Research opportunity: English PhD studentship with Imagining Technologies for Disability Futures

Join a key research project imagining future encounters between disability and technology, and the shapes these technologies might take.

The Wellcome Trust has awarded funding to the University of Leeds for a PhD Studentship in connection with the interdisciplinary Imagining Technologies for Disability Futures research project, providing an opportunity for an individual to become a part of a cohort of researchers due to join the project team in Spring 2021.

From care and companionship robots to sophisticated assistive speech technology systems, well-designed technology that fully takes account of users’ needs can be a great force for positive change.

itDf is a 5-year interdisciplinary research project involving scholars from literary studies, cultural studies, engineering, robotics, product design and philosophy. It spans the Universities of Leeds, Exeter, Sheffield and Dundee.

The main aims of the project are to investigate the ideas of body and personhood that arise through contemporary developments in literature and film, philosophy, assistive technology design and production and robotics; for example, the imagining and making of, prosthetic limbs, care and telepresence robots, and assistive communication devices.

The successful candidate will be based at the University of Leeds in the School of English, supervised by Professor Stuart Murray and Dr Amelia DeFalco. The anticipated start date for the research is 1 April 2021.

Application deadline: Monday 30 November 2020.

Find out more about the project and how to apply at phd.leeds.ac.uk.