PhD fee waiver opportunities in the School of Education and Professional Development

The School has a well-established research culture and is keen to recruit high quality PhD candidates in its areas of special expertise. To this end we are offering fee-waiver scholarships in these areas to PhD applicants who satisfy the criteria for excellence, which are; First Class degree classification at undergraduate level, or Distinction at Master’s level, supported by an excellent research proposal.

The opportunity we are offering is to work with our world-leading professorial staff, in the areas specified below.

Please contact the individual professors if you want to discuss any possible application.

Professor James Avis

• Critical analyses of post-secondary education and life-long learning, vocationalism and teacher professionalism.
• Social justice and vocational education and training.
• The lived experience of teachers and learners in post-secondary education and training.
• The political economy of the education and training sector.

Professor Janet Fink

• Children and young people’s experiences of the formal and informal spaces of education, historically and in current times.
• Historical and contemporary studies of childhoods, particularly in the contexts of visual and popular culture.
• The forms and experiences of social inequality that shape children’s everyday lives.
• The potential and challenges of visual research methods for generating knowledge about the experiences of children and young people.

Professor Paul Miller

• The interaction between educational policy and the practice of school leadership.
• Race and educational leadership (access and impact).
• Teacher migration and identity (in particular, overseas trained teachers).
• Corruption in education (in particular, teacher progression/headteacher selection).
• Cross-border approaches to teacher/principal development.
• Cross-cultural approaches to researching in educational leadership.

Professor Kevin Orr

• Vocational education and training experience, policy and practice, including vocational pedagogy.
• Work-based learning.
• Education and training for the professions.
• Teacher education in the further education/learning and skills sectors.

Professor Lyn Tett

• The cultural, class and identity factors that contribute to literacy and numeracy difficulties experienced by adults and the forms of education and learning that are most effective in empowering individuals and communities experiencing educational disadvantage.
• An investigation of the factors that encourage or prevent access to higher education for, and retention of, educationally disadvantaged adults.
• An analysis of how international policy discourses on inequalities impact on UK national and local policies for adult education and lifelong learning.

Professor Robin Simmons

• The changing nature of post-compulsory education, particularly staff and student experiences of vocational education and training – either historically or in contemporary settings.
• Young people’s transitions into adulthood, especially their experiences of education and work. I am particularly interested in those wishing to research the lives of young people classified as NEET or at risk of becoming NEET, or those of those engaged in provision designed to prepare marginalised youth for the world of work. 

Professor Paul Thomas

• Youth, extremism and education - how and why young people become attracted towards extremist groups and ideologies, the role of education and educators in preventing and countering extremism, the Prevent strategy.
• Youth people, ethnic segregation and community cohesion – young peoples’ experiences of ethnic identity and ethnic tensions, the role of education and educators in addressing ethnic tensions and contributing to community cohesion, policy approaches to cohesion and integration.

PhD Scholarships in Business and Management

Huddersfield Business School, University of Huddersfield

Qualification type: PhD

Location: Huddersfield

Funding amount: Full tuition fee plus a monthly bursary for three years.

Hours: Full-time

Closing date: 17 July 2017

Start date: September 2017

Funding for: Home/UK, EU and International Students

Following our strong performance in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), Huddersfield Business School is seeking to invest in one outstanding new PhD candidate in the area of business and management. The successful applicant will work with excellent teams on the following specific projects:

• Understanding Public Perceptions for the Cybersecurity of Autonomous and Connected Vehicles: A Human Factors Study for ‘Safe-guarding’ Artificial Intelligence in Road Transport, to be led by Dr Alexandros Nikitas and Dr Kyle Wilson K.Wilson@hud.ac.uk as Co-Supervisor.

