PhD in Social Sciences

The Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB) is inviting applications for a Doctoral Studentship in association with our collaborative partner Department for Transport to start in October 2026. Future Flight technologies, including advanced civilian-use drones and electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs), are approaching large-scale deployment in the UK. The PhD will explore behavioural barriers and opportunities shaping the uptake of Future Flight technologies within public sector organisations; investigate these organisations’ perceptions and norms around risk, safety, privacy, and operations; and examine how insights into organisational and public behaviour can inform effective regulation and citizen or community engagement. You will adopt a multi-phase mixed-methods design, including semi-structured interviews, surveys, behavioural experiments, and deliberative public engagement panels. Application deadline: February 17 2026. Interviews expected to take place in mid-March 2026.