Psychology PhD Studentship - Children as Agents of Cultural Evolution (ChACE)

Durham University; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 21,000; Full time

Job summary

A research-intensive university is offering a funded PhD studentship for a project on children's peer cultures. Ideal candidates will have a strong academic record and research experience, with excellent English communication skills. Responsibilities include designing a research project and conducting data collection. The position starts between August and October 2026 with a maintenance stipend of £20,780/year and covered fees.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in relevant field or Masters qualification.
• Experience in research through a thesis/dissertation.
• Proficiency in English (IELTS score of 7 or above).
• Ability to pass Enhanced DBS check.

Responsibilities

• Design a research project to test project hypotheses.
• Conduct independent data collection and analysis.
• Write academic outputs under supervision.

Skills

Strong academic performance

Research experience

Excellent English communication

Leadership and teamwork abilities

Statistical experience

Education

2.1 classification or equivalent in Psychology, Anthropology, or closely related fields

Masters qualification

Tools

R

Job description

Offer Description

The Ecologies of Learning Lab, led by Sheina Lew-Levy at the University of Durham (UK), is advertising one funded PhD studentships for the European Research Council funded project “Children as Agents of Cultural Evolution (ChACE)”.

Project Summary. Research into culture acquisition paints a picture of children as vessels for inheriting evolved culture from adults, rather than cultural producers in their own right. ChACE aims instead to take child and adolescent peer cultures as a focal point. Peer cultures — the cultures children produce and transmit among themselves — are incredibly well conserved across generations despite threats to social transmission inexistent in adult cultures, challenging our understanding of how cultures are maintained and changed across generations. ChACE will specifically advance two hypotheses built upon firm theoretical and empirical foundations in folklore, cultural evolution, human life history, and cognitive development: (1) Peer cultures evidence distinct cultural evolutionary mechanisms from adult cultures; (2) Knowledge produced as part of peer cultures helps communities adapt to social and ecological change. These will be empirically evaluated via experiments, observations, surveys, and interviews with children and adolescents aged 4-16 years, and their caregivers, at four globally representative field sites undergoing rapid culture change: the Likouala (Republic of the Congo), the Omo Valley (Ethiopia), Toledo (Belize), and County Durham (U.K.).

To read more about the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of the project, please read: Lew-Levy, S., Amir, D. Children as agents of cultural adaptation. Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

PhD student Roles & Responsibilities

The PhD student will design a research project aimed to test the hypotheses outlined above. The PhD student will be expected to undertake independent data collection, analysis, and writing of their outputs, under the primary supervision of Dr. Sheina Lew-Levy. The PhD student will be expected to undertake data collection in County Durham, UK.

Funding

PhD students will receive a maintenance stipend of £20,780/year, as well as have fees covered (home or international).

Essential characteristics include

• A strong academic performance in an undergraduate degree (a 2.1 classification for UK degrees, or equivalent for international degrees) or Masters qualification in Psychology, Anthropology, or closely related fields
• Experience conducting research, e.g., an undergraduate or Masters research thesis/dissertation
• Excellent English written and verbal communication
• Demonstrable leadership and teamwork abilities
• Statistical experience (as acquired through class or a research project)

Additional desired characteristics include

• Having contributed (as a co-author or lead author) to scientific publication(s)
• Experience with data collection involving children
• Knowledge of County Durham
• Experience conducting statistical analyses in R

Role conditions

This position involves working with children. The successful candidate must be able to pass an Enhanced Data Barring Service (DBS) check, including a children’s barred list check, before commencing any research involving children.

How to apply

Complete all relevant sections of the online application form. We also require you to attach the following supporting documentation:

• Two Academic Reference Letters completed by your referees
• Copies of degree Certificate or Transcript of Marks to date
• Academic CV
• If a non-native English speaker, evidence of English language ability with an IELTS score of 7 with no element below 6.5

Criteria for admission

• Your academic track record
• The quality and feasibility of the research proposal
• English Language level
• Your ability to conduct research with children

Timeline

30th January 2026: Submission deadline

13th February 2026: Interviews.

27th February 2026: PhD offers made, conditional on DBS checks, and if relevant, degree completion

Successful candidates are expected to start between August and October 2026