PhD Studentship: Navigating Maternity and Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Project advert

We are excited to announce this opportunity based in the Centre for Decent Work and Productivity. The project will explore the intersection of neurodiversity, maternity, and employment.

While neurodiversity is increasingly recognised in workplace policy and research, the experiences of neurodiverse mothers, particularly during the transition back to work after maternity leave, have received little attention. Health research suggests this period can be especially challenging, with implications for wellbeing, identity, and career progression. This project will use qualitative methods to examine how neurodiverse mothers navigate workplace reintegration and how organisations can better support them.

The Centre for Decent Work and Productivity is developing a reputation for excellence in inclusive employment research, with the supervisory team offering expertise in neurodiversity, maternity, and qualitative methods. Related areas of interest in the Centre include wellbeing at work, the work–life interface, gender and diversity, and inequality.

This PhD project is one of five independent projects open for applications, with only three funded studentships available. All applications will go through an initial review stage conducted by the project supervisors. Candidates selected from this stage will be invited to a second-round interview, where final funding decisions will be made based on performance across all projects.

Project aims and objectives

The aim of this PhD project is to contribute to research within the Centre for Decent Work and Productivity on inclusive employment, with a specific focus on the intersection between neurodiversity, maternity, and work.

The objectives are:  

• To explore how neurodiverse mothers perceive and manage the return-to-work process. 
• To identify barriers and enablers to workplace reintegration. 
• To examine how organisational policies and practices support or hinder neurodiverse mothers. 
• To contribute to inclusive employment policy and practice through participatory research. 

Funding

Both Home and International students can apply. Home and international tuition fees will be covered for the duration of the three-year award.

The student will receive a standard stipend payment for the duration of the award. These payments are set at a level determined by the UKRI, currently £20,780 for the academic year 2025/26.

Specific requirements of the candidate

Prior studies in work and employment would be particularly beneficial, as would academic or professional experience related to maternity, neurodiversity, gender, or inclusion. We welcome candidates from a range of disciplinary backgrounds including human resource management, organisational studies, and organisational psychology. We particularly encourage applications from neurodiverse individuals, mothers, and those from non-traditional academic backgrounds, recognising the value of lived experience in shaping meaningful and impactful research.

How to apply

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Anneke Schaefer (a.schaefer@mmu.ac.uk) for an informal discussion. 

To apply you will need to complete the online application form for a full time PhD in People & Performance.

Please complete the Doctoral Project Applicant Form, and include your CV to demonstrate how your skills and experience map to the aims and objectives of the project, the area of research and why you see this area as being of importance and interest. 

Please ensure that your application also includes your Academic Certificates and Transcripts as supporting documents.

Please upload these documents in the supporting documents section of the University’s Admissions Portal.

Applications closing date: 02 March 2026 

Expected start date: October 2026

Please quote the reference: FoBL-AS-2026-27-Employed neurodivergent mothers

Advert information