The UK gambling charity GambleAware has launched a new PhD funding scheme to bolster its academic and research capacities.
The new scheme comes after GambleAware published its donation figures for the first quarter of the 2021 financial year.
GambleAware’s PhD funding scheme
Under the scheme, GambleAware will fund three-year PhD studentships across UK universities and scientific intuitions.
Ahead of the start of the 2021/2022 academic year, the charity will allow institutions to apply for funding for six grants to be awarded to PhD students researching priority areas required by the problem gambling research, education, and treatment (RET) charity.
According to the announcement, each institution may apply for no more than two PhD studentship grants to award to selected PhD students.
Institutions interested in applying will have until 5pm on 20 September 2021 to submit applications.
GambleAware will award grants to institutions based on a track record of supportive and impactful PhD programmes, as well as evidence of producing research in GambleAware’s priority areas for these grant awards.
These areas include research on the lived experience of communities impacted by gambling harms as well as research on women, minority communities, young people and their relationships with gambling and gambling harms.
A third priority area will include research on other communities with protected characteristics and their relationships with gambling and gambling harms. These communities include those in the military, those living with disabilities, minority sexualities and gender identities.
In its announcement, GambleAware explained that the development of the PhD funding scheme will support the charity’s ambition to build knowledge of the lived experience of gambling harms.
The charity also said that the grants are reflective of its “ongoing commitment to achieve a society where everyone is safe from gambling harm.”
Alison Clare, Research Director (Interim) at GambleAware said: “This PhD grant award will go direct to universities and will help build a detailed knowledge of the experience of gambling harm within specific communities. It will also provide a unique opportunity for PhD students, who are at the start of their careers, to develop an expertise in an emerging field.
“They will have the chance to complete a thorough, in-depth piece of research over several years which will contribute to building the knowledge and evidence of lived experiences of gambling harms.”
GambleAware’s Q1 donations
Last month, the charity revealed it received £2.3m (€2.7m/$3.2m) in donations between 1 April 2021 and 30 June 2021, the first quarter of the charity’s financial year.
GambleAware’s donations for the three-month period ending 30 June were up by 180.5% from £820,000 during the same period in 2020.
The majority of GambleAware’s Q1 donations came from the online gambling giant Entain, which made a contribution of £2m for the quarter.
GambleAware’s second-highest donor was Videoslots, which donated £50,000 to the charity, while Broadway Gaming and Apricot Investments both donated £30,000.
The charity also received several pledges from gambling operators in the UK. GambleAware received £65,605 from BetVictor, £10,000 from Mansion Group Holdings, and £5,000 from Novomatic.