The London School of Economics (LSE) is encouraging students to apply for an opportunity that has just arisen for a unique LSE doctoral study programme, with 15 January 2025 as the deadline. This opportunity may especially appeal to students interested in the involvement of ordinary citizens in policy formation processes, particularly in view of barriers to participation from poverty or disability and with regard to climate change – and students excited about a chance to carry out collaborative research that has tangible public impact. This also might be of interest to political theorists who are eager to bridge philosophical with empirical inquiries.
As the attached announcement and CFA in this link explains, this is a fully funded UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Collaborative Studentship through which a PhD student will complete doctoral research in partnership with the UK climate action charity Hope For The Future (HFTF) and under my academic supervision. HFTF is leading a new 5-year initiative to support UK parents to engage in democratic processes with the aim of encouraging public action in response to climate change. The team led by HFTF, which includes LSE and several other partners, has just this week been awarded a £1 million grant to design and implement the parent-support project, which will focus on parents in deprived communities and parents of disabled children.
The student selected for this opportunity will participate in the project Evaluation Team over the full course of their doctoral studies, thus conducting research that generates concrete social impact while also making an original academic contribution. Depending on the student’s interests, the broader academic questions which the doctoral thesis explores could include: the role of family commitments (or a sense of duty to future generations) in motivating climate action, the impact on climate action of addressing social inequalities that affect political participation, and/or the significance of citizen engagement with liberal-democratic institutions for climate policy. The student also will benefit from my own expertise in social research performed through partnerships with external collaborators and my institutional role as LSE’s Academic Lead for Student Civic Engagement.
Please note that in the UK, a student must have completed a Masters’ degree to be eligible for PhD studies. Application deadline is January 15th, 2025!