Fully Funded PhD in Generative AI and Climate Change Misinformation at University College Dublin University College Dublin in Ireland

University College Dublin is recruiting a fully funded PhD student for a project on generative AI and climate change misinformation. The project is supervised by Prof. Ciara Greene (UCD School of Psychology) and Prof. Andrew Parnell (UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics), and is linked to the new Research Ireland Centre for AI.

The PhD will examine how large language models such as ChatGPT or Gemini respond to climate-change queries, whether they provide or reinforce misleading information, and how AI-generated misinformation affects beliefs and climate-related behaviours. The project also explores whether subtle changes in chatbot responses can nudge users toward greener behaviours. This is a strong fit for students interested in psychology, computer science, cognitive science, environmental science, statistics, and LLMs.

The studentship is a four-year award and must start in September 2026. Funding includes a €25,000 per year tax-free stipend, plus additional support for conference attendance and training. EU students have fees covered automatically, and non-EU students may receive a fee waiver from UCD.

Applicants should have an honours degree in Psychology or a cognate discipline with at least upper second class honours or equivalent. Strong quantitative analysis, communication, organisational skills, and the ability to meet deadlines are required. Desirable experience includes a Masters degree, cognitive psychology background, online experiment design, programming, and experience with LLMs.

Applications must be submitted through the cohort-based PhD application form, with Information Integrity selected as the first-choice theme and UCD as the first-choice institution. The deadline is 2 June 2026 at 5pm. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact [email protected] before applying.