CAM-Doctoral Training Partnership PhD studentships

Supervisors: Prof Aled Jones; Dr Philippa Calver; Dr Christos Gerofotis ([email protected])

In its 2023 Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum ranked biodiversity loss as its fourth global risk in terms of both severity and impact. The main source of this biodiversity loss is due to land use change and agriculture practices.

Subsequently, this reduces the provision of vital ecosystem services, such as pollination of food crops, water treatment, and fertile soil, that the agricultural system relies.

Changes to food production and biodiversity also affect systems much wider than on the farm, and impact livelihoods of rural communities, as well as wider society through impacts on food prices in the context of a cost-of-living crisis.

This PhD will investigate best practices in farming that result in positive biodiversity outcomes. It will explore how food sector governance (including investment and new funding streams such as Biodiversity Net Gain) can be incorporated into land management decision processes and be supported by national policy to further enhance biodiversity.

Our current projects exploring food risk and agriculture in the UK include a range of partners (such as Food Ethics Council, WWF, Sustain, Better Food Traders, Trussell Trust). Dengie Crops Ltd in Essex have agreed to be a case study and give access to their governance and decision-making processes.

Apply to study farming for biodiversity (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Nieky Van Veggel; Dr Hilary Engward

Previous research highlights the positive impacts of assistance dogs on reducing social isolation for those with disabilities. However, there is very little research into how individuals and families are impacted by the retirement of their assistance dogs, or these dogs’ welfare during retirement.

This PhD will explore these topics by a OneWelfare approach. It will use a mixed-method study, involving quantitative surveys of assistance dog owners and their families, qualitative interviews to understand lived experiences, and co-designing resources for retiring assistance dogs.

We offer a research environment that encourages collaboration and idea exchange, particularly between people with varied academic backgrounds. The project integrates social sciences, animal welfare, and healthcare with the aim of holistically preparing assistance dog owners and their dogs for retirement of the partnership.

Apply to study applying OneWelfare to assistance dog retirement (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Prof Jane Aspell; Dr Sanjoy Deb; Dr Maria Filippetti (University of Essex)

Ultra-processed foods (UPF) are hyper-palatable, energy-dense products that are often of low nutritional quality. They contribute to an obesogenic environment and unhealthy nutritional behaviours that can harm human health. There is a propensity to overconsume UPFs, with reports showing UPFs make up over 50% of dietary intake.

An overlooked aspect of human health, particularly with UPFs, is interoception – the perception of the body’s internal states. This PhD will investigate whether interoception is linked to UPF intake, using both experience sampling methods (ESM) and laboratory investigations.

Samples will reflect populations affected by high UPF consumption, particularly ethnic groups underserved by such studies. The resultant research will be used to design an intuitive eating intervention, targeting interoceptive awareness, to reduce UPF intake in daily life.

The overconsumption of UPF is a public health issue, which impacts health inequalities across socio-economic and ethnic boundaries. Because of this, we are particularly interested in applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds. You will be assisted by an interdisciplinary supervisory team, with plenty of experience in student development.

Apply to study UPF overconsumption and interoceptive awareness (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Lauren Godier-McBard; Dr Chris Kay; Dr Linda Maguire (University of Suffolk)

There is a scarcity of literature on parenthood with a physical disability, particularly for women veterans. This study will focus on women veterans who have acquired physical injury during service, to understand the impact of disability on pregnancy and child rearing.

Negotiating military-to-civilian transition has an additional layer of complexity if physical injury was sustained during service. This is known as being wounded, injured and sick (WIS).

However, studies of WIS veterans often come with assumptions. They often assume their children act as carers or focus on the disability itself from the veteran or practitioner perspective. Moreover, there is very little research focusing on women veterans, despite the proportion of female WIS personnel in defence recovery services being higher than that of male personnel.

This study will explore coping from women veterans’ perspective, in the context of returning to a civilian life, and negotiating pregnancy and childrearing with disabilities.

This PhD is part of ARU’s initiative to expand the study of military personnel. It comes in tandem with the expansion of the Centre for Military Women's Research and the Veterans & Families Institute (VFI), and the development of a new Centre for Equities in Uniformed Public Services. This initiative, funded by UKRI, will incorporate a new social science lab to support inclusivity for those with physical, mental, and neurodiverse needs.

