PhD Studentship: Investigating Fake News Related to Climate Change University of Essex in United Kingdom

[Home tuition fee waiver. Living costs stipend at the UK Research and Innovation recommended level per year (£20,780 for 2025-26). Research allowance of £10,000 in total for authorised research costs. Additional £2,500 through Proficio for training courses.]

PhD Studentship: Investigating Fake News Related to Climate Change at the University of Essex offers a unique opportunity for UK-domiciled applicants from underrepresented groups to pursue a fully funded master’s degree followed by a fully funded interdisciplinary PhD. This studentship is part of the ‘Sustainable Transitions – Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme’ and is designed to support candidates who do not already hold a master’s degree and who are from low-income backgrounds or specified ethnic groups.

The research project focuses on developing and applying quantitative techniques to identify fake news within the climate change domain. Using statistical and computational approaches, including machine learning algorithms and natural language processing (NLP), the project aims to mitigate the societal and economic impacts of misinformation and to assess its influence on environmental policy. The interdisciplinary nature of the project means that candidates will engage with both environmental science and advanced computational methods, contributing to the prevention of fake news and supporting evidence-based policy making.

Successful applicants will first undertake an appropriate master’s degree, such as MSc Data Science or MSc Social Data Science, before progressing to the PhD. The programme provides comprehensive training and support, including interdisciplinary research methods, secondary discipline training, and ongoing professional development. Scholars will have access to the University of Essex’s ‘Centre for Environment and Society’ for networking and events, as well as a research allowance of £10,000 and £2,500 for training courses through Proficio.

Funding includes: a home tuition fee waiver, a living stipend at the UK Research and Innovation recommended level (£20,780 for 2025-26), and a research allowance of £10,000 for authorised research costs. Additional support is available for training and development.

Eligibility: Applicants must be UK domiciled, not already possess a master’s degree, and be from a low-income household or one of the specified underrepresented ethnic groups. A background in Business Analytics or Data Science with experience in NLP and machine learning is preferred, but prior training in government and political science research methods is not required as it will be provided during the programme.

Application deadline: 13 April 2026 (11:59pm GMT). Applicants are encouraged to develop their own research proposal within the broadly defined project area and will receive support from the supervisory team to refine their proposal after selection.

For more information and to apply, visit the University of Essex application portal.