PhD Studentship: Trust, Digital Contact, and Democratic Representation.

The Potential of Digital: Optimising Political Trust in a Digital Age (PODTrust)

Position: PhD Student

Location: University of Sheffield (UK)

Start date: 1 October 2025

Aligned programme of study: PhD in Politics and International Relations

Overview:

What do citizens and politicians perceive as trustworthy contact in politics? How do citizens and elites perceive different digital media and technologies? Can digital interactions between citizens and elites be optimised to build trust?

These are some of the key questions that this PhD studentship will explore as part of the PODTrust project (ESRC and Trans-Atlantic Partnership). Bringing together experienced interdisciplinary researchers from the UK, Canada, Poland and France, the PODTrust project seeks to understand whether and under what conditions digital communication can strengthen or erode political trust by promoting effective political contact.

The project’s objectives are four-fold:

O1: Develop a theoretical model of political trust based on interactions in a digital media ecosystem;

O2: Understand competing conceptualizations of trust and trustworthy contact held by people from different social, cultural and national backgrounds;

O3: Determine which types of digital media and forms of digital contact have the most potential to build high- and warranted trust relationships between elites and diverse groups of citizens; and

O4: Inform democratic practice by identifying when and how digital contact can be optimised for political trust and inclusive governance.

Working under the supervision of Dr James Weinberg and Professor Kate Dommett, the successful candidate will focus primarily on developing and delivering experimental quantitative research that contributes to objective three. The PhD student will also be fully integrated into the wider project team, and they will have the opportunity to contribute to all four objectives whilst learning from international colleagues. Over the course of their PhD, the successful candidate will be able to access bespoke training, mentoring and support to develop new skills and build a career plan.

Supervisory team:

Dr James Weinberg (primary supervisor) is a Senior Lecturer in Political Science. He has published widely on political leadership and trust, and he works with a range of impact partners in parliamentary circles and civil society. The Apolitical Foundation recently named him among ‘50 influential researchers whose work might help to shape 21st century politicians’.

Professor Kate Dommett (second supervisor) is a Professor of Digital Politics. Previously a Special Advisor to the House of Lords Committee on Democracy and Digital Technologies, her award-winning research is at the forefront of advancing knowledge about data-driven campaigning and the impact of digital technology on modern politics.

Application Details:

• Applicants must have completed a Bachelors degree in a relevant Social Science discipline with a 2:1 or higher as well as a pass or higher in a Masters degree in the social and political sciences or equivalent professional experience in a cognate occupation (e.g. political research).

• Please apply online via https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/apply including a CV (one page max) and a covering letter (two pages max) that outlines the candidate’s suitability and initial ideas for taking on this research position.

• This is a full-time studentship.
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview.
• Funding available to UK nationals only.
• Closing Date 1 April 2025.

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