Apply to study female veterans: disability and parenthood (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Prof Margaret Greenfields, Prof Jeannette Baxter, Dr Chantal Radley

This interdisciplinary PhD will explore the experiences of refugees/asylum seekers (R/ASs) in the UK who may experience identity-specific barriers to accessing services and community assets.

More precisely, it will focus on those discriminated against due to sexual orientation, gender reassignment or membership of a minority faith group within their national diaspora or refugee population.

Services delivered to R/ASs through local authorities, religious or civil society agencies are largely predicated on the demographics of a 'mainstream' refugee population. Thus, people from a region or country where they are a member of a faith or sexual minority group and who may already have experienced persecution or discrimination in their country of origin are likely to self-censor when seeking asylum, accommodation, or healthcare. This can severely impact their well-being.

This studentship aligns to an inter-disciplinary UKRI cross-council investment, which utilises creative methods to understand use of community assets by refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to support health/wellbeing.

The successful applicant will benefit from access to diverse policy makers, practitioners, and health and creative arts professionals. This supervisory team has extensive experience working with diverse refugee/asylum seeking populations.

The student will be embedded into ARU's inter-university migration network and New Routes: Old Roots refugee support network. This will offer collaborative opportunities, including with LGBT+ faith groups, the University of Cambridge, and the United Nations Faith for Rights network.

Apply to study minority faith group/LGBT+ refugees in the UK (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Lara Houston; Dr Chris Foulds

The context

Electronic waste is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. A record 62 million tonnes was produced in 2022. If placed into 40-tonne trucks, this would circle the Earth’s equator!

Policymakers have responded to this huge challenge by promoting the ‘circular economy’. This is a model of consumption where items are re-used in their original state for as long as possible, before being repaired or re-manufactured (and only then recycled).

The problem

Increasingly, policymakers and companies are building new digital infrastructures to help accelerate the circular economy. Yet despite having pioneered novel and inclusive initiatives, community-engaged, civil society groups are at risk of being excluded from these new data platforms, as they are predominantly designed for business.

For example, ‘tech take-back’ schemes refurbish unwanted devices and give these to marginalised people, thus bridging the ‘digital divide’. Will they be able to leverage new forms of traceability data? Or will they be paywalled from commercial solutions? Will their unique needs be considered by policymakers or lost in the gap between ‘businesses’ and ‘consumers’?

The opportunity

You are free to develop your own proposal, within the very broad area of civil society, circularity and digitalisation. The supervisory team has extensive expertise in qualitative research within environmental social sciences, policy, STS, and HCI / design. We have links with a range of civil society groups in re-use and repair. Some suggestions are:

• STS/Sociology of expectations: What promises are being made in the digitalisation of the circular economy? How are civil society organisations included or excluded in the futures promised by visions/policies?
• Policy studies: How can forthcoming policies (e.g. Digital Product Passports from 2027 in the EU) be better designed to support the unique needs of civil society groups, through participatory research approaches?
• Data justice: What forms of data injustice arise, when environmental data about products is enclosed on proprietary platforms?
• HCI/design: What role could design play in critiquing existing infrastructures and proposing alternatives (e.g. developed through co-design or speculative futuring)?
• Just transitions: What can long-term empirical studies with re-use and repair organisations tell us about the circular transition? Do we need to move from a ‘circular economy’ towards a ‘circular society’?

Apply to study digitalisation of the 'circular economy': how do civil society re-use and repair groups fit into emerging infrastructures and imaginaries? (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Jonathan Pool; Prof Simon Baron-Cohen (University of Cambridge); Dr Alexandra Georgaki

This project is an analysis of music therapy with autistic children, with an aim to develop policy regarding music therapy for autistic 7- to 11-year-olds.

In this trial, 120 autistic children will receive 24 sessions of music therapy. You will use video data from this trial to provide a detailed analysis of the engagement and interaction.

Sampling and analysis strategies will be an important aspect of this topic. The participants are recruited from schools in different areas of England, with diverse cultural backgrounds and varying levels of affluence.

