PhD Understanding experiences of BMI-Based Exclusion from Fertility Treatment: An Ethnographic Study
Develop specialist research expertise through independent enquiry and contribute to knowledge in your chosen field.
Key facts
- Duration
- Full time: 3 years
- Starts
- January 2027
- Level
- PhDs and postgraduate research
- Funding status
- Funded
- Location
- Headington
- School
- Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery
- Application deadline
30 September 2026
Overview
According to NICE guidance treatments for health-related fertility issues should be available on the NHS. However, guidelines are not mandatory and decisions about access are frequently set according to local priorities and finances.
All integrated care systems now restrict NHS-funded IVF to women with a BMI under 30. While intended to minimize clinical risks, these policies are controversial and disproportionately impact women from socioeconomically deprived and minority ethnic backgrounds, who experience higher rates of obesity. Up to 40% of those seeking IVF treatment live with obesity, meaning a significant minority may be excluded from treatment.
Global fertility declines make assisted reproduction a key public health issue, but it is unknown if decisions about funding criteria are accompanied by discussion or interventions designed to encourage change in behaviours, if this would be affective or how received by those planning parenthood.
Home UK/Settled and Pre-settled
Equivalent to UKRI national minimum stipend plus fees at home rate (current 2026/27 bursary rate is £21,805)
University fees at home rate and bench fees will be met by the University for the 3 years of the funded Studentship.
Additional Details
This ethnographic PhD study will investigate the experiences of women denied fertility treatment due to BMI eligibility criteria. It aims to examine how these rules are enacted, interpreted, and navigated in clinical and social contexts, as well as their impact on stigma, care perception, and reproductive autonomy.
Data collection will take place across NHS and private fertility clinics, weight management services, and community settings using participant observation, semi-structured interviews with affected women and healthcare staff, and policy document analysis.
The research focuses on how women manage exclusion—such as engaging with weight loss interventions or private pathways—while paying close attention to socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities. Supported by collaboration with an NIHR patient advisory group, the project will provide rich insights to help commissioners, clinicians, and policymakers design more equitable, inclusive, and evidence-based fertility care policies.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| IELTS | IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in all skills. For more information, please see our English language requirements. |
Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification.
Fees and funding
Fees
The studentship covers bench fees, stipend, and tuition fees. The stipend is at the UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for the academic year 2026/27)
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.
How to apply
Please download and follow the application instructions. Contact hls-applications@brookes.ac.uk with any queries.
Director of Studies: Dr Ginny Mounce
Supervisors: Dr Nerys Astbury (Associate Professor Diet & Obesity, Director of DPhil in Primary Care, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford), Dr Pedro Melo (Consultant Gynaecologist and sub-specialist reproductive medicine, Oxford University Hospitals/TFP Fertility)
Project Contact: Dr Ginny Mounce gmounce@brookes.ac.uk
Interviews are expected to take place online in November 2026.
The studentship requires you to undertake the equivalent of up to 6 hrs of teaching per week on average, during semester time, and to include preparation and marking (but no more than 20 hrs per week), and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.
Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)