Open-topic PhD Studentship within the School of Psychology,

Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 01 October 2026.

Successful applicants will be part of a large, vibrant, highly collaborative community of PhD students and academic staff. PhD students will have access to extensive, modern and well-equipped laboratory facilities supported by a dedicated team of technical staff, a Baby- and School-Lab, as well as the constructed Brain Research and Imaging Centre (BRIC; https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/psychology/brain-research-and-imaging-centre).

For more details of the School’s research activity, please visit our research pages (https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/psychology) and our individual staff pages (https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/psychology/academics).

Projects

Research in the School covers a wide range of topics in areas such as cognition, learning, memory, developmental, emotion, health, clinical, decision making, social psychology, and neuroscience.

A list of potential projects can be found here: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/psychology/phd-studentships.

It is essential that candidates discuss their proposal/plans with their intended supervisor(s) prior to writing their proposal and submitting an application. The School can only consider PhD research proposals that have the support of a supervisor in the School (see required documents).

Informal enquiries about projects and supervisors may be sent to Dr Patricia Kanngiesser, Postgraduate Research Coordinator (patricia.kanngiesser@plymouth.ac.uk).

Eligibility & funding

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in Psychology or closely related field and preferably a relevant MSc or MRes qualification.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, academic IELTS score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent.

The studentship is supported for 3 years and includes full Home tuition fees plus a stipend of at least £19,215 per annum 2025/26 rate (2026/27 TBC). The studentship will fully fund those applicants who are eligible for Home fees with relevant qualifications. Applicants normally required to cover overseas fees will have the option to apply for an overseas tuition fee waiver. There is no additional funding available to cover NHS Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) costs, visa costs, flights etc.

Please note that the studentship is supported for three years of the four-year registration period. The fourth year is a self-funded ‘writing-up’ year.

To apply

The closing date for applications is Wednesday, 17^th April 2026 (midnight, GMT). Interviews are likely to take place the week beginning 4^th May 2026, and applicants will be informed if they have been shortlisted. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications. Applicants who have not received an offer of a place by 31^st of August should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

The University of Plymouth is committed to equality of opportunity, promoting a diverse and inclusive culture, demonstrated through our commitment to the gender equality Athena SWAN Charter and as a Stonewall diversity champion. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently under-represented, for example Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups.

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