The study will be linked to the Autism-CHIME project, a randomised controlled trial of improvisational music therapy with autistic children. It is led by the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University and the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research (CIMTR) at Anglia Ruskin University and is currently collecting data. The Autism-CHIME trial seeks to produce data that informs healthcare decision making in actual clinical settings, rather than ascertaining outcomes under controlled circumstances.

Your research could make a difference, by ensuring autistic children get the education they need.

Apply to study analysing music therapy with autistic children (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Elizabeth Kirk; Dr Jacob Dunn

This proposed programme of research will use lab-based studies to investigate the psychological and physiological responses of adults to infant crying. It will focus on adult men, to explore the psychological and social risk factors of hyper-arousal and infant abuse.

Crying is a normal infant behaviour. Yet for some adults, this elicits an extreme stress response. Reports estimate that up to 6% of parents have smothered, slapped, or shaken their baby at least once because of crying, with men being more likely to harm a child than women.

An independent review for government highlighted that fathers with stressful life histories can find it harder to cope with their crying baby, resulting in a greater number of non-accidental head injuries (shaken baby syndrome). The report recommends an urgent need for research to understand backgrounds, characteristics, and triggers for abuse by men.

This study will be interdisciplinary, encompassing psychology, evolutionary biology, and psychoacoustics. In psychoacoustic playback experiments in the laboratory, the listeners will hear natural and resynthesised baby cries, allowing us to experimentally investigate the acoustic factors that lead to variation in the adult listeners' responses. Listeners will answer psychological tests and will be monitored for their physiological responses to baby cries before, during and after the experiments.

The research has applied implications for the fields of social work and healthcare. We are looking for applicants with a desire to improve child protection and the lives of vulnerable families and children.

Apply to study male stress responses to infant crying (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Ian van der Linde; Dr Michael Wilby

A topic of considerable interest is how positions concerning free will may be interpreted in an era of increasingly advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Free will can be defined as the ability to have done otherwise: having made a decision to take an action, was it possible for us to have chosen to take a different action, such that the decision was up to the chooser?

Some positions include: (i) that brains follow the deterministic laws of physics so free will cannot exist (hard determinism); (ii) that physics comprises deterministic laws and probabilistic processes (quantum mechanics) but free will still cannot exist since probabilistic processes are likewise not under our control (hard incompatibilism); (iii) that brains are deterministic/probabilistic, but that free will (often redefined, such as simply requiring that we are reasons-responsive or that we can act independently of coercion) exists via unknown, possibly emergent, mechanisms (compatibilism); and (iv) that brains can initiate new thoughts ab initio, independently of deterministic and/or indeterministic physics, via unknown mechanisms or dualism (libertarianism).

The applicant will develop a proposal examining how AI on deterministic computers, which increasingly provide a simulacrum of human reasoning, can inform this debate and how the positions outlined above might be applied to computational intelligence.

Apply to study AI and the free will debate (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Susan Walker; Claire Hooks; Dr David Solomon (University of Bedfordshire)

The project will explore the views, preferences and experiences of women who are struggling with, or are in recovery from, addiction to drugs or alcohol, regarding accessing contraceptive, sexual and/or women’s health services.

It will address the health inequalities associated with addiction in terms of reproductive and sexual health and enable better access to and linkages between addiction and contraceptive and/or women’s health services.

The methodology will be qualitative and will focus on amplifying and authentically conveying the voices of female service users. It will emphasise describing in rich detail the experiences, motivations and decision-making that affect the accessibility of contraceptive, reproductive or women’s health services.

The approach chosen to engage with participants will take account of the potential vulnerability of some service users, including previous sexual, physical and psychological trauma.

Apply to study reproductive health for women with addiction (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Prof Sharon Morein-Zamir; Dr Jane Scott

This studentship will investigate relationships with possessions and problem hoarding among minority groups in the UK.

Excessive accumulation and difficulty with discarding possessions are common behaviours, but when maladaptive can constitute hoarding disorder, a condition affecting around 2.5% of the population.

The research will investigate how factors such as cultural identity, ethnicity, marginalisation and migration influence attachment to objects and possessions. It will explore how understanding these factors can inform and expand current psychological models of problem hoarding.

Using a mixed-methods design, including surveys and in-depth interviews, the research will identify unique cultural, psychological, and social factors that shape hoarding in these understudied groups.

