Joint PhD Educational Programme

P4play Marie Sklodowska-Curie [MSC] funded project 2019-2025

The P4PLAY research programme ran from 2019 to 2025 and was established around the development of a new innovative joint PhD programme in Occupational Science, applied to four areas of play: People, Place, Policy and Practice (P4PLAY). Informed by the General Comment no 17 on the child’s right to play, the overall research goal was to develop new knowledge on the occupation of play and play deprivation, the impact of physical, socio-cultural, and policy environments on play provision, and the development of innovative solutions to address barriers and provide solutions to play provision in diverse community settings to benefit children, families, and communities.

The doctoral programme was centred on training a new generation of early-stage researchers (ESRs) to drive innovative research and practice in occupational science and therapy. Nine ESRs took part and were provided with the transferable skills necessary for thriving careers in academic or research-based practice via collaborative interinstitutional research projects, international mentorship and access to expertise and training.

Through the MSC EU funding, P4PLAY established the first innovative trans-European Occupational Science joint doctoral training programme that could be applied in the future to other areas of human occupation beyond the study of play. The fundamental aim was to develop a sustainable programme that delivered ambitious and high-quality graduates to drive innovative research and practice in occupational science and therapy.

Programme Design and Module Content

The joint PhD programme consisted of a series of modules taken over 3 years (totalling 60 European Credit Transfer [ECTs] system). The taught programme was structured around three core areas: 1) research skills training, 2) transferable skills, 3) advanced knowledge in Occupational Science and play,

- Nine core modules were jointly provided by the partner universities – 3 each year- on occupational science, play and an annual training school [45 ects in total]
- Students were also required to identify other modules that supported their learning in research methods, research integrity, and transferable skills [15 ects in total]

1. Advanced Knowledge in Occupational Science and Play

Specialised training was provided in the core topics of Occupational Science and Play via the supervisory team who are experts in these fields, and via the annual summer schools and workshops which were delivered by internal and external expert providers.

2. Research Skills Training

Research training involved upskilling in research techniques. Each PhD student availed of advanced research skills training comprising methods modules, for example in theoretical and conceptual methodologies, analysis, and ethical practices in researching at-risk populations. Topics also included data management, academic writing, and qualitative and quantitative methods.

3. Transferable Skills Training

The P4PLAY transferable skills training programme consisted of various local and network-wide doctoral professional training, available across all P4PLAY academic partner organisations. These programmes provided comprehensive transferable skills training, and included topics such as teaching and learning skills, supervision, academic leadership, grantsmanship, project management, communication, community engagement and innovation.

4. Individual Research Projects and Secondments

The PhD students conducted research as part of their individual projects in collaboration with a non-academic partner, with each PhD student going on secondment to their non-academic partner for several months.

In 2021, the Joint Doctoral Programme in Occupational Science was formally incorporated into the official programme offerings in UCC, Cork, Ireland and Queen Margaret University, Scotland.

Funding

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 861257.