Please see the message below from Blake Morton if interested in an exciting opportunity to
apply for a funded PhD on climate change and water.
Project Outline:
Human-induced climate change is driving major planetary changes to the environment,
threatening the well-being and survival of species, including humans. Water plays a
central role in these environmental changes (e.g., flooding, drought, and coastal
development), but people’s willingness to change their behaviour to overcome the climate
crisis is made difficult by their growing psychological “disconnection” with nature. The
current study aims to test whether promoting awareness of psychological traits in wildlife
has a direct impact on public engagement with the climate crisis (e.g., explicit lifestyle
changes). The selected candidate will evaluate how different audiences respond to various
forms of knowledge dissemination in which the parallels between how animals and people
adapt to the same climate-related challenges are emphasised. People’s attitudinal and
behavioural changes in light of their exposure to this content will be evaluated through
follow-up questionnaires and in-person interviews. By the end of this study, we will be
able to establish whether animal psychology research is an effective tool for generating
further engagement with the climate crisis in people.
We are looking for an enthusiastic student with the following general qualities: 1)
background in psychology or related discipline (e.g., animal behaviour), 2) experience
conducting fieldwork with wild animals (e.g., trail cameras) and/or using social science
techniques (e.g., questionnaires/interviews), 3) a valid UK/EU driving license, 4) a
vehicle for driving on countryside roads, and 5) a proficiency, or willingness to become
proficient, in data analysis using R.
The PI is Dr Blake Morton, and the selected candidate will join Dr Morton’s on-going
research programme, The British Carnivore Project, which will form the basis for this PhD
project.
For further information about Dr Morton and The British Carnivore, please read here:
https://www.blakemorton.co.uk/case-studies/
For all inquiries, please email Dr Morton directly (b.morton(a)hull.ac.uk).
________________________________
From: Blake Morton <B.Morton(a)hull.ac.uk>
Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2023 3:04 pm
To: b.morton
Subject: PhD scholarship opportunity
CAUTION: This email originated from outside University of Stirling. Do not follow links or
open attachments if you doubt the authenticity of the sender or the content.
________________________________
Dear All, I am writing to you because recently my colleague and I were successful in
getting offered funding through Hull’s Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships Centre for Water
Cultures.
The scholarship covers tuition for UK residents (i.e., not international tuition fees),
and it also includes a salary plus research stipend for the successful applicant for four
years.
Funding is conditional on finding the strongest applicant, however, and so I was hoping
you might help us circulate the attached document as widely as possible to anyone you know
who might be interested and has a background in psychology, animal behaviour,
conservation, and/or anything else to do with the environmental sciences.
The link to the application portal isn’t live yet, so please tell them to contact me
directly for a chat if they’re interested
(b.morton@hull.ac.uk<mailto:b.morton@hull.ac.uk>).
Many thanks for your time and help,
Blake
Dr Blake Morton |Lecturer| Psychology
Department of Psychology
University of Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
Email: b.morton@hull.ac.uk<mailto:b.morton@hull.ac.uk>
Phone: +44 (0) 1482 465587
Web:
https://www.blakemorton.co.uk/
Twitter: @DrBlakeMorton
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