The findings are expected to improve clinical practices, inform social care policies, and guide community interventions, to ultimately better support marginalised people in the UK facing hoarding-related challenges.

Apply to study possessions, identity and hoarding in minority groups (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisor: Dr Daniela Raeva-Beri

The 2025 Report to Parliament on Progress in Reducing Emissions warns that the UK is off track in meeting its climate goals, stressing that changes in consumer behaviour are needed for one-third of emissions reductions. This underscores the urgent need for effective messaging to drive the behavioural change required to achieve the UK’s Net Zero target.

Messaging is widely used as a behavioural intervention due to its scalability and cost-effectiveness. Yet, its impact has been limited due to a poor understanding of the psychological drivers shaping how people respond to messages.

This research will examine how people process climate-related messages both cognitively and emotionally, using lab-based behavioural experiments combined with neuroimaging techniques (e.g. EEG) and physiological measurements (e.g. heart rate and skin conductance). This will allow us to identify neurophysiologically attuned messages that elicit desired responses and to ultimately inform the design of effective climate communication strategies.

Apply to study making climate messaging work (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Prof Claudia Wascher; Dr Joanne Bowser-Angermann

The benefits of animal-assisted education for students and staff are well-documented, yet the welfare of dogs remains an underexplored area of pressing concern. This PhD will address this critical gap by developing and evaluating evidence-based resources that prioritise the well-being of dogs in school settings.

Using a mixed-methods social science framework, the project will begin with a qualitative exploration of current practices.

The student will then collaborate with interested parties (e.g. educators, Dogs Trust) to co-create training materials and guidelines to support safe, ethical, and effective implementation of animal-assisted education. These resources will be assessed through qualitative and quantitative methods to measure impact and feasibility.

This project offers a unique opportunity for a student interested in animal welfare, education policy, and social research to influence UK school practices and set sustainable standards for animal-assisted education.

Apply to study four-legged facilitators balancing welfare and learning in school-based dog programmes (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Nebil Achour; Dr Naim Abdulmohdi

Radiology is one of the critical services that modern health care depends on for an accurate diagnosis of medical conditions and subsequent effective management. While artificial intelligence (AI) systems in radiology offer potential to save time and reduce staff workload, their implementation also raises significant concerns regarding privacy and ethical and regulatory compliance.

In the context of widespread workforce shortages, a comprehensive investigation is needed to establish whether AI is perceived as a support or a threat to the roles of radiology professionals.

This PhD will investigate the views, feelings and readiness for such a challenge to develop a new knowledge to how this technology can influence staff retention across the European region. The study will target a wide and diverse sample of professionals (considering factors such as age, cultural and economic backgrounds) to develop a rich and more representative finding.

Apply to study AI in radiology departments: opportunity or threat (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Prof Manoj Dora; Dr Mukesh Kumar (University of Cambridge)

This PhD will explore how digital technologies and big data can transform the sustainability and resilience of global food supply chains.

The successful applicant will help develop a “global food supply chain observatory” – an innovative digital platform that maps, analyses, and visualises the movement of food from farm to fork.

Using advanced quantitative and data science methods (e.g. geospatial data, trade flows, and real-time logistics), the research will address key challenges such as climate disruption, food insecurity, and carbon reduction.

Applicants may shape their own proposal within this broad theme, drawing on interests in digital society, sustainable food systems, or data-driven policy.

Co-supervised by ARU and the University of Cambridge, this interdisciplinary project includes the opportunity for a three-month placement with a leading organisation such as Google Cloud.

Apply to study digital observatory for sustainable food chains (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Clare Strongman; Prof Shahina Pardhan

Tactile paving – textured pavement surfaces – is provided as an assistive tool for people with visual impairment, but many people report that this is implemented inconsistently and may therefore be confusing. Uneven surfaces may also contribute to falls risk, particularly in an older population.

People with visual impairment also report lacking knowledge in how each type of tactile paving is intended to help them, and the different uses for each surface design.

This mixed methods project aims to explore lived experiences of people with visual impairment when using road crossings, evaluate anticipatory gait biomechanics when using tactile paving, and develop co-created resources that may form best practice guides and educational interventions to optimise the use of tactile paving within the built environment.

