PhD Studentship: Mobilising Community-based Climate Action Through Co-designed Sports and Wellbeing Interventions

Primary supervisor - Prof Irene Lorenzoni

Aims and objectives 

This studentship aims to explore how group/social identities (e.g. sports fans) can be leveraged to encourage low-carbon, climate-resilient behaviours examining how cultural activities such as sport can support climate awareness and action. This project will adopt a place-based approach. Through collaboration with grassroots organisations and/or professional clubs, it will co-design and pilot interventions that embed synergistic adaptation-mitigation behaviours into sports club routines. It will examine how to foster adoption of sustainable practices that align with sport/wellbeing motivations, make climate action visible and socially rewarding, and address the ‘climate silence’ (Wise et al., 2025) identified amongst sports communities.  

Training Environment 

This studentship is affiliated with the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST). CAST is headquartered at the University of Bath and is an international centre of excellence founded in 2019. It has just commenced a second phase of work (2024-29). UEA is one of the CAST partners. In the 2021 REF, UEA was ranked 20th in the UK for research quality and impact. 

Postgraduates at UEA have access to a diverse and varied professional development programme to support development of the skills that underpin high quality research, and to prepare them for their future career. Our training programme provides choice, flexibility, and support to empower postgraduates to design their own annual training plan alongside some mandatory training on core topics. Sessions are delivered by a range of highly qualified staff with expert knowledge; academics and professional services staff from across the UEA, Norwich Research Park and contributors from external organisations. They include e.g. research and specialist skills training, communication skills, personal effectiveness, wellbeing training, impact and engagement, data and analysis and career planning. 

You will formally affiliate with CAST and be able to affiliate with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, which is headquartered at UEA. Together these centres and networks will offer you valuable opportunities to undertake collaborative, team-based research, present your findings at conferences and learn how to make impactful contributions to society. 

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a 2:1 at UG Hons (psychology, sociology, social environmental sciences) and a Masters degree.

Start date: 1 October 2026

Additional Funding Information

This PhD project is fully funded for 3 years. Funding includes tuition fees at home-fee rate, an annual tax-free maintenance stipend, and an annual budget to support research training. 

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