SCCS 2026 Studentship

The Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science (SCCS) 2026 Studentship (2026)

What you get

• For 3.5 years, you will receive a tax-free stipend at a standard rate of £21,805 per year and your fees will be waived (at the UK or International rate). In addition, to a one-off Research and Training Support Grant of £2,000.

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

This is an opportunity for a highly-motivated PhD student to join a leading interdisciplinary group tackling one of the most exciting questions in science: the nature of consciousness. The Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science (SCCS) is an internationally prominent research group in consciousness science and one of the University’s Centres of Excellence.  Our core mission is to advance the scientific understanding of consciousness and to use the insights from this research for the benefit of society, medicine, and technology.

We invite innovative research proposals on any topic within consciousness science that have a strong Informatics focus. The proposed research should contain a substantial mathematical or computational modelling component and/or utilise cutting-edge data science methodology. Your proposal can be focused within one discipline, or bring together methods and concepts from different disciplines within the Centre. In your application, you should name a preferred main supervisor from the Department of Informatics. In addition, you can optionally propose a second supervisor from one of the other Departments or Schools central to the Centre. Proposals must lie within the scope of the supervisor(s) expertise and have feasible equipment and data requirements.  

Based in our Informatics Lab, you will be part of a diverse, interdisciplinary team which spans the departments of Informatics, Philosophy, Psychology and Brighton & Sussex Medical School, and which enjoys a wide range of experimental and computational facilities (including EEG/TMS/fMRI and VR). The group has strong collaborative links beyond Sussex, including leading consciousness researchers both nationally and internationally.

Eligibility

This studentship is available to UK and Overseas applicants.

Eligible candidates will normally have an upper second-class (2:1) undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in a related field.

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 applicants from all backgrounds.

Number of scholarships available

1

Deadline

How to apply

Apply online for a full time PhD in Informatics [Starting in September 2026, January 2027, or May 2027] using our step-by-step guide.

Please ensure you application includes each of the following:

• A research proposal.
• Your CV.
• Degree certificates and transcripts.
• 2 references, including a minimum of 1 from any institution studied at within the last 5 years.
• If your first language is not English you will need to demonstrate that you meet the University’s English language requirements.

Please clearly state on your application that you are applying for The Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science (SCCS) 2026 studentship under the supervision of an academic in the Department of Informatics.

Contact us

If you have practical questions about the progress of your on-line application or your eligibility, contact FoSEM-PGR@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

Application Deadline: 31 May 2026

Interview Date: TBC – Late June 2026

Entry Date: Flexible: Either Sep 2026, Jan 2027, or May 2027