Dear all, We have a competitive, funded PhD scholarship on offer at Adelaide University — awarded through the Defence & National Security Signature Research Theme — and would love your help getting it in front of strong candidates who might be interested. Please forward this opportunity to anyone who might be a good fit — and encourage them to get in touch with myself (rachel.searston@adelaide.edu.au<mailto:rachel.searston@adelaide.edu.au>), Daniel Carragher (daniel.carragher@adelaide.edu.au<mailto:daniel.carragher@adelaide.edu.au>), and Megan Bartlett (megan.bartlett@adelaide.edu.au<mailto:megan.bartlett@adelaide.edu.au>) directly with any questions before applying. Project: When to Trust the Machine: Cognitive Drivers of Reliance on Automation in Security-Critical Decision-Making Automated aids increasingly support high-stakes decisions — screening baggage, identifying faces, analysing forensic evidence. But their value hinges on a human judgement: relying on them when they're right, and overriding them when they're wrong. This project investigates the cognitive factors that drive people to over- or under-rely on automation, and whether those factors hold across different applied domains. The successful candidate will work with three supervisors (Rachel, Dan & Megan) designing and running behavioural experiments alongside a study with forensic scientists who use these tools in real casework. They'll gain advanced training in experimental and applied cognition, and produce transferable principles for calibrating trust in automation. The details: – Fully funded PhD scholarship (Adelaide University, Defence & National Security research theme) – Open to domestic and international candidates (some citizenship conditions apply — see the listing) – Project code: SRTSR0506 – Expressions of interest close 30 September 2026 – Start date: 2027, exact month/date negotiable. We're after curious, quantitatively-minded candidates with a background in psychology, cognitive science, or a related field, and an interest in decision-making, human factors, or applied research with real-world stakes. Prior experimental experience is a plus but not essential. Full details and how to apply: https://adelaide.edu.au/research/research-degrees/research-projects/ Search for project: "SRTSR0506 When to Trust the Machine: Cognitive Drivers of Reliance on Automation in Security-Critical Decision-Making" Thanks so much, Rachel Best, Dan Dr Daniel Carragher ARC DECRA Fellow | Senior Lecturer School of Psychology | College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY Room 725, Level 7, Hughes Building T: +61 8 8313 5557<tel:+61883135557> | E: daniel.carragher@adelaide.edu.au<mailto:daniel.carragher@adelaide.edu.au> My normal working hours are 8:30am – 4:30pm. I would like to acknowledge the Kaurna people, the original custodians of the Adelaide Plains and the land on which Adelaide University’s campuses at North Terrace, Waite and Roseworthy are built. [AU-email-signature-Dec2025-static.jpg] Australian University Provider Number PRV14404 CRICOS Provider Number 04249J ----------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT: This email may be privileged and/or confidential, and the sender does not waive any related rights and obligations. Any distribution, use or copying of this email or the information it contains by other than an intended recipient is unauthorised. If you receive this email in error, please advise me (by return email or otherwise) immediately. ________________________________ Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC 011159
