PhD Studentship: Institutional Cultures and Citizen Engagement for Net Zero Decision Making

This 3.5-year PhD project is fully funded and home students are eligible to apply. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£21,805 for 2026/27) and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2026.

This PhD provides an opportunity to develop research as part of the new PACT (Production and Consumption Transformations) Centre. PACT is a four-year research centre jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). It is a partnership between the Universities of Leeds, Manchester and Sussex.

PACT investigates how to achieve climate, energy and resource efficiency goals by linking production and consumption strategies. PACT’s dynamic research programme focuses on actionable insights and ensures real-world impact, working with government departments, campaign groups and the private sector. The centre examines societal, political, and economic systems upon which the delivery of the UK’s transition to net zero depends, ensuring that policies are fair, effective and inclusive. PACT includes a deep dive into two case studies: cars, and homes.

The PACT team at the University of Manchester comprises three researchers: Rebecca Willis, Andy Yuille and Mathilde Rainard. The PhD will be part of the vibrant Climate Citizens research group, a group of 15 research staff and students, which sits within the Tyndall Centre and Politics Department at the University of Manchester.

The successful applicant will have the opportunity to develop a research proposal that contributes to the research aims of PACT, under the supervision of Prof Rebecca Willis and Dr Andy Yuille. The exact thematic and methodological focus can be shaped by your own interests and experiences. In developing your proposal, please take into account the interests and expertise of the supervisors. Note that in particular we do not have the capacity to supervise quantitative/modelling research under Lens 1.

We would be particularly interested in proposals in the following areas:

• The role of economic interest groups in influencing policymaking and institutional cultures, including the extent to which economic interests may delay or disrupt policy development
• Cross-national comparisons of the ways in which governments engage citizens in net-zero policymaking
• The practices and processes through which public engagement is (or isn’t) translated into policymaking
• Case studies of policymaking processes, documenting the role of different groups (such as economic interests, trade unions, citizen lobbies, formal public engagement processes) and highlighting formal and informal routes to influence
• Proposals which link the above themes to the PACT case study areas – cars and homes
• Proposals involving mixed-method (quantitative/qualitative) or qualitative research methods, and/or novel methods such as process-tracing
• Proposals which incorporate use of existing datasets, available to the project team. We have datasets from a two-year citizens’ panel, and from discussion groups with policymakers.

Please submit a research proposal with your application, up to two pages, outlining the focus of your project and the methods and data that you would use.

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant discipline.

For enquiries, please contact the main supervisor; Prof Rebecca Willis - rebecca.willis@manchester.ac.uk. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience.

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