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MusicFutures Scholarship for Performance Health and Wellbeing in Music Education MRes

Are you passionate about musicians' wellbeing and interested in shaping the future of music education? Is funding a barrier to your academic ambition? We invite applications for a funded one-year full-time MRes position (home fees level only) working on an innovative research project exploring practices for supporting health and wellbeing in music education across England.

About this scholarship 

This scholarship is awarded through the University of Liverpool's groundbreaking new programme, MusicFutures in collaboration with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (RLP). We're looking for someone passionate about music and health. Apply if you want to develop as a career researcher and/or practitioner in music education and musicians’ well-being.

MusicFutures is an AHRC-funded programme hosted by the University of Liverpool. It brings together academics and creative industry partners to deliver a programme of equality-focused/inclusive research and design (R&D) led innovation and business development for the Liverpool City Region. Operating out of a hub at the Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool, MusicFutures will foster collaboration with a variety of partners to generate sector insights and career pathways for increasing diversity and representation for existing and future artists and music professionals. This environment will empower small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs to innovate, attract investment, scale up, and adopt inclusive and sustainable practices. Through diverse cross-sector programmes, MusicFutures will fuel growth, drive environmental innovation, and champion inclusivity. MusicFutures will elevate both the region's and the UK's competitiveness in the global music market.

RLP is one of the country’s leading music organisations with a mission to transform lives through music. The world-class RLP performed 60+ concerts in Liverpool to audiences of over 68,000 in 2024. The iconic Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is one of the UK's leading live music venues, presenting 360 concerts a year in its main auditorium and smaller venue, Music Room. Its learning programmes reach 60,000 participants across the region, embedding music within healthcare, education and nurturing the next generation of musicians.

This MRes studentship forms part of the prestigious four-year Music Opportunities Pilot programme led by Young Sounds UK. Working with RLP staff, Dr. Sarah Upjohn, a specialist in preventing injuries in young musicians, and the MusicFutures research team, the successful candidate will investigate how performance health and wellbeing practices are taught and implemented within music education settings. 

Please visit Music MRes | Courses | University of Liverpool for further fees and funding information.

Applicants must have applied and have an offer. There is one scholarship covering Home fees for the full-time MRes Music programme available. The scholarship takes the form of a full fee waiver to the value of the Home tuition fee level (£5,006 in 2025-26).

Applicants who would pay international fees may also apply, but please be advised that the scholarship only covers the Home MRes fee and therefore international applicants would need to make up the difference in fees (£24,600 in 2025-26). International applicants must have fully met the English language requirements by the closing date to be eligible.

What you will do

You will be based in the Department of Music. We are one of the five departments within the School of the Arts, which actively engages with the University of Liverpool’s commitment to diversity and equality, including Athena Swan (gender equality) and Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter.

You will:

  • Participate in regular teaching sessions and supervisions throughout the year on the University of Liverpool campus.
  • Conduct a comprehensive literature review of national and international research, including comparative approaches to inclusive health and wellbeing in sport and dance.
  • Engage with leading experts across music education, performance science, and professional organisations
  • Support the development of innovative and inclusive training models
  • Engage with other MusicFutures activities
  • Submit an MRes thesis.

The ideal candidate

  • Strong interest in musicians' health and wellbeing, and equality
  • Background in music education, performance, health and wellbeing or related fields
  • An undergraduate degree in a relevant field (music, social science and other related fields)
  • Strong research skills, including literature review and academic writing
  • Passion for making meaningful change in music education
  • Understanding of inequality, through lived experience or education/practice
  • Strong interpersonal skills, confident in engaging with a range of stakeholders
  • Clear and thoughtful written communication, with the ability to produce engaging and accessible outputs
  • Ability to work independently and take initiative.

Application process

Please submit an application to MRes Music via the application portal: Music MRes | Courses | University of Liverpool

In the relevant section of the application form that asks about funding, please note that you will be applying to the ‘MusicFutures Scholarship’.

You will need to supply the following documents to support your application:

  • BA award certificates and transcripts (or evidence of equivalent professional experience)
  • Two references (one must be an academic reference)
  • CV
  • Passport details
  • Personal Statement (1-2 pages) – detailing how you meet the ideal candidate criteria and how you would contribute to project success
  • International applicants only: English language certificate (IELTS minimum overall 6.5, with at least 6.5 in Writing, and no other component below 6.0) or accepted equivalent.

Positive action

Data shows that Women, Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority students are currently under-represented on the School of the Arts doctoral programmes and within the wider Music industry. We strongly encourage applicants from these groups and will use the Positive Action provision (Equality Act 2010) on selection decisions between candidates of equal merit.

Deadlines

Application deadline: 18 July 2025

Interview dates: 28 July – 1 August 2025

Course start date: 22 September 2025

Contact us 

For any queries regarding the application process, please contact the School of the Arts Postgraduate Research Team on pgarts@liverpool.ac.uk .