Psychology PhD: Memory, Meaning and Dementia

Memory, Meaning and Dementia: Understanding the Present and Remembering the Past (2026)

What you get

Please ensure you application includes each of the following:

• Statement of up to 1500 words explaining how their experience and interests fit with the project description
• 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. Our website provides detailed information on the English language tests we accept, as well as the countries that are exempt from the English language requirements.

Please clearly state that you are applying for the School of Psychology Studentship under the supervision of Professor Chris Bird.In the title of your research proposal, please include the name of the studentship for which you are applying.

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

Our everyday experience is continuous, complex and constantly changing. Nevertheless, we are remarkably good at organising this stream of information into meaningful events: conversations, activities, journeys and other episodes that can later be remembered. Understanding how we achieve this is a fundamental question for memory research. It is also particularly important for understanding dementia, where changes in memory may affect not only the ability to remember the past, but also how people understand and engage with events as they unfold.

This three-year PhD studentship will investigate memory and dementia, with two closely related themes.

The first concerns how we make sense of the present and remember the past. The student will investigate the cognitive processes that allow people to understand complex, continuous experiences and transform them into memories. Rather than relying only on traditional laboratory memory tasks, the research is likely to use more naturalistic materials such as videos, narratives and everyday activities.

The second concerns how people living with dementia understand and engage with the present. Much research on dementia focuses on what people can no longer remember. An important complementary question is what information remains available while an experience is taking place, and what helps people to remain cognitively and socially engaged.

One strand of the PhD may investigate engagement during real-world group activities, including community singing sessions for people living with dementia. Small wearable accelerometer sensors can be used to measure head and body movements continuously during these sessions. This makes it possible to quantify both an individual's moment-to-moment level of activity and the extent to which their movements become synchronised with those of other people in the group. Such interpersonal synchrony provides a potentially useful objective measure of shared engagement and social coordination. These measures can be combined with cognitive testing and, where appropriate, physiological measures to examine whether periods of greater engagement are associated with short-term changes in cognitive function.

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

To be considered for this studentship, you must submit an application for the relevant full-time PhD programme commencing in January 2027. Please refer to our step-by-step application guide before starting your application.

Please note that you will not be able to apply directly for the studentship through the application portal. Instead, you must apply for the PhD associated with the studentship.

Before submitting your application, please ensure that you:

• Apply for the correct PhD project.
• Nominate the appropriate supervisor(s), where required.

Failure to do so may result in delays to the processing of your application.

Completing Your Application

When you reach the Finance Information section of the application form, you will be able to indicate which studentship you wish to be considered for.

Academic Interests Section

Please use this section to identify the supervisor(s) you would like to work with. Some studentships allow applicants to select their preferred supervisor, while others have a designated supervisor already assigned.

Finance Information Section

Please complete the following fields as outlined below:

Please select one of the following options

• Select: "I have applied / will apply for funding"

Title of the award(s) that you have applied for / will be applying for

• Enter only the studentship name exactly as it appears in the advertisement: Memory, Meaning and Dementia: Understanding the Present and Remembering the Past

When will you receive a decision on your funding application?

• Enter the month following the studentship interview period. Further details can be found in the Timetable section of the advertisement.

What amount will the award be?

• Copy the funding amount directly from the "What you get" section of the advertisement.

Referees

To submit your application, you must provide details of two academic referees.

Please note that your referees do not need to submit their references before the application deadline. You can still submit your application while references are pending.

Further Enquiries

• For eligibility questions, research proposal discussions, and other academic enquiries, please contact the relevant supervisor.
• For general admissions enquiries or assistance with your application, please contact fosem-pgr@sussex.ac.uk.
• For technical issues with the admissions portal, please contact phd.applicants@sussex.ac.uk.

Contact us

For queries with respect to the application process please contact:  fosem-pgr@sussex.ac.uk

To discuss the details of this project further please contact Professor Chris Bird, Chris.Bird@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

Deadline for applications:  Monday 16th November 2026 at 23:45

Interviews are scheduled for week beginning 23rd November 2026