СÀ¶ÊÓƵ

Applications are invited for a fully-funded three year PhD to commence in October 2026.

The PhD will be based in the Faculty of Science and Health, and will be supervised by Dr Tara Woodyer, Dr Julia Brown and Dr Helen Currie. 

Candidates applying for this project may be eligible to compete for one of a small number of bursaries available. Successful applicants will receive a bursary to cover tuition fees for three years and a stipend in line with the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26). Bursary recipients will also receive a £1,500 p.a. for project costs/consumables.

Costs for student visa and immigration health surcharge are not covered by this bursary. For further guidance and advice visit our international and EU students ‘Visa FAQs’ page.

This funded PhD is only open to new students who do not hold a previous doctoral level qualification.

This project seeks to deconstruct environmental habit forming in early childhood in order to develop an effective early years water literacy programme to help address the real-world problem of water scarcity and damage to ecologically sensitive and globally unique freshwater environments. 

   Water availability in the UK is spatially uneven, and climate change is increasing water scarcity, particularly in Eastern and Southern England. The Environment Agency warns of an estimated 5 billion litre per day deficit by 2055. Water abstraction by water companies such as СÀ¶ÊÓƵ Water and Southern Water to meet demand is known to impact ecologically sensitive and globally unique chalk streams in Hampshire. 

   The UK’s water industry trade body recognises the UK’s low water literacy levels especially amongst younger age brackets and this has been identified as a blocker to sustainable water use. 

   Current education programmes rely on the theory of rational choice, linking behaviour change to the acquisition of new information. However, recent work in the nascent field of water literacy calls for greater attention to how social and emotional components (i.e. values, social norms, ethics, cultural background) shape people’s reasoning and decision-making in relation to sustainable water use. 

   Ð¡À¶ÊÓƵ research demonstrates the importance of habit formation within childhood in shaping the water use of HE students. Yet research is needed on how and why such habits form. Whilst water has become increasingly ‘invisible’ to UK citizens through modern water systems and commodification frameworks, water has become increasingly present in UK antenatal practices, parenting cultures and early years curricula, e.g. water births, the ‘dinner-bath-bedtime’ evening routine, and ‘messy’/water play in pre-school settings. 

   Deconstructing such routines, habits and social norms relating to water use is critical to raising the standards of water literacy in the UK. Without this, we run the risk of developing ‘fickle literacies’ that fail to translate into real meaning-making practices that motivate genuine and lasting change. 

How to apply

Please note that email applications are not accepted. If you have any project-specific questions please contact Dr Tara Woodyer (tara.woodyer@port.ac.uk) to discuss your interest before you apply, quoting the project code.

When you are ready to apply, please use this . Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees, proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV. Our ‘How to Apply’ page offers further guidance on the PhD application process.

If you want to be considered for this funded PhD opportunity you must quote project code ELS50570126 when applying.