PhD Studentship in Neuroeconomic Decision Theory

The PhD project is interdisciplinary and will require the post-holder to work across disciplines (economics, psychology, decision neuroscience, or mathematics, depending on the post-holder’s background and qualifications). The project is concerned with why and how humans make mistakes in their economic decisions, from the psychological and neural roots of persistent errors to the economic consequences of cognitive failures. It requires a willingness to work with process data, including response times and, potentially, eye-tracking and neural data. The project specifics will be further tailored to the post-holder’s skills and interests and can be more experimental/applied or more analytical/mathematical.

The Economics PhD programme at Lancaster is aimed at high-calibre students who wish to pursue a research career. The Department has a strong group in Behavioural and Experimental Economics and hosts a modern experimental lab (LexEL). It is part of the Lancaster University Management School (LUMS), a world-ranked management school that has a reputation for outstanding research. In the UK’s latest Research Excellence Framework, REF 2021, 90% of our research was rated world leading or internationally excellent and we were rated as first for Research Power – recognising the breadth and depth of our work.

How to apply?
Informal enquiries can be addressed to c.alosferrer@lancaster.ac.uk.

Applications should be made only through the Economics Department PhD application portal - https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/postgraduate-courses/economics-phd/

To apply, please provide a Personal Statement outlining your background, suitability, motivation, and any previous experience relevant to the project. Please mention that you are applying for the PhD position in Neuroeconomic Decision Theory. In addition, please submit a Research Statement which outlines your research interests - including any ideas that YOU have that relate to the project. If you have participated in any research projects, please explain your role in those. In the application portal, please submit this Research Statement in lieu of a Research Proposal. Applicants must also submit: a CV, Academic transcripts (bachelors and masters), 2 academic references (names and contact data—no letters), and evidence of English language proficiency (if necessary). Applicants might also submit a sample of research work, e.g. a Master Thesis (or draft thereof).