Dr Alexandros Nikitas: A.Nikitas@hud.ac.uk, +44 1484 47 1815

The interest with which the scientific world, the markets and societies anticipate a full scale launch of autonomous and connected vehicles, one of the most impactful and ‘near to completion’ applications of artificial intelligence, is higher than ever before. This is because these vehicles have, in theory at least, the potential to utterly transform urban development as known today, with a revolution in road transport, regulations permitting, that could dramatically change the landscape of cities and have an enormous socio-economic, spatial mobility and business impact. Although recent studies showed that a priori acceptability of artificial intelligence in road transport could be likely for many drivers today the future may be far more complex. The implementation of vehicle automation will not be straightforward, predictable or unproblematic; there is a wide spectrum of challenges, social dilemmas and complicated human factors issues that may arise from such an ‘untested’ and ‘powerful’ innovation. Cybersecurity threats constitute one of the key problems that need to be addressed and a socio-psychological barrier that might make individuals and even societies as a whole, less willing to embrace driverless vehicle technologies. The proposed PhD study aims to develop a theoretical and empirical framework for understanding public attitudes towards cybersecurity in automated and connected vehicles and predict behavioural patterns and human-machine interaction trends in a crisis situation; it will be primarily a user-centred study of socio-technical nature.  The PhD will ultimately try to identify how a new automated and connected transport network could be (or at least perceived by its users to be) robust to disturbances, failures and threats of an unexpected and malicious nature. This approach means that the research will ultimately identify and examine the cybersecurity dimensions of transport resilience in a new era for urban mobility governed by artificial intelligence.        

Eligibility: The scholarship is open to all Home/UK, EU and International PhD students, who intend to begin their PhD studies in 2017/18 academic year.

Scholarship package: The scholarship consists of a full tuition at the Home/UK, EU or International student fee rate and a bursary of £14,553 in the first year (£1,212 per month), £14,815 in the second year (£1,234 per month) and £15,082 in the third year (£1,256 per month), which is subject to satisfactory annual performance and progression review.

Requirements:

• Academic excellence
• A first class or equivalent bachelor’s degree in any area of business and management (accounting and finance, economics, entrepreneurship, logistics, operations research, operations and hospitality management, human resource management, management science, people, management, organisations, marketing, tourism and related areas), education, computing and engineering, geography, mathematics, political science, psychology, social sciences and sociology.
• A master’s degree with distinction or equivalent in similar or related areas to the above.
• Outstanding analytical, academic writing and English Language skills (at least, an overall academic IELTS test score of 7.5 with no score below 7.0 or equivalent for international or non-native users of English Language).
• An exceptional knowledge of business and management, particularly in the areas of autonomous vehicles, transport of people, urban studies and cybersecurity.
• Outstanding quantitative or qualitative data collection and analysis skills, including first class computer skills, knowledge and experience in the use of Microsoft Office and/or other qualitative or statistical packages, such as NVivo, SPSS, STATA, and EVIEWS.
• An outstanding research proposal that fits well with the research interests of at least one of the two projects outlined above.
• A proven ability to work both in a team and independently with minimum supervision.
• Ability and readiness to provide high quality teaching of up to 6 hours per week within the school.
• Be able to commence their studies in September 2017.

How to apply:

• Complete an exceptional research proposal focused on one of the topics listed above (maximum of 2,500 words, excluding references and any appendices), covering the following sections: (i) project title; (ii) abstract; (iii) project introduction, motivation and problem statement; (iv) project background or context; (v) project theoretical framework; (vi) project empirical literature review and propositions or hypotheses; (vi) project research design or data and research methodology; (vii) project references; and (vii) a 3-year time-table or plan to completion. The proposal must be in the area of one of these four projects. All applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the appropriate project team leaders for any questions or clarifications that they may have about the projects before submitting their applications.
• Complete an application (email m.g.smith@hud.ac.uk to be sent a copy)
• Two good academic references (we require full written references, not just contact details)
• A current detailed CV, identifying any research employment or experience and, where applicable, details of research conference presentations or publications.
• Transcripts and certificates (copies) of all relevant academic and/or any professional qualifications, including English Language qualifications (e.g., IELTS test score for international or non-native users of English Language applicants).

Completed applications, including all relevant documents requested above should be submitted via-email to the PGR Administrator, Mr Martin Smith. Email address: m.g.smith@hud.ac.uk

Deadline: The closing date for the receipt of completed applications is Monday 17^th July 2017 (23.59, BST).

Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship for University of Huddersfield graduates

Research degrees can represent a natural progression for the best graduates. They offer a valuable opportunity to build on promise and realise potential.

At the University of Huddersfield we support academic excellence through the Vice-Chancellor's Scholarships - a scheme that aims to provide the best students with free research degrees.

The highest-achieving students deserve every chance to earn higher-level qualifications.

This scheme reflects our commitment to giving the most promising graduates every possible encouragement to further their studies in a thriving research environment.

It also reflects our commitment to cementing the University of Huddersfield’s reputation as an internationally recognised research-led institution.

