Funded PhD Opportunities in Socially Engaged Art, Community Design, and Inclusive Futures at National College of Art and Design National College of Art and Design in Ireland

The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Ireland is offering four funded PhD opportunities as part of the Co-Create Doctoral Network, a €4m cross-border research initiative supported by the Higher Education Authority’s North South Research Programme. The Co-Create network brings together designers, artists, industry partners, community groups, public bodies, and cultural institutions to collaboratively address societal challenges in public service delivery, healthcare, climate action, and inclusive heritage through art and design research methods.

The four PhD topics are: (1) Understanding community self-organisation and community-led services through socially engaged artist practice; (2) Design-Led Approaches to Later Life Transitions; (3) Growing Community: Community Gardens as Social Ecologies; (4) Socially Engaged Art and Counter-Narratives. These projects emphasize participatory, ethnographic, and archival research methods, and encourage applicants with backgrounds in art, community work, social sciences, and related fields.

PhD students will join an all-island doctoral network, collaborating with researchers at NCAD, Belfast School of Art, University of Ulster, University of Limerick, and Atlantic Technological University. Benefits include collaborative research projects, annual summer school training, research fora, access to microcredentialised courses, and optional funded mobility to partner institutions. The program is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, actively encouraging applications from underrepresented groups.

Funding covers EU full-time tuition fees for up to 12 trimesters, a tax-free stipend of €25,000 per annum for up to 4 years, research expenses up to €3,500 per annum, travel expenses up to €1,500 per annum, and mobility expenses up to €5,000. Applicants must have a relevant postgraduate qualification or Upper Second-Class Honours Degree, be available for full-time study, and be able to travel freely between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Each PhD project has specific criteria; see project descriptions for details.

Applications must be submitted via email to [email protected] by 5pm on February 26, 2026, with a subject line referencing the chosen PhD project. An online information session will be held on January 12, 2026, for interested applicants. For more information, visit the NCAD website or contact the research office.