Sociotechnical Futures and Digital Methods Pathway

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 1 October 2027.

How to apply

To apply for the SWDTP Sociotechnical Futures and Digital Methods Pathway, simply search for PhD programme discussed with your potential supervisor on our PGR courses page and select the following from the relevant PhD course page: 
  • Apply Now button
  • 01 October 2027
  • Full-time
  • Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ 
Within the Research section of the application form, in the following fields, please add:
  • Proposed project title/studentship title: add your project title 
  • Proposed supervisor: add potential supervisor’s name
  • Studentship Code: SWDTP 27-10 SFDM
When the application asks for a research proposal, please just upload the SWDTP Studentship Application Form 2027 Entry (Annex A).

Application guidance

It is important that you follow the instructions above or your application for this studentship may be missed and therefore will not be considered.
Before applying, please ensure you have read the Doctoral College’s general information on applying for a postgraduate research degree. 
For more information on the admissions process please contact research.degree.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business

The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ has a strong track-record of internationally excellent research in the area of sociotechnical futures and digital methods. Our research is conducted at scale within a thriving interdisciplinary environment in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business (FoAHB), which supports research activities of more than 200 academics, and a large international body of PGR students. We foster trans and cross-disciplinary collaborations between SHAPE and STEM researchers through working with the university’s three Strategic Research themes (in Marine, Healthy Communities and Resilient Futures) to tackle global research challenges through digital innovations. As a successful PGR student, you would be joining this dynamic research environment which nurtures talent and drives research excellence and impact by supporting and promoting strategic external partnerships, collaborations and networks, and sponsoring cross-university research initiatives which align with the ESRC’s priorities. 
Collaborating with the researchers in the field of sociotechnical futures and digital methods will connect you with our research and thought leadership, which is at the cutting edge of the field. You will be working with outstanding academics of global standing who have extensive and active networks with universities and industries across the globe, and we are committed to ensuring our students have opportunities to explore the latest developments across a variety of areas.
We are particularly interested in research proposals that critically examine how AI, digital technologies and social practices interact to shape places, communities, and possible futures.
We welcome research ideas examining the relationships between society, technology, and digital transformation. Potential areas of interest include: AI, digital inequalities and spatial justice, smart cities and communities, digital place-making, digital methods and sociotechnical futures. 
This research theme connects with the work of the Centre for Place, which provides a relevant context for exploring how people, technologies, and social practices shape places and possible futures.
ESRC-funded studentships can be taken up in any of these specialist areas of research supported by the faculty.
Successful applicants will be part of a large, vibrant, highly collaborative community of PhD students with good interdisciplinary links, providing opportunities for research, training, and collaboration.
Research in digital and technological innovation is supported by access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure such as the Digital Fabrication and Immersive Media Laboratories (DFIML).

Initial enquiries

If you would like advice on potential supervisors, please contact Professor Katharine Willis.

How to apply

The ESRC SWDTP encourages collaboration across the universities of the partnership and with external organisations.
Closing date: 12 January 2027, 12:00 noon (UK time)
Start date: 1 October 2027 
The studentship is supported for three to four years depending upon the pathway and includes full Home tuition fees plus a stipend which is currently £21,805 per annum 2026/2027 rate (2027/28 rate TBC). 

Eligibility 

Information on the eligibility criteria for full awards can be found on the .

Application process

You will need to discuss your proposed research topic with an academic staff member in School of Art, Design and Architecture before submitting your application and have a letter of support from your prospective supervisor ().
Please discuss with your potential supervisor the PhD programme title you need to submit a formal application for.
You will need to submit the following documentation in order for us to consider your application:
  • Completed University of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ online application form (follow the guidelines in the ‘How to Apply’ box above)  
  • Completed SWDTP
  • Completed SWDTP
  • Completed SWDTP EDI survey - a link to the online form will be sent to you on submission of your funding application documents
  • Copies of your academic qualifications (both certificates and transcripts of module/course marks)
  • Please include a CV with your application
  • If applicable, appropriate proof of English proficiency
  • Documents not included in the online application form can be emailed to research.degree.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk by the application deadline.
Your application will only be considered if it contains the above and you have met our . If we need further details or additional documentation, we will contact you.
For full details on the studentship process, please see the South West Doctoral Training Partnership and pages.
SWDTP Equal Opportunities Student Data Form 2027 Entry
Why do you collect data about people’s personal characteristics?
Across UK Higher Education it is generally suspected that access to postgraduate study is neither as open nor as inclusive as it should be and that more needs to be done to widen participation and equality of opportunity. However, the data needed to help make the system be more equitable is not as complete or as reliable as it needs to be to most effectively support change.  
Providing EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) and equal opportunity data helps to better understand issues of selection and under-representation in postgraduate study. Such data are held confidentially and separately from the rest of your application. They are used only in aggregated and anonymised forms for internal monitoring purposes and as part of our required reporting to our funder, the ESRC – for example, as counts or percentages of the numbers in each category. We ask all applicants to complete the monitoring form. 
A link to the online form will be sent to you on submission of your funding application documents.