PhD Studentship in HCI: Interactive Technology for Exploring Just Transitions to Net Zero

Award Summary

100% Home fees covered and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £17,668 (2022-23 UKRI rate)

Overview

Interested in the role of interactive technology in transitioning to Net Zero? This PhD will investigate how interactive technology enables collaborative exploration of effective and socially-just transitions to Net Zero.

Whilst numerous human-computer interaction (HCI) projects have explored how interactive technology engages people with climate change and climate action, many focus on the negative impacts of unchecked climate change and do not directly support action. ClimateOuteach.org also highlight that ‘just transitions’ should begin with the concerns of those impacted, create people-centred policy, and not create or increase social inequalities.

This PhD will investigate how interactive technology can address these challenges and include topics such as:

• Interactive technology and immersive experiences to enable multi-sensory and emotional connections with climate concerns, and imaginative and expansive exploration of actions towards Net Zero;
• Online and social media -based media for engaging broader publics in productive dialogue on climate concerns and actions towards Net Zero;
• The co-design of interactive media for sharing climate concerns and discussing actions with impacted communities.

This PhD will be shaped by the candidate’s own interests and experience. The supervisory team will be expanded to provide additional expertise in the relevant area.

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

April 2023

Award Duration

3.5 years

Application Closing Date

28 February 2023

Sponsor

School of Computing, Newcastle University

Supervisors

Dr Simon Bowen, Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject including Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction or User Experiencer (UX) Design, and Computer Science. Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.

Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subsection. International applicants may require ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance. 

The studentship covers fees at the Home rate, International applicants are welcome to apply but will need to cover the difference between Home and International fees.

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal 

Select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.  

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify programme of study:  

• search ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8050F
• research Area: Computing Science
• select ‘PhD Computer Science (full time) - Computing Science' 

You will need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Questions’ section:  

• a ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form  
• studentship code COMP2135 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field  
• when prompted select ‘Write Proposal’. You should type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.  

You will need to upload the following supporting documentation:  

• covering letter and CV. The letter must state the title of the studentship, reference code COMP2135 and how your interests/experience relate to the project   
• degree transcripts, certificates and if English is not your first language, a copy of your English language qualification.  

Contact Details

Dr Simon Bowen simon.bowen@newcastle.ac.uk

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