Psychology PhD studentship

Psychology Doctoral Research Studentship - Colour perception and subjective colour experience (2024)

What you get

• A stipend for 3 years to cover living costs. The amount is tied to the UKRI studentship rates; for 2023/24 it is £18,622 per year.
• UK fees are covered for 3 years. International students are welcome to apply but must cover the difference (approx. £20,200) between International and UK fees themselves.
• Research/training costs of £750 per year are also covered for 3 years, and enhanced costs are provided for some neuroscience projects.
• School-funded Postgraduate Researchers have the opportunity to take up Doctoral Tutoring during your PhD with a range of modules to choose from. This work is paid at Grade 6 which is currently £17.38 per hour, and covers contact time, preparation and marking.

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

A PhD studentship is available as part of the ERC-funded project COLOURCODE’, investigating the neural basis of subjective colour experience. The PhD student will use individual differences in colour perception to explore the constraints placed on subjective colour experience by neural hardware and environment. For instance, does the presence of an extra receptor type (e.g. in women carrying a gene for anomalous trichromacy) confer an extra dimension of subjective colour experience? Can dichromats (with only two receptor types) experience the same colours subjectively as normal trichromats (with three)? Do the environments that different observers inhabit calibrate their subjective colour experience? The project will use psychophysical methods, and for interested students there is also the possibility of using EEG and/or fMRI.

The PhD student will become part of the COLOURCODE team supervised by Dr. Jenny Bosten. There is a thriving vision science community at the University of Sussex studying vision and colour perception at all levels from retinal processes in animals (e.g. Professor Tom Baden and Professor Daniel Osorio), to the many facets of human colour perception (Bosten and Professor Anna Franklin), to high level cognition and consciousness (e.g. Professor Jamie Ward and Professor Anil Seth). The PhD student would become part of the Sussex Vision lab and the Sussex Colour Group, benefitting from the expertise and collaboration of all researchers involved.

Please get in touch with Dr. Jenny Bosten to talk about your application.

 Doctoral Tutor role: 

If you choose to undertake a  Doctoral Tutor role you will receive training and begin teaching in the first term of your studies. You will be encouraged to study for a formal teaching accreditation (Associate of the Higher Education Academy), enrolling on a ‘Starting to Teach’ module in the first term.  

Eligibility

• 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
• UK fees are covered for 3 years. International students are welcome to apply but must cover the difference (approx. £20,200) between International and UK fees themselves. 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.

Number of scholarships available

One scholarship

Deadline

How to apply

• Please read Some questions we are often asked before you start your application.
• Please submit your application online for 'PhD in Psychology' for entry in September 2024.

• In the Supervisor suggested by applicant section of your application, put Jenny Bosten
• In the Proposed source of funding section of your application, please put Jenny Bosten - Joint funded Psychology and the European Research Council 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. The scope of the proposed work should be appropriate for a 3-year PhD research programme. 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. 

Overseas applicants please read our International Requirements to assist with preparing your application.

Funding partners

This scholarship is funded by the University of Sussex and the European Research Council

Contact us

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

To discuss the details of this project further please contact:  
Dr Jenny Bosten j.bosten@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 07 May 2024 23:59. (subject to change)
Interview dates to be confirmed.