PhD Studentship: Group Intervention for Trauma and Physiological Stress Responses in Adolescents

Applications Open for a funded PhD studentship with the Centre for Social Issues Research

The Centre for Social Issues Research (CSI-R) at the Department of Psychology at the University of Limerick are seeking to recruit a PhD student to work as part of a team on the Social Identity Model of Trauma and Identity Change (SIMTIC) project. 

This is a prestigious ERC funded project that will allow the successful candidate to access world-class academic supervision. As such, it is an opportunity to become part of a highly motivated and expert team. This is an open competition. Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of excellent academic profile in their Bachelors or Masters programme. Start dates are flexible; it is anticipated that the start date will be between the September 1^st – October 1^st, but no later than the end of first semester 2024.

The overarching SIMTIC project aims to demonstrate that the physiological, clinical, and socio-political consequences of stress and trauma result from changes in the nature, extent, and quality of our social identities.

Project Title: Group Intervention for Trauma and Physiological Stress Responses in Adolescents

The social cure phenomena suggests that social groups can support health, and developmental psychology indicates that social contexts are particularly important for adolescent development.  This PhD will focus on how groups and related social identity processes, can be harnessed as a treatment for trauma in adolescence. This work will involve assessing the efficacy of group-based treatments, and related social identity processes that influence psychological outcomes in adolescents accessing support groups for their trauma. This work will also assess biometric responses to stress (training provided), and how social identity processes can influence biomarkers of health. The PhD candidate will be expected to contribute to the recruitment and data collection of observational and experimental studies using state-of-the-art biometric testing equipment.  Applicants should have a strong background in research methods, and a keen interest in health and social psychology.

Application procedure:

Applicants for the scholarship will be shortlisted on the basis of the following selection criteria:

• Academic performance in undergraduate and postgraduate psychology courses,
• High levels of achievement in research design and methods,
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills,
• A keen interest and aptitude for social or health psychology.

Please demonstrate evidence of, or experience, of these criteria in your cover letter and CV. Please specify in your cover letter the title of the project. A postgraduate qualification is desirable, but not essential.

This is a funded position. The studentship covers the costs of all fees for students with European Union (EU) citizenship  and will include a stipend of a total €22000 each year subject to satisfactory progression. Full time PhD’s normally take 4 years.

Applications should be made via email to csi-r@ul.ie (with ‘SIMTIC PhD application’ the subject line of the email). Informal inquiries to eadaoin.whelan@ul.ie

Applicants should include the following:

• A CV: within this, applicants should clearly demonstrate how they meet the selection criteria.
• A supporting statement of no more than 1 A4 pages (font size 12) outlining how their academic and professional experience are relevant to this programme of work (with reference to the selection criteria).
• Contact details of two academic referees (or one academic and one professional referee).

Closing date for applications is Monday 12^th of August 2024

Interviews will take place during the week of August 26^th, 2024

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