Psychology of Unethical Decisions and Public Trust (Fixed-Term Studentship)

About the role

The Cambridge ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership (CAM-DTP) offers a knowledge-exchange studentship in the Psychology of Unethical Decisions and Public Trust, starting in October 2027. It is co-supervised by Dr Jon Roozenbeek and Dr Lee de Wit (Department of Psychology) and Moira Nicolson (UK Cabinet Office), and is part of a DTP-wide competition with limited places. The project explores the psychology of unethical decision-making, what drives it, how the public perceives it and its link to trust in public and private institutions.

Required profile

• Understanding of survey research, randomised controlled trials and longitudinal (cohort) studies
• Ability to work with longitudinal "big datasets" such as social media data, in collection and analysis
• Part-time study (minimum 50% of full time) is particularly encouraged

Helpful skills

• Knowledge of governmental accountability frameworks, especially in the UK
• Knowledge of politics in non-Western contexts (e.g. India, China, Russia)
• Familiarity with multiple languages

What we offer

• Tuition fees up to the national UKRI rate for Home fees
• An annual tax-free stipend at the UKRI rate (£21,805 in 2026-27 for full-time students)
• Research training support of up to £900 from the Department
• A personalised training programme covering research, communication, employability and personal skills
• Support for a three-month Innovation Fellowship placement with an academic or non-academic partner

Applications are made to the Department of Psychology (course code BLPC22, PhD in Psychology) by 8 December 2026, quoting reference PJ51443. Applicants must submit a draft research proposal, CV, academic transcripts and details of two academic referees. The studentship covers 3.5-4.5 years of full-time study, and international students must fund the remainder of their overseas fees and the immigration visa and health surcharge themselves.