PhD Studentship: Lives and Places in Transition: (Decommissioning) infrastructure, work and community

About the role

This fully funded Geography PhD explores how people, families and places navigate the shift from nuclear operations to decommissioning at Sellafield in West Cumbria. The project focuses on the social and spatial dimensions of work, identity, place, class, family, community, risk, industrial change, energy transitions, organisational culture, and the social life of infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Explore how working lives, identities, relationships, and community futures are reshaped during the transition from operations to decommissioning at Sellafield.
• Use qualitative social science methods to understand the impacts of decommissioning on individuals, families, and communities.
• Contribute to the understanding of the social and spatial dimensions of work, community, and social change in the context of industrial change.
• Engage with the supervisory team and participate in the University of Exeter’s Researcher Development Programme.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a background in Geography or cognate social sciences or humanities disciplines. International applicants should note that the studentship covers Home fees only.

Qualifications

The studentship is open to UK students and covers Home tuition fees and provides an annual tax-free stipend of at least £22,442 for four years full-time.

Skills

Preference will be given to candidates with experience in qualitative social science methods, but other methods may also be relevant.

Benefits

The studentship includes a generous research and training allowance to support fieldwork, skills development, and research-related travel.

Pay

The stipend for the PhD studentship is at least £22,442 per year.

Schedule

The PhD will be supervised by Dr Leila Dawney, Professor Karen Bickerstaff at the University of Exeter, and Johanna Telfer at Sellafield Ltd. The project will start in 2026/2027.