The University of Birmingham's Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB) is offering a fully funded PhD studentship in partnership with Promat, the UK's leading provider of police lineup software. This interdisciplinary doctoral project aims to revolutionise eyewitness identification procedures by integrating cognitive psychology, immersive technology, and artificial intelligence. Despite significant advances in psychological science, police lineup methods have remained largely unchanged for over a century, relying on static photographs and failing to replicate real-world conditions such as poor lighting, variable viewpoints, and disguises. This PhD project will develop and test innovative lineup procedures that allow witnesses to adjust lighting, toggle disguise features, and control viewing angles, creating environments that better match their memory of the event. The research will assess whether these adaptive, memory-congruent lineups improve identification accuracy compared to traditional methods and will analyse how witnesses explore faces under these conditions. A key innovation is the use of behavioural data—eye movements, exploration patterns, and verbal reports—combined with AI to build computational models predicting identification reliability. The student will learn to design interpretable, legally robust AI systems, including attention-based deep learning and reinforcement learning models that adapt lineup presentation in real time based on witness behaviour. This work will be conducted in close collaboration with Promat, providing the student with hands-on experience in operational police systems and direct pathways to research deployment in policing practice. Supervision will be provided jointly by experts in Psychology and Computer Science, ensuring strong interdisciplinary support and bridging academic research with industry innovation. The studentship covers tuition fees, a maintenance stipend, research training, and activity support grants. Up to 30% of the cohort may be international students, in line with UKRI funding stipulations. Applicants should have a 1st class or 2:1 degree in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Data Science, or a related field. An MSc is desirable but not essential. Experience in coding (Python, R, Matlab), behavioural experimentation, statistics, or machine learning is advantageous, though full training will be provided. Candidates with interests in human perception, AI ethics, or forensic science are encouraged to apply. To apply, follow the instructions at the Centre-UB application process page and review the call for applicants. The deadline for applications is February 17, 2026, with interviews expected on March 20, 2026. Informal enquiries can be directed to Professor Heather Flowe at [email protected].

The University of Birmingham's School of Psychology invites applications for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA-PF) in the field of Psychology of Memory, Law, and Global Justice. This prestigious opportunity is designed for motivated researchers seeking to advance their careers and contribute to impactful research on how legal systems gather and use memory evidence. The School of Psychology is internationally recognised for its expertise in forensic psychology, eyewitness memory, and global justice, and offers a vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment. Research areas of interest for this fellowship include eyewitness identification procedures, lineup design, confidence-accuracy calibration, metamemory, interactive and VR-based identification technologies, police interviewing, investigative memory retrieval, memory for traumatic events (including sexual violence), intoxicated witnesses, child and adolescent witness testimony, technology-assisted documentation of sexual and gender-based violence, interview training for humanitarian responders, behavioural crime linkage, and policy translation of psychological research to legal practice. As a Fellow, you will join a research team with over 20 years of impact on legal practice and policy, access specialist facilities such as a UK police image capture and ID suite, VR technology, eye-tracking, and psychophysiological recording equipment, and benefit from strong links to the criminal justice system through the Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing, Institute for Mental Health, P-ACE LAB, and CENTRE-UB. The group maintains international collaborations with partners in the US, Canada, Australia, Kenya, and Europe, and offers access to BPS-accredited forensic psychology programmes and extensive partnerships with criminal justice agencies. Two fellowship tracks are available: European Postdoctoral Fellowships (1-2 years, open to researchers moving within or to Europe) and Global Postdoctoral Fellowships (2-3 years, with an initial phase outside Europe and a mandatory return phase in Europe, open to EU nationals or long-term residents). Selected applicants will receive comprehensive support in preparing their MSCA-PF application, including guidance on budgets and facilities. The main supervisor for this fellowship is Professor Heather Flowe, Professor of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. Professor Flowe is an internationally recognised expert in eyewitness memory, police interviewing, and documentation of sexual and gender-based violence. She has secured over £8 million in research funding, published extensively in top journals, and her work has influenced legal practice and policy at the highest levels. The University of Birmingham is a founding member of the Russell Group and ranks among the top 100 universities globally. Its School of Psychology is renowned for research in forensic psychology, developmental science, mental health, and human brain health. The university offers state-of-the-art facilities and a supportive, inclusive research environment. Birmingham itself is the UK's second largest city, offering excellent transport links, a vibrant cultural scene, and affordable living. Eligibility requirements include holding a PhD or equivalent by the call deadline, no more than eight years of research experience since PhD award (excluding career breaks), compliance with mobility rules, and a strong research background in relevant topics. To apply, send your CV, motivation letter, and a short research proposal (max 2 pages) via LinkedIn message by 1 February 2026. For further information, contact [email protected]. The University of Birmingham values diversity and inclusion, welcoming applications from under-represented groups. This is an exceptional opportunity to join a world-class research team and make a significant contribution to the fields of memory, law, and global justice.

[Centre-UB studentships cover tuition fees, a maintenance stipend, support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Up to 30% of international applicants can be recruited per UKRI funding rules.] The University of Birmingham, in partnership with the Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB) and Promat, invites applications for a fully funded PhD studentship starting October 2026. This interdisciplinary project aims to revolutionise eyewitness identification procedures by integrating cognitive psychology, immersive technology, and artificial intelligence. Despite advances in psychological science, police lineups have changed little in over a century, often relying on static photographs that fail to replicate real-world conditions such as poor lighting, variable viewpoints, and disguises. The successful candidate will design and conduct behavioural experiments using a mock witness paradigm, allowing participants to adjust lineup conditions to better match their memory of events. The project will investigate whether these adaptive, memory-congruent environments improve identification accuracy compared to traditional methods, and will analyse how witnesses explore faces under these conditions. A key innovation is the use of AI and computational modelling: the student will analyse eye movements, exploration patterns, and verbal reports to develop models predicting identification reliability. Training will be provided in designing interpretable, legally robust AI systems, including attention-based deep learning and reinforcement learning models that adapt in real time to witness behaviour. Collaboration with Promat, the UK's leading provider of police lineup software, offers the student direct experience with operational systems and industry constraints, ensuring the research has real-world impact and deployment potential. Joint supervision from the Schools of Psychology and Computer Science provides strong interdisciplinary support and bridges academic research with industry innovation. Applicants should hold a 1st class or 2:1 degree in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Data Science, or a related field. An MSc is desirable but not essential. Experience in coding (Python, R, Matlab), behavioural experimentation, statistics, or machine learning is advantageous, but comprehensive training will be provided. Interest in human perception, AI ethics, or forensic science is encouraged. The studentship covers tuition fees, a maintenance stipend, research training support, and activity grants. Due to UKRI funding rules, up to 30% of the cohort may be international students. For further details, visit the Centre-UB website or contact Professor Heather Flowe at [email protected]. The application deadline is February 17, 2026.