Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 1 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)
.
For more details of the School’s research activity,
view research in the School of Psychology
, or
find out more about our staff and their individual research interests
.
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.
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.
Eligibility and 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.
How to apply
To apply, please select the ‘Online application’ link above in the 'Apply' box. Select PhD Psychology for entry in October 2026 and submit the following mandatory documents with your application:
- Research proposal (max 1000 words)
Your research proposal should contain a short review of relevant literature, research questions/hypotheses, overview of methods, and a time plan (all included in the word count). Your proposal may also include up to 1 figure (not included in the word count). The proposal should name the suggested supervisor(s) and include a reference list (not included in the word count). Research proposals that exceed the word count will not be considered. We expect proposals to be substantially the applicant’s own work, require applicants to be able to discuss and elaborate on all of the ideas presented there, and only allow use of generative AI for grammar and spell checking. - Personal Statement
Please clearly state that you are applying for a PhD studentship within the School of Psychology and the name of a potential Supervisor(s) on the top of your personal statement. - Supervisor support statement
Please submit a short statement (signed and dated) from your intended supervisor, in which they confirm that they would supervise your PhD project. - Evidence of up-to-date qualifications
Certificates and transcripts for Masters or Bachelor degrees, plus any relevant professional qualifications. - CV/résumé
If relevant, proof ofEnglish Language Competency (Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language with an IELTS Academic of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or equivalent). - The details of two academic referees
Please provide names and details on the application form.
For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our
how to apply for a research degree webpage
or contact the Doctoral College at research.degree.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
The closing date for applications is Friday 17 April 2026 (midnight, GMT).
Interviews are likely to take place the week beginning 4 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 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.