This project integrates social science, biomechanics, accessible design practices and healthcare, with the aim of increasing pedestrian safety and improving road crossing design.

Apply to study use of tactile paving in road crossing design (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Ying Wang; Prof Yonghong Peng

Artificial intelligence is transforming the landscape of corporate and entrepreneurial finance, reshaping how businesses make decisions and interact with financial markets. This studentship offers an exciting opportunity to explore the role of AI and machine learning within corporate finance, entrepreneurial finance, and/or FinTech.

Applicants will be encouraged to develop their own research proposal within these areas. Possible topics include the impact of machine learning in financial decision-making, AI in FinTech lending, or the application of large-scale datasets to study business behaviour.

The successful candidate will work with both structured and unstructured data, involving:

• Designing and analysing surveys to capture decision-making (potentially via ADR UK).
• Utilising major financial databases (e.g. Bloomberg, LSEG, Beauhurst) with econometric methods.
• Engineering and analysing 'big data' (e.g. from social media, annual reports) using machine learning.

Apply to study AI, machine learning and the future of finance (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Lee Cheng; Dr Alex Street

The ongoing mental health crisis among children and young people is one of the most pressing healthcare issues in the UK. Recent efforts have explored the use of digital games as therapeutic tools to deliver low-cost, scalable interventions at the school level. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to systematically select, tailor, and implement these game-based interventions in ways that are both therapeutically effective and engaging.

This PhD will develop a shared decision-making protocol to guide allied health professionals, teachers, and caregivers in delivering game-based therapeutic interventions for children and young people, using a trusted adult approach.

The protocol will support collaborative decision-making, allowing young people to choose therapeutic tools based on their gaming preferences, psychological profile, and therapeutic needs. The successful applicant will also plan and conduct an evaluative study to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of the protocol in real-world educational and therapeutic settings.

Apply to study shared decision-making protocol for therapeutic gaming (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Alvin Helden; Dr Elena Cini

The various management options for grassland in urban green spaces, around road infrastructure, and in gardens stimulates a diversity of opinions within local communities, with potential for strong disagreements over approaches taken.

Evidence from many studies shows that reduced management intensity, such less frequent mowing, is strongly correlated with increased biodiversity. Consequently, reduction of management intensity of grassy areas is a valuable response to the biodiversity crisis society currently faces.

However, management options of local authorities are constrained by societal acceptability. Recent studies have identified and quantified opinions on grassland management, highlighting the diversity of attitudes.

Whilst respecting differing values, it would be highly desirable for biodiversity to modify general societal attitudes towards a greater acceptability of reduced management. Working on strategies to achieve this societal modification will be the focus of this study.

Apply to study can we make grassland 'messiness' more acceptable? (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Tabish Zaman; Prof Lynn Martin

This project explores how digital technologies can improve healthcare access for marginalised communities in politically and economically fragile contexts.

Focusing on a major hospital in the West Bank, the research investigates how frontline healthcare practitioners interact with digital tools, and how these technologies reshape care practices, workflows, and patient outcomes. Adopting a socio-cognitive lens, the project asks: What enables or obstructs digital transformation in healthcare systems under constraint?

Candidates will have the opportunity to conduct international fieldwork, use mixed methods, and work closely with UK-based and global partners.

This interdisciplinary topic intersects public health, digital innovation, and social inequality – ideal for applicants interested in applied social science, health systems, and real-world impact.

Apply to study technology-driven healthcare in fragile settings (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr William Allchorn; Prof Lakshmi Babu Saheer; Dr Elisa Orofino

This PhD project investigates how extremist movements use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create and spread misinformation. Combining qualitative analysis of extremist content with computational methods like natural language processing and network analysis, the research aims to uncover how AI tools – such as generative models, deepfakes, and bots – enhance propaganda reach and impact.

By integrating interdisciplinary theories from terrorism studies, media studies, and AI ethics, the project seeks to develop a nuanced understanding of AI-enabled misinformation tactics.

Findings will inform counter-extremism policies and digital platform governance, offering new tools to detect and mitigate AI-driven extremist disinformation. This mixed methods approach addresses a critical gap at the intersection of emerging technology and online radicalisation.

