Psychology Doctoral Research Studentship (UK and International) (2023)

What you get

• A stipend for 3 years (tied to the UKRI studentship rates, currently £17,668) to cover living costs.
• Home fees or International fees and research/training costs are also covered for 3 years. 
• You will also be expected to take up Doctoral Tutoring during your 6 semesters (3 years) of funding. This work is paid at Grade 5.1 (currently £13.88 per hour), and covers contact time, preparation and marking. You will be expected to work approximately 165 hours per year, dependent on modules selected and availability.

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

Funding type

School funded

PhD project

The School of Psychology is offering up to 6 Doctoral Research Scholarships for entry in September 2023 for a project proposed by the applicant.

Details of our academics can be found on the Psychology PhD page of the prospectus under 'Our Supervisors'. Some supevisors have also provided Research Outlines describing the kinds of PhD research they would like to supervise. Please identify a member of faculty whose research interests/methodologies are similar to yours and approach them informally before submitting an application. They will be able to tell you if they would be interested in supervising a PhD on your chosen topic and may wish to comment on your draft research proposal.

Applicants can apply to work with any member of faculty from one of our four research groups:

• Developmental and Clinical Psychology
• Social and Applied Psychology
• Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology (including Cognitive Neuroscience)

Doctoral Tutor role: 

Doctoral Tutors 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. Candidates who demonstrate interest in and suitability for the Doctoral Tutor role will be preferred. 

Eligibility

• This award will pay fees at the Home or International rate (as required by the applicant's fee status). International students must move to Sussex for the duration of the PhD and will not be permitted to register as Distance Learners. The studentship does not include additional funding towards the costs of visas or travel to the UK for international students.
• Candidates must have, or expect to obtain, a First or a high Upper Second Class Honours undergraduate degree, or equivalent qualification, and/or a Master’s degree in Psychology, Neuroscience or a related discipline.
• 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

up to 7

Deadline

How to apply

• Please read our Psychology PhD FAQS and our Prospectus before you start your application.
• Please submit your application online for 'PhD in Psychology' for entry in September 2023.

• In the 'Supervisor suggested by applicant' section of your application, put the name(s) of the supervisor(s) you have approached. If you leave this blank it is unlikely that you will be considered for a School studentship.
• In the 'Proposed source of funding' section of your application, please put 'Psychology Doctoral Research 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. The research proposal should be approximately 1,000 to 1,500 words in length and not exceed 3 pages, including references. It should be set at a minimum of 10 font type with margins a minimum of 1cm.
• Current degree transcript(s) with full details of performance on all completed courses. 
• Two academic references.
• An up-to-date CV.
• A document summarising any teaching experience you have and illustrating your suitability for a Doctoral Tutor role. 

Contact us

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

To discuss the details of your research interests further, please contact an appropriate academic from our list of supervisors (see 'PhD project' above). You must name a potential supervisor on your application.

Timetable

Deadline: Friday 6 January 2023 (12:00pm GMT midday)

Interviews (in person or on Zoom): early February 2023

Decisions: before end of February 2023