University secures prestigious PhD funding for five doctoral students

The University of Chichester has been awarded funding for five doctoral students through the highly competitive South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (SCDTP), highlighting the strength of its research and doctoral training.

The SCDTP, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), brings together the Universities of Brighton, Chichester, Portsmouth and Southampton. The funded students will undertake PhDs in Psychology and Sport, contributing to research aligned with national ESRC priorities.

Following a rigorous selection process involving 310 initial applications across the partnership, just 39 funded places were awarded in total. The University of Chichester achieved the highest conversion rate from application to funded place amongst all partner institutions.

The successful candidates are: Paulina Bouzas, Ellie Cotten and Poppy Dilks (Psychology), and Ellie Livingstone and Claudia Villa (Sport).

Dr Suzanne Everley, Reader in the sociology of Physical Education at Chichester, and who was part of the final selection panel, said: “This success reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to research excellence, doctoral training, and supporting the next generation of researchers.

“Sincere thanks to pathway leads Dr Jordan Matthews and Dr Ian Tyndall, as well as Charles Green, Senior Research Officer, and the Research Office team, for their diligent and expert support throughout the application and selection process.”