Apply to study the role of AI in extremist misinformation (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Jason Hodgson; Prof Andrea Manica (University of Cambridge)

Humans are unique in the extent to which behavioural variation due to culture has the potential to impact our biological evolution. This PhD will investigate how variation in marriage practice affects genetic and phenotypic variation in three traditional ethnic groups in Madagascar.

One group has a strong caste system with strict marriage rules, one has a weak caste system with fewer marriage rules, and one has no castes and permissive marriage. If marriage rules affect assortative mating, it is expected that it will also impact genetic and biological diversity.

The student will analyse existing data collected by the supervisory team that includes extensive social, cultural, genomic, and phenotypic data from 325 married couples in Madagascar. They will measure the extent to which marriage rules can either maintain biological differences among social groups, or alternatively create a more biologically homogenous community. The findings may have important health or social implications.

Apply to study the role of culture in human biological evolution (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Prof David Pearson; Prof Minna Sunikka-Blank (University of Cambridge)

This interdisciplinary PhD will use eye-tracking to examine how people shift visual attention while experiencing built and urban environments. As most eye movements are spontaneous, they provide evidence for changes in visual preference and restoration.

Despite technological advances, applications of eye-tracking in architectural design are underdeveloped. This studentship will use approaches from psychology, architecture, and urban studies to establish how eye-tracking can inform more inclusive, healthy and evidence-based design. This will involve research combining behavioural data, observational fieldwork, and qualitative analysis.

The student will be jointly based in the Cognition and Neuroscience Group (ARU) and the Behaviour and Building Performance Group (University of Cambridge).

The project emphasises a participatory approach in which non-academic users are involved throughout the research process, and it includes a knowledge exchange placement at a leading architectural design practice.

Apply to study applying eye-tracking to architectural design (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Helen Wheeler; Prof Anna Nekaris

Transformative change requires that we challenge the structures, views and practices leading to environmental decline, climate change and societal inequity. Approaches such as biocultural conservation, community-driven conservancies, and agroecology are providing opportunities to make such changes.

To guide pathways to desirable futures, we need new and positive visions of the future and to engage marginalised communities in conservation decision-making.

This PhD project will include real-life examples of Scottish transformative projects to guide further conservation action. The PhD student will use participatory processes with communities (workshops, interviews, other approaches) and synthesis research to discuss better futures and compile case studies of transformative nature projects. The PhD student will work with Scottish organisations involved in nature policy, with potential to help inform delivery of the Scottish Environment Strategy.

Apply to study transformative change for nature, climate & people (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Nic Gibson; Dr Nnenna Ugwu

STEM education, including animal sciences, agriculture, veterinary sciences and zoology, rely heavily on practical and sensory learning. Though effective for many, these learning methods can pose significant barriers for neurodiverse (ND) students, whose cognitive differences (e.g. autism, ADHD, sensory disorders) can impact how they engage with traditional practical sessions.

This PhD will explore the experiences and challenges faced by neurodiverse and sensory different (SD) learners in lab-based STEM education. The student will then co-develop interventions tailored to improve accessibility and inclusivity and evaluate how beneficial these interventions are in promoting engagement and academic performance.

Ultimately, the overall goal of this three-part study is to develop evidence-based guidelines for enhancing inclusive practices in laboratory environments that will improve student experience, wellbeing and educational outcomes for neurodiverse and sensory different learners.

Apply to study inclusive practices for lab-based education (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Raj Mani Shukla; Dr Sarinova Simanjuntak

AI agents are transforming connected communities by enhancing efficiency and improving the quality of life. However, they also pose risks due to incorrect decisions and raise concerns about fairness, accountability, transparency, and their impact on diverse stakeholders. These risks include, but are not limited to, discrimination, exclusion, toxicity, and malicious use. Incorrect decisions can have the most severe consequences for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, as ethical risks differ across groups.

To support AI developers in designing responsible AI agents, this PhD will use qualitative research to explore and categorize the types of risks and harms perceived by different stakeholders. Informed by their findings and governing frameworks, the student will develop guiding principles to assist in the responsible development of AI agents for connected communities. These principles will then be translated to develop techniques to enhance AI agent safety and ethics.

