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School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
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  4. PhD Studentships in Social interaction, Health and Wellbeing

PhD Studentships in Social interaction, Health and Wellbeing

About the Studentships

The School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science of Queen Mary University of London is inviting applications for 4 Principal’s Scholarship PhD awards in the area of Social Interaction, Health and Wellbeing. The PhD studentships will cover tuition fees and offer a London stipend of £17,609 per year. These scholarships are available for home applicants only.

Research Area:

Social interaction, health and wellbeing are deeply interconnected. This interdisciplinary research theme uses the tools of psychology, cognitive science, computer science, biology, and robotics to explore these interconnections. Our research shows how the development of social connections during childhood can improve or impair responses to stressors and the critical importance of biological and social factors for the resilience, health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations such as refugee children. We have built practical, digital tools for improving communication between doctors and patients that have been tested in clinical trials, translated into 15 languages and used in 18 countries. We are exploring new frontiers in technologies for interaction by developing new intelligent systems and new capacities, including sensory ‘skins’ that can unlock the sense of touch in human-robot interaction. We aim to use this research to drive substantial positive impacts in people’s lives.

We welcome applicants with interests in four areas:

  • Metaphors and cross-sensory associations in communication: Contact Dr. Charalampos Saitis: c.saitis@qmul.ac.uk.
  • Conversational interpretation in support of mental health: Contact Prof. Massimo Poesio: m.poesio@qmul.ac.uk
  • Meaning coordination in dialogue: Contact Prof. Matthew Purver: m.purver@qmul.ac.uk 
  • Sensing social health: Contact Prof. Patrick Healey p.healey@qmul.ac.uk

Further information

Who can apply

Queen Mary is interested in developing the next generation of outstanding researchers and decided to invest in specific research areas. The successful applicant should be curious, self-motivated, and hold, or is expected to obtain an MSc in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline. A masters-level distinction or first-class degree is highly desirable.

We strive for gender equality and diversity. Queen Mary has been recognised as the most inclusive Russell Group university (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021) and as the best university for social mobility in the country (Sutton Trust 2021). It is also ranked in the top 20 institutions in the world for international outlook (THE 2020). We are also committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in our workforce. Therefore, applicants of all backgrounds are welcome.

How to apply

Applicants should work with their prospective supervisor and submit their application following the instructions at: http://eecs.qmul.ac.uk/phd/how-to-apply/

The application should be marked “Social Interaction, Health and Wellbeing” and include the following:

  • CV (max 2 pages)
  • Cover letter (max 4,500 characters) stating clearly in the first page whether you are eligible for a scholarship as a UK resident (see below)
  • Research proposal (max 500 words)
  • 2 References
  • Certificate of English Language (for students whose first language is not English)
  • Other Certificates

In order to qualify as a home student you must have no restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the studentship. For more information please click here. 

Application Deadline

The deadline for applications is the 15th of April, 2022.

For general enquiries contact Mrs. Melissa Yeo m.yeo@qmul.ac.uk (administrative enquiries) or Professor Pat Healey p.healey@qmul.ac.uk (academic enquiries) with the subject “EECS 2022 Principal’s Scholarship PhD awards enquiry”.

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