PhD Studentship: AI Chatbot for Young People with IBD at University of Sheffield (2025)

The University of Sheffield invites applications for a funded PhD project aiming to design and evaluate a developmentally appropriate AI chatbot to support young people (YP) with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) during their transition from paediatric to adult healthcare. The research will combine Natural Language Processing, AI, and clinical insights to address an unmet need in chronic disease management through patient-led, tailored digital intervention.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Interview Process
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineJuly 15, 2025
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorUniversity of Sheffield
• City to studySheffield
• School to studyUniversity of Sheffield
• Course to studyArtificial Intelligence (AI)
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• Full tuition fee waiver at UK home student rate

• Annual tax-free stipend of £15,827 for 3 years

• £7,500 Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) to cover research-related costs

Requirements

• Applicants must hold at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree or a Master’s with Merit in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related discipline.

• International applicants must demonstrate English proficiency with an IELTS score of 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each component).

• If you are an overseas student, you are eligible to apply but you must have the means to pay the difference between the UK and overseas tuition fees by securing additional funding or self-funding. The project also allocated a £7,500 Research Training Support Grant.

Interview Dates and Process

Selection Criteria includes:

• Academic excellence and relevant background in Computer Science, AI, or NLP

• Demonstrated interest in health informatics, chatbot development, or digital health

• Strong motivation and clarity in the research proposal

• Communication skills and ability to work collaboratively across technical and clinical disciplines

• Alignment with the project’s objectives and potential to contribute to research in AI for healthcare

Application Deadline

How To Apply

To apply for a PhD studentship, applications must be made directly to the University of Sheffield using the Postgraduate Online Application Form. Make sure you name Professor Kalina Bontcheva and Dr Xingyi Song as your proposed supervisors.

Information on what documents are required and a link to the application form can be found here - https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/apply/applying 

Your research proposal should:

-be no longer than 4 A4 pages, include references

-outline your reasons for applying for this studentship

-explain how you would approach the research, including details of your skills and experience in the topic area

If you are an overseas student, you are eligible to apply but you must have the means to pay the difference between the UK and overseas tuition fees by securing additional funding or self-funding. The project also allocated a £7,500 Research Training Support Grant.

For more details, visit University of Sheffield Scholarship webpage