University of Kent Five Acre Wood Scholarship

University of Kent is advertising a fully funded part-time PhD scholarship linked to a Research Assistant role at Five Acre Wood School. The project is in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and focuses on Preparation for Adulthood interventions for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The doctoral research will examine experiential interventions, including structured real-world learning environments, enterprise-based activities, and external work placements, to understand their impact on employment readiness, independence, and social inclusion. The project also aims to identify active components of effective practice and develop an evidence-informed framework for intervention design and delivery.

The scholarship covers Home-rate PhD tuition fees for 6 years of part-time study. In addition, the successful candidate will be employed full-time by Five Acre Wood School as a Research Assistant to the Director of Research, with salary at 0.6 FTE of an MPS6 teacher (approximately £27,211.20 per annum), working 22.5 hours per week over 52.14 weeks per year.

Eligibility highlights include: Home fee status, a Master’s degree with Merit or above in a related field, strong interest in SEND and applied research, and prior application to the part-time PhD Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities course for September 2026. A background in psychology, education, behaviour analysis/positive behaviour support, or a related field is desirable.

How to apply: submit the PhD application, name Dr Thanos Vostanis as main supervisor, and provide a CV, scholarship cover letter, and a draft research proposal (maximum 3 pages). Shortlisted candidates will complete a two-stage interview process with Five Acre Wood School and the University of Kent.

Deadline: 2026-07-05.