Students interested in the future of work, artificial intelligence, ethics, and organisational decision-making should take a serious look at this fully funded PhD studentship at the University of Sussex. Offered through the ESRC Centre for Digital Futures at Work (Digit) and based within the University of Sussex Business School, this opportunity focuses on one of the most pressing questions in modern workplaces: what happens when AI is used to select, assess, or evaluate people?
The studentship begins in late September 2026 and covers both full tuition fees and an annual stipend of £21,383 for up to four years.
Author: Dr Niaz Chowdhury (LinkedIn)
Designation: Lecturer (Computer Science)
Affiliation: Ulster University (Birmingham), UK
PhD project title
AI selecting or evaluating humans. Professional and ethical tensions in the use of AI in organisations
This PhD studentship is part of the Management Integrated PhD programme at the University of Sussex Business School. The successful applicant will benefit from the Business School’s PhD training programme and receive supervision from leading experts in the field.
What is this PhD about?
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being adopted across sectors such as healthcare, recruitment, and talent management. Organisations are turning to AI systems in the hope of improving efficiency, increasing objectivity, and supporting data-driven decision-making. These systems are being used in ways that may influence how professionals such as clinicians, nurses, hiring managers, HR practitioners, and team leaders assess people, make decisions, and interact with workers, applicants, clients, and even patients.
AI may be used to automate selection decisions, reshape how professionals evaluate people, or introduce algorithmic systems that significantly change day-to-day work. In some cases, AI tools also intervene directly in workplace practice through algorithmic nudges or automated decision prompts, affecting how professionals exercise judgement.
However, organisations are not always fully prepared for these changes. There are major concerns around ethics, governance, professional autonomy, morale, digital transformation fatigue, and bias. In some workplaces, AI may be seen not as support, but as a mechanism of control. At the same time, growing awareness of algorithmic bias has raised concerns about discriminatory outcomes in recruitment and evaluation.
This PhD project will focus on identifying and mapping the sociological and/or social-psychological challenges surrounding the adoption of AI for human selection and evaluation. It may explore issues such as:
- professionals’ perceptions of AI
- lack of AI literacy
- limited ethical understanding
- the effect of AI on wellbeing
- inadequate governance
- concerns about bias
- factors that speed up, delay, or discourage adoption
The research is expected to use a range of methodologies broadly aligned with an interpretivist and social constructionist perspective.
Research environment and support
The successful PhD student will become part of the Digit Doctoral Network and benefit from the support of the Business School’s early-career researcher networks. They will also receive research training as part of the first-year programme of the Management Integrated PhD degree and be integrated into the Mid- and early-Career Researchers Forum of Digit.
This means the project offers not only funding, but also a strong academic environment for students who want to develop as researchers in the fields of AI, work, management, ethics, and organisational studies.
Supervisors
The project will be supervised by:
These named supervisors are also the main academic contacts for applicants who want to discuss the studentship or their research ideas.
Funding package
The successful candidate will receive:
- Full UK or international tuition fees for up to four years
- A stipend of £21,383 per year (2026/27 rate) for up to four years
This is an important point for international applicants, as many UK PhD opportunities do not cover the full overseas tuition fee difference. In this case, the funding explicitly includes UK and international fees, making it a particularly attractive fully funded option for students from around the world.
Eligibility
Applicants should normally have:
- a minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree, or equivalent
- a Master’s degree in a relevant subject area, ideally with at least a merit (60%), or equivalent professional experience
- proof of English language proficiency that meets the University of Sussex entry requirements
The description also highlights relevant subject backgrounds such as:
- work and employee relations
- value chains and economic geography
- political economy
- agri-food studies
At the same time, the broader project theme suggests that applicants from other related areas such as management, sociology, organisation studies, and workplace studies may also find this studentship highly relevant, especially if their academic interests connect with AI, ethics, and organisational practice.
Number of scholarships available
There is one scholarship available.
How to apply
Applicants must submit their application by email to:
The application should be sent as one PDF file and must include:
- a statement of interest explaining why you would like to be considered for the studentship project and what you would like to research (maximum one page)
- a CV (2–3 pages)
- degree transcripts and certificates
- a piece of written work, such as an essay or project from your undergraduate or Master’s degree
- the names and contact details of two academic referees
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview on a rolling basis. The successful candidate will then need to make a formal application to the PhD programme at the University of Sussex.
Key dates
- Application deadline: 15 May 2026, 23:59 (GMT)
- Interview and decision: June 2026
- Start date: Late September 2026
Because interviews are being held on a rolling basis, applicants would be wise to prepare and submit their materials well before the final deadline.
Sponsors
This studentship is sponsored by:
- University of Sussex
- ESRC
Contact details
For academic enquiries about the PhD studentship research proposal, applicants can contact:
- Professor Dimitra Petrakaki – d.petrakaki@sussex.ac.uk
- Dr Zahira Jaser – z.jaser@sussex.ac.uk
For questions about the application process, applicants can contact:
Why this PhD is worth considering
This is a particularly timely PhD for students who want to research the intersection of AI, organisational life, professional judgement, ethics, and workplace governance. Rather than focusing on AI from a purely technical perspective, the project asks deeper questions about how AI is changing the role of humans in decision-making and how professionals experience, interpret, and sometimes resist those changes.
For applicants interested in the future of work and the social impact of AI, this studentship offers a valuable combination of:
- a highly relevant research topic
- full funding for both UK and international students
- strong supervisory support
- structured doctoral training
- an established research network through Digit
Final thoughts
As AI continues to expand into recruitment, assessment, management, and workplace monitoring, questions of fairness, ethics, governance, and professional autonomy are becoming more urgent. This fully funded PhD at the University of Sussex offers the chance to investigate those issues in depth within a strong academic environment.
For students who want to explore how AI is reshaping organisational decision-making and human evaluation, this is an excellent opportunity to consider for September 2026 entry.
