ESRC DTP Collaborative Studentship: Translating Research into Educational Benefits: Dyscalculia Screening and Support in Primary Schools

The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). One of 15 such partnerships in the UK, the Midlands Graduate School is a collaboration between the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham, Nottingham, Aston, Leicester, Loughborough, De Montfort and Nottingham Trent.

The Department of Mathematics Education (DME) at Loughborough University, as part of Midlands Graduate School, is now inviting applications for an ESRC Doctoral Studentship in association with our collaborative partner, the Cheshire and Wirral Maths Hub, to commence in October 2026.

The DME is the largest and most prominent mathematical cognition and mathematics education research centre in the UK, and Loughborough University is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the Complete University Guide and Guardian League Table of UK universities. The DME has a large and vibrant doctoral researcher community, and hosts regular research seminars, specialist labs and equipment. The Cheshire and Wirral Maths Hub is part of the Maths Hub Network, consisting of 40 Hubs across England, each involving hundreds of schools and thousands of teachers. Maths Hubs are key providers of continuing professional development programmes to mathematics teachers.

The collaborative PhD project addresses the under-identification and limited classroom support for dyscalculia, a specific learning difficulty in mathematics, affecting around 6% of children. Despite being as prevalent as dyslexia and having serious long-term consequences, dyscalculia is far less likely to be diagnosed and is rarely covered in teacher training. The project aims to improve early identification and classroom support by developing a brief, evidence-based screening tool for primary schools, and practical resources for teachers. The project builds on Numeralis, an adaptive screening instrument comprising cognitive and mathematics tasks. The project combines secondary data analysis, large-scale pupil screening, the evaluation of educational interventions and the co-development of resources for teachers. The PhD candidate will collaborate closely with the academic supervisors at Loughborough University, and teachers and schools within the Cheshire and Wirral Maths Hub, including placement and shadowing opportunities. The planned activities will enable the PhD student to develop excellent skills for a variety of future careers, including academia, teaching, educational materials design, educational interventions and educational policymaking. We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated candidate with a strong academic background in psychology or education.

Application Process

To be considered for this PhD, please complete the Collaborative Studentship application form available online via the'Apply' button above. Applicants will be required to upload an anonymised CV, anonymised cover letter, and transcripts as part of the online application process.

Application deadline: 23 February 2026

Interview date:  11 March 2026

Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP

Our ESRC studentships cover fees at the home rate, a maintenance stipend, and extensive support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Support is available to both home and international applicants. For further details, visit: www.mgsdtp.ac.uk/studentships/eligibility/.

Informal enquiries about the research or the Department of Mathematics Education at Loughborough University prior to application can be directed to Dr Kinga Morsanyi (k.e.morsanyi@lboro.ac.uk)

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