Professor Andrew Ball, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise

Our research

The breadth of research degrees available at Huddersfield reflects the full range of fields in which the University advances research, innovation and collaboration, including:

• Culture and creative arts
• Engineering and physical sciences
• Energy, sustainability and climate change
• Healthcare, social services and education
• Security and global uncertainties
• The digital economy, business and enterprise

Who can apply?

The Vice Chancellor's Scholarship is available to University of Huddersfield students, as follows:

• Students who graduate with first-class honours degree or Master's students - taught or research, who graduate with a distinction.
• Successful applicants will be required to undertake a research degree on a full-time basis within 12 months of graduation.

How to apply?

To apply please complete our online research degree application form, marking sure it is clearly marked that you are applying under the VC's Initiative.

More information

For more information and enquiries please email aro@hud.ac.uk. Information about other research scholarships can be found on our research scholarships webpage.

More details about our research can be found on our research webpages.

The Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholarship Centre in Evolutionary Genomics

Supervisors: Professor Martin B. Richards, Dr Maria Pala, Dr Ceiridwen Edwards,
Dr Martin Carr, Dr Stefano Vanin

Five PhD Studentships in Evolutionary Genomics

Closing date for applications: May 7th, 2017
Funding availability: Funded PhD projects for UK/EU students 

We are seeking five PhD students in archaeogenetics/palaeogenetics as part of the third cohort of fifteen PhD scholars in Evolutionary Genetics for the Leverhulme Trust Centre at Huddersfield, to begin in September 2017. The successful scholars will receive training from leading experts and undertake cutting-edge research in archaeogenetics, palaeogenetics, bioinformatics, genomics, next-generation DNA sequencing, phylogenetics, population genetics, human evolution, forensic analysis and transcriptomics.

There are openings this year in the peopling of Europe, especially south-east and eastern Europe.  The main focus of the projects are:

1. mitochondrial DNA and genome-wide variation
2. Y-chromosome variation (all including ancient DNA)
3. the domestication of cattle in north-western Europe;
4. archaeozoology/archaeoentomology
5. the evolutionary biology of transposable elements in protists.

The students will work in the new molecular biology/ancient DNA facilities at Huddersfield, alongside existing students in these areas, a research fellow who will provide day to day guidance, and the academic staff. Applicants should hold a good bachelor’s degree (and preferably also an MSc or MA) in Genetics, Molecular Biology, Statistics, Computing, Bioarchaeology, Biological Anthropology, Statistics, Computing, or other relevant subject, and ideally have experience of generic biological lab techniques such as DNA extraction and PCR.

For the entomological project, a general knowledge of general entomology/zoology and invertebrate morphology is required. Although training and hands-on supervision will be provided, it is essential that the candidates can operate independently and take the initiative to direct their research.

The studentship will cover the full cost of tuition fees for UK/EU students, and will pay an annual tax-free bursary of £14,553 for three years (RCUK rates). There are additional funds available for laboratory consumables and travel for conferences, visits to collaborating laboratories and sample procurement.

To apply, please go to: http://halo.hud.ac.uk/pgr_onlineapps/ and complete the on-line application, ensuring you select full-time PhD Biology. Please type ‘Leverhulme Trust’ in the ‘Personal Statement’ field. Please also email your CV, transcripts and two letters of recommendation in support of your application to Professor Richards (email m.b.richards@hud.ac.uk) and copy to PGR Administrator Fiona Cross (email sasresearchadmin@hud.ac.uk) Please indicate in your email why you believe you are well-qualified for the project.

For informal enquiries please contact:

Archaeogenetics: Professor Richards on +44 (0)1484 471676 (email m.b.richards@hud.ac.uk), Dr Maria Pala on +44 1484 472273 (m.pala@hud.ac.uk) or Dr Ceiridwen Edwards (c.j.edwards@hud.ac.uk)
Eukaryotic evolution: Dr Martin Carr on +44 (0)1484 471608 (m.carr@hud.ac.uk)
Forensic entomology/funerary archaeology: Dr Stefano Vanin on +44 (0)1484 473179 (s.vanin@hud.ac.uk)

Related web links:

• http://www.hud.ac.uk/research/biologicalsciences/
• http://www.hud.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/egrg/
• http://www.hud.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/targ/
• http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/huddersfield-university-secures-1m-funding-8557938