Changing Behaviours: Empowering Community Engagement in Earth Heritage

The Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB) is inviting applications for a Doctoral Studentship in association with our collaborative partner Jurassic Coast Trust to start in October 2025. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centre-ub/centre-ub

This PhD project is based on supporting ethical and equitable Access to Earth Heritage, it will seek to co-develop innovative, localised, people-centred models for ethical and equitable access and sustainable development, aiming to safeguard Earth Heritage for local communities. The PhD research will examine how the application of behavioural science based and interdisciplinary approaches can help understand complex human behaviours at the Jurassic Coast, England’s s only natural world heritage site. Through utilising these methods and interdisciplinary collaboration the PhD will work with the Jurassic Coast team to understand and address the specific motivations, opportunities, and capabilities required for effective community engagement and develop an intervention framework to increase visitor diversity and community engagement at Earth Heritage sites.

The study will contribute to increasing our understanding of how individuals and groups are empowered to connect with, protect, and promote their local places, through understanding the barriers preventing some communities engaging with Earth Heritage. It is hope this will contribute to how heritage professionals address wider social injustices linked to heritage inaccessibility.

The PhD will be expected to spend time working alongside the Jurassic Coast Trust and will be embedded within Jurassic Coast engagement programme as a Jurassic Coast Ambassador, and will gain hands on experience of community engagement e.g. through events and other means and provide bespoke training in site management and conservation, stakeholder mapping, partnership working, Earth heritage interpretation. They will have access to Jurassic Coast networks, including Jurassic Coast partners and stakeholders, other UNESCO sites, and national organisations such as the UK National Commission for UNESCO.

We are looking for a highly talented and dedicated PhD student with a 1st class or 2:1 degree in the field of heritage, geography, geology, palaeontology. An MSc/MA degree in a relevant area is desirable though not necessary. Previous experience working with heritage places is desirable and an understanding of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

To be considered for this PhD, please follow the instructions here. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centre-ub/centre-ub-phd-studentships

Application deadline: 5 March 2025

Informal enquiries about the project prior to application can be directed to Faye Sayer – f.a.sayer@bham.ac.uk

Funding notes:

Centre-UB studentships cover tuition fees, a maintenance stipend, support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Due to funding stipulations set by UKRI, we are able to recruit up to 30% of international applicants to the cohort each year. You can find further details https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/centre-ub/centre-ub-phd-studentships