Psychology PhD studentship

Psychology Doctoral Research Studentship - Social Identity and Thriving in Sport (2024)

What you get

• A stipend for 3 years to cover living costs. The amount is tied to the UKRI studentship rates; for 2023/24 it is £18,622 per year.
• UK or International fees are covered for 3 years.
• Research/training costs of £750 per year are also covered for 3 years, and enhanced costs are provided for some neuroscience projects.
• School-funded Postgraduate Researchers have the opportunity to take up Doctoral Tutoring during your PhD with a range of modules to choose from. This work is paid at Grade 6 which is currently £17.38 per hour, and covers contact time, preparation and marking.

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

Elite sport performers encounter various stressors as part of their involvement in competitive sport. Their ability to respond effectively to these demands is likely to dictate how well they function in their sporting roles and, ultimately, whether they thrive or merely survive. Thriving, defined by Brown and colleagues (2017, p. 168) as the joint experience of development and success, is achieved through an individual's perceived high-level of performance and experience of a high-level of well-being. Scholars have begun to explore the influence that an athlete’s sporting environment has on their performance and well-being. Indeed, these environments are increasingly characterised as complex, turbulent, and volatile (Wagstaff, 2016), with a diverse range of social agents (e.g., coaches, support staff) intersecting to support the development, preparation, and performance of athletes (Arnold et al., 2019). Recently, Passaportis et al. (2022) illuminated the importance of providing athletes opportunities to develop deep and meaningful interpersonal relationships with these social agents that are founded on openness, understanding, and trust. Yet, despite the apparent influence of these interpersonal connections to athlete well-being and performance, the role of social identity on athlete thriving has yet to been explored. Social identity refers to the ways that people's self-concepts are based on their membership in social groups (Tajfel, 1978), and the social identity approach in sport emphasizes the impact that these social group memberships have on the behaviour, cognition, and emotion of athletes (Haslam et al., 2020; Rees et al., 2015) Therefore, broadly speaking, the aim of this PhD is to explore the role that social identity in sport might play in fostering athlete thriving.

Given that research on this topic is in its infancy, there is scope to shape this research to match your interests.

This scholarship is supervised by Dr Michael Passaportis who you should approach for an informal discussion prior to submitting an application. 

Doctoral Tutor role: 

If you choose to undertake a  Doctoral Tutor role you will receive training and begin teaching in the first term of your studies. You will be encouraged to study for a formal teaching accreditation (Associate of the Higher Education Academy), enrolling on a ‘Starting to Teach’ module in the first term.  

Eligibility

• Candidates must have, or expect to obtain, a First or a high Upper Second Class Honours undergraduate degree, or equivalent qualification, and/or a Master’s degree in Psychology, Neuroscience or a related discipline.
• The University of Sussex believes that the diversity of its staff and student community is fundamental to creative thinking, pedagogic innovation, intellectual challenge, and the interdisciplinary approach to research and learning. We celebrate and promote diversity, equality and inclusion amongst our staff and students. As such, we welcome applications from all, regardless of personal characteristics or background.
• This award will pay fees at the Home or International rate. International students must move to Sussex for the duration of the PhD and will not be permitted to register as Distance Learners. The studentship does not include additional funding towards the costs of visas or travel to the UK for International students.

Number of scholarships available

One scholarship

Deadline

How to apply

• Please read Some questions we are often asked before you start your application.
• Please submit your application online for 'PhD in Psychology' for entry in September 2024.

• In the Supervisor suggested by applicant section of your application, put Michael Passaportis
  
• In the Proposed source of funding section of your application, please put Psychology Doctoral Research Studentship – Michael Passaportis - ringfenced

Candidates should provide: 

• A research proposal that outlines your knowledge of the research area, hypotheses that could be addressed in your PhD, and an outline of potential methods. The scope of the proposed work should be appropriate for a 3-year PhD research programme. The research proposal should be approximately 1,000 to 1,500 words in length and not exceed 3 pages, including references. It should be set at a minimum of 10 font type with margins a minimum of 1cm.
• Current degree transcript(s) with full details of performance on all completed courses. 
• Two academic references.
• An up-to-date CV.
• A document summarising any teaching experience you have and illustrating your suitability for a Doctoral Tutor role. 

Overseas applicants please read our International Requirements to assist with preparing your application.

Contact us

For queries with respect to the application process please contact:  psychologyphd-enquiries@sussex.ac.uk 

To discuss the details of this project further please contact:  Dr Michael Passaportis m.j.r.passaportis@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

Deadline for applications:  24 January 2024 23:59.
Interviews likely to take place mid to late February with with notifications expected early March.