Psychology Doctoral Research Studentship (4 years) - Synaesthesia as a model system to understand variability in perception, memory, and cognitive style. (2022)

What you get

• A stipend for 4 years (rising in line with UKRI studentship rates, currently £15,609 p.a.) to cover living costs
• UK Home fees and research/training costs are also covered.
• International students may apply for this Home/UK studentship but must fund the difference between UK Home fees and International fees (approximately £18,500 per year). One option is self-funding.
• You can also to take up Doctoral Tutoring during your studies. This work is paid at Grade 5.1 (currently £13.88 per hour), and covers contact time, preparation and marking. 

 

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

 Synaesthesia, a perceptual condition in otherwise healthy individuals, is linked to extraordinary experiences. The proposed research rethinks conditions like synaesthesia as not just representing extraordinary experiences, but such that the changes in the brains of synaesthetes support a distinct cognitive profile. For instance, people with grapheme-colour synaesthesia (colours for letters and numbers) have a specific profile of enhanced memory which cannot be explained by means of conventional memory strategies.  This pattern of enhanced memory might be part of a wider profile of individual differences in perception and mental imagery. 

This PhD project will design and conduct novel research to understand individual differences in cognitive ability at this memory-perception-imagery interface.  In addition to contrasting different kinds of synaesthesia, we will also test other groups who can shed light on this issue.  This will include people who lack the extraordinary experiences of synaesthesia but might have perceptual expertise (visual artists) or relevant neurocognitive differences (genetic relatives of synaesthetes).  The project will be conducted as part of an international collaboration with the UniDistance Suisse

Doctoral Tutor role: 

If you choose to become a Doctoral Tutor, you will be encouraged to study for a formal teaching accreditation (Associate of the Higher Education Academy), including enrolling on a ‘starting to teach’ module in the first term before they begin teaching. 

 

Eligibility

• This award will only pay fees at the Home rate.
• Candidates must have, or expect to obtain, a First or a high Upper Second Class Honours undergraduate degree, or equivalent qualification, and/or a Merit (an average of 60% overall) in a Master's degree, in Psychology or a related discipline. Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and interest in cognition (specifically, memory and perception).
• Only full-time students can be accepted
• International students may apply but must provide funding for the difference between Home fees and Overseas fees (approximately £18,500 in 20/21) themselves.
• The University of Sussex believes that the diversity of its staff and student community is fundamental to creative thinking, pedagogic innovation, intellectual challenge, and the interdisciplinary approach to research and learning. We celebrate and promote diversity, equality and inclusion amongst our staff and students. As such, we welcome applications from all, regardless of personal characteristics or background.

Number of scholarships available

one

Deadline

15 June 2022 23:59

How to apply

• Please read our Psychology PhD FAQS before you start your application.
• Please submit your application online for 'PhD in Psychology' for entry in September 2022.
• In the 'Supervisor suggested by applicant' section of your application, please put ‘Professor Jamie Ward’.
• In the 'Proposed source of funding' section of your application, please put 'Swiss National Science Foundation Doctoral Studentship'.

Candidates should provide:

• A research proposal that outlines your knowledge of the research area, hypotheses that could be addressed in your PhD, and an outline of potential methods. Your answer should not exceed 2 pages including references, be set at minimum 10-font type with margins a minimum of 1cm. Potential candidates are advised to contact the project supervisor (Jamie Ward) for further information.
• Degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) with full details of performance on all completed courses.
• If you are currently studying for a degree, please include an interim transcript which shows the names of the courses you are taking and any marks to-date (a screen shot is fine).
• Two academic references.
• An up-to-date CV.
• International students who are liable to pay overseas fees should also upload a document detailing their plan to cover the difference between home and overseas fees. This fee difference is approximately £18,000 in 21/22.

Funding partners

This scholarship is funded by a research grant awarded to the University of Sussex by the Swiss National Science Foundation in collaboration with Dr. Nicolas Rothen (UniDistance Suisse).

Contact us

For queries with respect to the application process please email psychologyphd-enquiries@sussex.ac.uk .

To discuss the details of your research interests further, please contact Prof. Jamie Ward (jamiew@sussex.ac.uk) 

Timetable

Deadline: Wednesday 15th June 2022 (23:59)

Interviews (on Zoom): end of June 2022