[Fully funded 3-year PhD studentship; home tuition fees and annual tax-free maintenance stipend at UKRI rates (£20,780 for 2025/26); open to UK and international applicants; visa and relocation costs not covered.]

This fully funded PhD studentship at the University of East Anglia offers an outstanding opportunity to investigate the variability in young children’s vocabulary development. The project, led by Professor Larissa Samuelson, is part of a Leverhulme Foundation-funded initiative testing a neural process theory of vocabulary development. The successful candidate will join the Developmental Science Research Group and the Developmental Dynamics Laboratory, engaging in a longitudinal study that examines children’s performance on multiple word learning tasks at 18, 24, and 36 months of age, alongside their vocabulary growth.

As a PhD student, you will gain hands-on experience in experimental design, data processing, analysis, and interpretation, as well as presenting and disseminating research findings. The project also offers opportunities to learn about computational modelling of development and the ethical considerations involved in research with young children. You will be part of a vibrant, interdisciplinary team and have access to excellent facilities and professional development resources.

Applicants should have a strong academic background in psychology, cognitive science, speech and hearing science, or a related discipline, and a keen interest in developmental research. Experience with experimental design, data analysis (preferably in R), eye-tracking, or working with developmental populations is highly desirable but not essential. The minimum academic requirement is a 2:1 Bachelors degree; Masters degrees are optional.

This 3-year PhD studentship is fully funded by the Leverhulme Trust and is open to both UK and international applicants. The funding package includes home tuition fees and an annual tax-free maintenance stipend set at UKRI rates (£20,780 for 2025/26). Please note that visa expenses, the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), and other relocation costs are not covered.

The application deadline is 1 February 2025, with the project commencing on 1 October 2026. If you are ready to contribute to cutting-edge research in early vocabulary development and language learning, we encourage you to apply via the University of East Anglia’s postgraduate research application portal.