| Project Supervisor | Toby Ellmers |
| Institution & Department | Imperial College London – Brain Sciences |
| Research Area | RA3: Language, Culture and Education |
| Project Start Date | 1st August 2026 – flexibility around the date can be offered. |
| Project Duration | 3 months |
| Application Deadline | 4th June 2026 |
| Working Pattern | Full-time (5 days per week over 3 months) |
| Working Arrangements | In person |
| How to Apply | View Guidance Here |
Project Description
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This project addresses an important but often overlooked issue in the care of older adults: fear of falling during hospital stays. Many older patients experience fear of falling, particularly after illness or injury, and this can slow recovery, reduce confidence, and increase the risk of further health problems or readmission. However, there is currently no reliable way to measure this fear in hospital settings. Existing questionnaires were designed for people living at home and include questions that are not relevant to patients in hospital, limiting their usefulness for both clinicians and researchers.
To address this gap, the research team has developed a new short questionnaire (the Hospital Falls Efficacy Scale International) in collaboration with patients and healthcare professionals. This project aims to test whether this tool accurately and consistently measures fear of falling in hospitalised older adults, and whether it can help identify patients at risk of poor recovery after discharge.
The study will involve around 300 older patients in hospital, who will complete the questionnaire before discharge, with follow-up data collected three months later. The project will assess how well the measure performs and whether it can predict outcomes such as physical function and quality of life. The expected outcome is a simple, reliable tool that can be used in hospitals to better understand patients’ experiences, support personalised care, and improve recovery. The findings will also inform future research and clinical guidelines, with potential benefits for patients, healthcare services, and wider society.
Internship Details
The student will be based within Imperial College London’s Department of Brain Sciences (Charing Cross Hospital Campus, located in Hammersmith). However, data will be collected in two local external inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. The student will therefore spend time working across all three sites.
The student will undertake a structured programme of research activity over the 3-month internship, contributing directly to an ongoing study validating a novel patient-reported outcome measure.
In the initial phase, the student will receive training in the study protocol, ethical procedures, and data collection methods. They will become familiar with the outcome measure, study aims, and relevant literature. The primary responsibility of the student will be to support data collection. This will include recruiting participants (where appropriate), administering the outcome measure, and ensuring accurate and ethical handling of data in line with study protocols.
The student will also contribute to data management, including data entry, cleaning, and maintaining high standards of data quality.
As the internship progresses, the student will begin to engage in preliminary data analysis and interpretation, under supervision. They will participate in regular research meetings, contributing to discussions on study progress and emerging findings.
The intended outputs of the internship include:
(1) a completed dataset or a significant contribution to the ongoing dataset;
(2) a short written report or reflection summarising their work and key findings;
(3) contribution to the preparation of an academic manuscript (e.g., drafting sections or supporting analysis); and
(4) development of dissemination materials, such as a poster or presentation for academic or stakeholder audiences.
These activities are designed to be achievable within the 3-month timeframe while providing the student with meaningful responsibility and tangible research outputs.
Anticipated Benefits for the Student
The student will gain advanced doctoral-level research skills through active involvement in a clinically relevant validation study. This will include hands-on experience in data collection within a real-world research context, contributing to the validation of a patient-reported outcome measure.
They will develop a deeper understanding of research design, psychometric evaluation, and the practical and ethical considerations involved in conducting research with older adult populations.
The internship will also support the development of critical analytical skills, including evaluating measurement tools, interpreting data, and contributing to decisions that shape the direction of the research. The student will gain experience working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively with both academic and clinical stakeholders.
In addition, the student will develop a range of transferable skills highly relevant to doctoral study and beyond, including project management, organisation of research activities, attention to data quality, and professional communication.
Opportunities to contribute to academic writing and dissemination (e.g., co-authoring a paper, presenting findings) will further strengthen their academic profile and confidence as an emerging researcher.
Skills, Experience and Knowledge Requirements
It is expected that the student would have experience collecting and/or analysing quantitative survey/self-reported outcome data. Whilst experience working with clinical populations would be desirable, this is not a requirement.