PhD Studentship: Human Contact, AI, and the New Digital Inequalities

Overview

This three-year, full-time PhD studentship is hosted in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience within the School of Health and Medical Sciences at City St George’s, University of London. Funded by The Leverhulme Trust and supervised by Dr Claudia Civai, the project examines the consequences of new digital inequalities when human contact becomes a costly service. As artificial intelligence increasingly replaces human staff in domains such as healthcare and finance, lower-income individuals may be restricted to AI-mediated services due to financial constraints. The interdisciplinary research utilizes large-scale surveys, functional near-infrared spectroscopy, and behavioural and physiological measures across the United Kingdom and Italy to study how unequal access to human contact influences satisfaction, a sense of agency, and the retention of advice. Collaborating institutions include London South Bank University and the University of Padua.

Who can apply

Candidates must hold a first-class or upper second-class undergraduate degree, a Master’s degree, or both in Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Behavioural Economics, Behavioural Science, or a related field. Essential criteria comprise strong proficiency in English, direct experience with human experimental research, solid quantitative and statistical abilities, and an academic interest in human-AI interaction, decision-making, and digital inequality. Desirable qualifications include fluency in Italian, background in laboratory research, familiarity with statistical software such as R, and experience with neuroimaging or psychophysiological methods. While international and overseas students are eligible to apply, the studentship exclusively covers tuition fees at the UK Home rate, leaving self-funded candidates responsible for the fee difference for overseas status.

What you get

The award provides a tax-free annual stipend aligned with the 2026/27 UKRI rate of £23,805, which is anticipated to increase annually in line with future UKRI adjustments. It also covers full tuition fees at the UK Home rate of £5,750 per year. Additional provisions include a dedicated budget allocated for research expenses, conference travel, and doctoral training, alongside methodological training in functional near-infrared spectroscopy and quantitative research techniques. Travel expenses related to the project are fully covered.

Requirements

Selected researchers contribute actively throughout the three-year duration. Year one focuses on supporting a large-scale survey spanning the United Kingdom and Italy, enabling the candidate to build competencies in experimental design, pre-registration, and advanced statistical modeling. Years two and three center on laboratory investigations involving data collection of functional near-infrared spectroscopy and behavioural metrics at research facilities in the United Kingdom and Italy.

How to apply

Applications are submitted through the designated institutional research degree portal. Candidates must submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae, academic transcripts, contact details for two academic referees, and a concise statement of interest outlining their relevant background and motivations.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 4 December 2026 at 17:00. The expected start date for the position is 1 February 2027.