Two Fully-funded PhD Studentships Available to Accelerate Interdisciplinary Research in Law, Social Sciences, and Education

As part of a launch and investment into four new Research Groups in the School of Law and Social Sciences, LSBU has two fully-funded PhD studentships available to accelerate its interdisciplinary research in law, social sciences, and education. Each scholarship is fully-funded for three years (UKRI rates) and includes full course fees, an annual stipend (including an additional London allowance) and associated costs, such as training.

LSBU is a modern university with a mission to transform lives, communities, businesses and society through applied education and insight. We strive to influence the wider world and to positively impact on the society around us. LSBU’s PhD Scholarships are central to this vision.

LSBU is an inclusive and welcoming organisation, committed to eliminating discrimination based on age, race, religion/belief, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, caring status, and social class. This means that we work pro-actively to eliminate individual, institutional, and systemic inequalities. We believe that it is not enough just to eliminate discrimination but that we must speak out and act against inequalities wherever and whenever they occur.

PhD areas of interest

Successful candidates will be hosted within one or two of the newly established Research Groups of the School:

Policy Infrastructure and Governance takes a broadly defined approach to the study of infrastructure and engages in research on energy, minerals, climate change, housing, mobilities, design, and geopolitics. This group is interested in the relationships between infrastructure, policy and governance, and prospective Students may demonstrate how their research project might connect with community partners, industry, and government. Projects may be supervised by the following research group members (among others): Dr Sam Johnson-Schlee, Dr Alex Prior, Dr Francisco Calafate De Faria, Dr Jaya Gajparia, Dr Sophie Elsmore, Dr Phil Pinch, Dr Yue Ang and include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• Social and cultural approaches to climate change and energy transitions
• Infrastructure and housing
• Infrastructure, policy-making, and public engagement

Beyond Rights: Agency and Activism brings together interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary scholarship around the central themes of social justice, human rights, agency and activism. The group critically engages with the concept of rights and seeks out ways to eliminate inequalities experienced by individuals and groups within contemporary society; locally, nationally and globally. Proposals may be supervised by the following research group members (among others) Dr David Birchall, Dr Farnush Ghadery, Professor Caitriona Beaumont, Dr Petero(p) Kalule, Dr Judith Onwubiko, Dr Yue Ang, Dr Mala Sharma, Dr Ozan Kamiloglu, Dr Alex Prior, Professor Shaminder Takhar and may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• Critical feminist engagements with international law and relations (decolonial/postcolonial feminist perspectives of feminist foreign policy, WPS and Third World Approaches to International Law)
• Investor state arbitration, commercial arbitration, dispute resolution
• Corporate governance, company law, sustainable business, business and human rights
• Colonial legacies and histories of the local area, including the Elephant and Castle and LSBU
• Technology and the justice system, law and images
• Social movements and human rights

Communities, Crisis and Conflict adopts a multidisciplinary perspective, drawing from fields such as sociology, politics, international relations, criminology and geography to provide a comprehensive analysis of complex social challenges and community responses. The group investigates the sources, spaces, dynamics and legacies associated with contemporary crisis and conflict, with a particular emphasis on recognizing and addressing emerging challenges. Proposals may be supervised by the following group members (among others) Dr Clara Eroukhmanoff, Dr Adrian Budd, Dr Elian Weizman, Dr Tracey Davanna, Dr Federica Rossi and may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• Critical policing, Green criminology
• War on Terror policies, Critical Terrorism Studies
• China’s economic rise and China-US relations
• Colonialism and anti-colonial struggles; Middle East; Political activism; law and violence
• Criminalisation of activism

Re-imagining learning communities works with learning communities across the age range and in diverse settings to collaboratively re-imagine the how, what and why of education. Our participatory research re-imagines with learning communities to inform practice and policy for socially responsible and sustainable futures.  We re-imagine: who is learning for? Where does learning happen? Who owns learning? Who benefits? Who is excluded ? What does community-owned learning look like? What pedagogies does it need? What new ways of being/doing do we need to imagine for educators, learners and communities?  Proposals may be supervised by the following research group members (among others) Professor Nicki Martin, Professor Alex Kendall, Dr James Alexander, Dr Jessie A. Bustillos Morales, Dr Martha Shaw or Dr Helen Young and may include (but are not limited to) the following topics: 

• Innovative post-qualitative theoretical frameworks and creative methodologies for learning 
• Social inclusion and social/educational inequalities (exploring issues around anti-racism, gender, decolonisation and SEND)
• Global citizenship and civic engagement 

The successful candidates will:

• Have a proven, strong educational background in a discipline of the Social Sciences (Criminology, International Relations, Politics, Sociology), Law or Education
• Be excited and inspired by the proposed project area.
• Be a self-starter.
• Have good communication skills.
• Have an inquiring mind and be willing to challenge themselves.

The School of Law and Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary, vibrant research environment with international collaboration and networking opportunities and dedicated research space. Successful candidates will be homed within a research group and will benefit from the networking opportunities and unique connections the Research Groups offer.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in the first week of December and commence their PhD for the January start date (22 January 2024). Candidates are welcome to contact the supervisors listed on the advertisement with informal enquiries before the application deadline.

Eligibility

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject - 2:1 or 1st (essential)
• Master’s degree in a relevant subject or equivalent professional experience

English Language requirements:

If applicable – IELTS 6.5 overall (with a score of at least 6.5 in each individual component) or equivalent.

Nationality

Applications are open to UK and international students but only home fees are covered.

Please indicate if you are likely to require a visa on your application.

We are unable to support visa costs.

How to Apply

Please email Denise Schuberg (schuberd@lsbu.ac.uk) at the apply button above. Please submit a CV, a one page Covering Letter stating how you meet the requirements and why you are interested in the proposed research project, and a 700 words research proposal that meets at least one of the areas of supervision mentioned above.

Application deadline: Monday 20^th of November 2023.

Interviews: The week starting Monday 4^th of December 2023

PhD Start date: 22 January 2024

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