PhD Studentship: Reimagining Mobility Futures in the Northwest of England

Start: September/October 2025

Lancaster University is offering an exciting PhD scholarship that includes all tuition fees and a contribution towards maintenance costs. The position will be jointly based in the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts and the Centre for Social Futures.

The Centre for Social Futures and the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts invite applications from prospective postgraduate researchers who wish to commence study for a PhD in the academic year 2025/26 as part of the UKRI-EPSRC funded project INFUZE. The PhD will be supervised by Professor Carlos López Galviz and one or two other co-supervisors.

The INFUZE project (Inspiring Futures for Zero Carbon Mobility) is exploring what the potential is for moving from systems of individual car-based mobility to systems which are based around mobility on demand. The INFUZE vision is to imagine a “city where you don’t need to own a car to meet all your mobility needs”, which could also include how work, health care and social activities are organised. This kind of system change requires us to think differently, with a wide range of tools and approaches, about how journeys and places can change in future.

The candidate should be familiar with critical thinking, documentary analysis, and creative methods (e.g. creative writing, speculative design, social futures). They will also need to be able to work as part of a wider team to ensure their study and findings are integrated with specific aspects of the project. Familiarity with co-design, participatory science, social futures and mobility systems, whether through their previous studies or professional experience, are welcome. The studentship is funded by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in Lancaster University, which will provide both extensive training opportunities in the arts, humanities and social sciences and a thriving environment with peers in a range of fields and topics. The successful applicant will be based in Lancaster University.

• The scholarship will commence on 1^st September 2025 or soon thereafter and is open to UK students.
• The deadline for scholarship applications is 5pm GMT on Friday 11^th April 2025. You must have applied for the PhD by that date.
• We strongly advise that you check the Further Reading and References below, including the INFUZE website.

How to Apply

Applications should be made directly to LICA Enquiries at Lancaster University by downloading and completing the application form and submitting with the relevant additional documents.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview via Microsoft Teams.

What to include with your application

Each application should consist of:

• A Personal statement (not exceeding 1000 words) outlining your suitability for a PhD.
• A copy of your bachelor’s degree and master’s degree transcripts (interim or final as appropriate).
• A full CV, including two named references (one of whom should be your most recent academic tutor/supervisor). The CV should be no longer than four A4 pages
• Portfolios and/or a short piece of academic writing (c.3,000 words) are welcomed in support of your application but are not essential.

Please submit the above to lica-enquiries@lancaster.ac.uk by 11^th April 2025.

Queries

Any queries about the application process should be addressed to Jane Quinn lica-enquiries@lancaster.ac.uk

For an informal discussion about the project, you can contact Professor Carlos Lopez Galviz via lica-enquiries@lancaster.ac.uk

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