligibility, applicants may be given the opportunity to add updates or clarifications. This opportunity will be provided at the discretion of the SSA.

2. Peer review: Eligible applications will be reviewed by people within the SSA’s review college who have relevant expertise and who do not have a conflict of interest in relation to the applicant or application. Reviewers will provide ratings across several domains, and a narrative summary. Reviewers will also be asked to provide a review for sending to applicants. This section may be incorporated into any decision letter at the SSA’s discretion.

3. Scientific review panel: Once the peer reviews have been received, a panel from the SSA’s review college will be convened to agree which applications are fundable and which are not. Those that are fundable will then be ranked on scientific merit. Members of that panel who have conflicts of interest in relation to individual applications will step out of the panel meeting whilst those applications are reviewed and ranked.

4. Portfolio approach: Applications will first and foremost be considered on scientific quality and merit, with funding decisions based on the recommendations of the scientific review panel. However, the funder (in this round, the SSA, Addiction Healthcare Goals, and/or the trust of Martin Raynes) may consider the following when allocating awards to ensure the funding is spread across a diverse range of applications: UK region, substance/behaviour and intervention, study type and population, and the professional or scientific background of applicants. The Addiction Healthcare Goals team may also consider how well applications align with the aims of Addiction Healthcare Goals. It is possible that funders may not award all available funding in one round and may keep funds to use in future rounds. Funders may make conditional offers where minor changes or additions are required for an application to be fundable.

5. Feedback: Unsuccessful applicants will be given feedback about the strengths of their application as well as areas for development. This will be compiled from reviewer comments that were designated as open to the applicant. The SSA will not enter into a discussion about the feedback, the panel’s recommendation, or the funder’s decision. If applicants wish to challenge the panel’s decision, they can register a complaint following the SSA’s standard complaints’ procedure.

What if I have questions or need assistance with the application process?

Applying for a PhD studentship can be very time-consuming and challenging. The SSA can offer the following types of support to help you with your application:

  • If you require any reasonable adjustments or assistance to complete the form, please contact Graham Hunt.
  • If you have any questions about your eligibility or the application process, please contact the SSA team via the enquiry form.
  • If you want weekly advice, information, and inspiration until the deadline on 30 July 2026, join the PhD studentship mailing list.