Apply to study participatory design of safe & secure AI agents (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Debora Antoniotti de Vasconcelos e Sa; Dr Sharon Geva

Each year around 100,000 people in the UK have a stroke, with 1.4 million survivors nationwide. Health anxiety (HA) refers to a persistent excessive worry about one’s health and is common amongst stroke survivors, with nearly 1/4 reporting significant worry in the first-year post-stroke. While some anxiety post-stroke is expected, HA can significantly impact both carer’s (e.g., partner/parent) and survivor’s well-being and quality of life.

Carers are key to the long-term rehabilitation of survivors. Research highlights that inadequate information provision is one critical factor influencing HA. Still, both parties report dissatisfaction regarding the quality/adequacy of the information about prognosis and support provided post-discharge. HA can increase due to inadequate information provision, leaving carers and survivors uncertain about post-stroke care, and eventually leading to strain on services.

This project will explore HA and its impact on survivors and carers at the point of discharge, aiming to develop a co-produced training intervention focusing on HA prevention and recovery.

Apply to study health anxiety among carers and stroke survivors (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Tamer Said; Dr Ruth Ford; Prof Michelle Ellefson (University of Cambridge); Dr Rob Nash (National Institute of Teaching)

Full title: Exploring teachers’ understanding and application of educational neuroscience and cognitive psychology in their practices.

In recent years, concepts such as retrieval practice, working memory, executive functions, and cognitive load are increasingly discussed in academic and policy circles, as well as in teacher training and professional development. However, little is known about how deeply teachers understand these principles—or how they apply them in real classrooms.

Research aims:

1. Assess teachers’ conceptual understanding of core educational neuroscience and cognitive psychology principles.

2. Explore the extent to which teachers apply—or attempt to apply—these principles in their instructional design and classroom strategies.

3. Understand the facilitators and barriers that face teachers in applying these principles.

4. Develop recommendations for improving teacher education and professional development in this area.

Apply to study bridging the gap between neuroscience & education (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

Supervisors: Dr Sarah McLachlan; Dr Sarah-Jane Lennie

Psychological safety describes people's willingness to take interpersonal risks, by speaking up, expressing ideas, voicing concerns and admitting mistakes, without fear of repercussions (Edmondson, 1999).

This is important in high stakes working environments, such as emergency medical services, where reluctance to speak up may have serious consequences for staff, patients and the public. Within healthcare organisations, psychological safety is associated with effective collaboration, creativity, enhanced performance, reduced turnover intention and improved staff well-being and job satisfaction.

Recent evidence has suggested that psychological safety is low within ambulance services in England and aspects of culture are impeding staff members' ability to speak up. Wider literature on healthcare teams has also indicated that female staff are less likely to speak up.

This PhD focuses on experiences of psychological safety in female clinicians within ground and air ambulance services.

Apply to psychological safety in prehospital clinicians (please select your preferred 'CAM-DTP Only' option)

What does the studentship provide?

The CAM-DTP Studentship includes a fee waiver and annual stipend, as well as departmental allowance for research training needs, a personalised training programme and more. Visit the CAM-DTP website for further information.

Can I apply as an international student?

Yes, international students were eligible for the funding. However, you also needed to secure an additional scholarship to cover the difference in home and international fees.

Can I apply as a part-time student?

Yes – applications are welcomed from candidates wishing to study full-time and part-time.

What are the deadlines for applying?

Applications must be submitted by 16 November 2025.

How do I contact a supervisor?

You can find a list of supervisors on the course page of your research area, or on our find an academic expert page..

Can I apply with my own project?

Yes, if you are applying for Route 1 (student-led) funding. Please contact your intended supervisor prior to applying. You can find a list of supervisors on the course page of your research area, or on our find an academic expert page.

Can I apply for more than one project?

Yes you can. You will need to submit separate applications for each project. If you are applying for two projects in the same school, please contact [email protected] to discuss, as the system may prevent duplicate applications.

Do I need to include a research outline?

Yes – we would like to see how you would go about researching the topic you are applying for.

When do I need to provide reference letters?

If you add your referee details to the application form, then our system will automatically send a request via email. We understand that applicants do not have control over when their referees respond, so while references are preferred by the application deadline, your application will not be marked down if they are missing.