We accept PhD positions in Digital Sensing for Long-term Conditions across AI-augmented digital interventions, human-centred design for loneliness and ageing, JITAIs, smartphone and wearable prediction modelling, community co-development, and applied machine learning for symptom tracking, with core focus areas in symptom tracking, rehabilitation, neurology, and mixed-methods evaluations.
Funding: PhD funding usually comes through grants or external scholarships. Scholarship opportunities are normally listed on the university website. The best first step is to reach out to the supervisor.
Undergraduate and master's students can gain research experience through volunteer or paid positions.
Flexible hours
Training in research methods
Potential for authorship
How to apply: Please contact Faith from your official university email address. Faith usually takes undergraduate placement students and dissertation students, MRes research process and dissertation students, and honorary or visiting research assistants. For further information it is always best to get in touch.
Besides contacting the lab directly, these routes can lead to a research assistant role or a research placement.
Salaried · usually advertised when a grant lands
Funded RA positions
Open RA posts are often listed on the university's recruitment pages. They come and go with funding rather than on a yearly cycle, so it is worth checking more than once.
It is a full year in a research lab between your second and third year. Gives great experience and boost to one's CV as it helps in transitioning to research roles, Masters or PhDs!
At THRIVE, we believe that a supportive, collaborative environment is essential for scientific innovation and personal growth. We value:
Collaboration
We work together across disciplines and experience levels
Open Science
We share data, code, and materials whenever possible
Work-Life Balance
We prioritize sustainable research practices
Diversity & Inclusion
We actively work to create an inclusive environment
Listen From Our Members
Lab members answer a few questions about life at THRIVE
TL
Tessa Lapelyte
Research Project Student
Research placementFinal-year Psychology
What is your role in the lab, and what are you currently working on?
I was a research placement student; currently, I am in my final year of my psychology degree.
What drew you to the THRIVE Lab, and what has surprised you most since joining?
I was really interested in Faith's research and thought I could learn a lot from her. I was surprised by how many people are involved in the THRIVE lab; it was a lovely surprise to have a community where we could share ideas and project progress.
How would you describe the lab culture, and is there a favourite moment or tradition?
Everyone is lovely and accepting; I never felt like I would be judged for anything. I like the idea of sharing both our achievements and losses at the start of our THRIVE meetings, as it shows you are not alone in your successes or struggles.
How has working with Faith and the team shaped your skills, thinking, or career plans?
Working with Faith has definitely improved my confidence in general and made me realise I want to continue to be involved in the THRIVE lab in any way possible moving forward.
What advice would you give someone thinking of joining the lab?
Best advice would be to get familiarised with the previous research projects of Faith or the people from the lab, as it will show what the THRIVE lab is about and if any of those projects sound interesting, I'm sure they would fit right in.
YL
Yasmin Lavictoire
PhD Student & Doctoral Tutor in Psychology
PhD researcherMenopause & sleep
What is your role in the lab, and what are you currently working on?
I am a PhD researcher investigating the relationship between menopausal sleep disturbance and positive psychological traits, with the aim of developing a positive psychological intervention to support sleep during this life stage. Currently, I am working on a scoping review to understand the research landscape and inform my future studies.
What drew you to the THRIVE Lab, and what has surprised you most since joining?
I was drawn to Faith’s expertise in digital research methodology, which aligned with my interests. What surprised me most was the diversity of members’ research backgrounds and interests, while we all share a common goal: to better understand and support mental and physical health through digital technology.
How would you describe the lab culture, and is there a favourite moment or tradition?
The lab provides a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment, where all lab members collaborate to generate insightful research. Lab meetings have been a particular highlight: it has been inspiring to hear about others’ research and findings, connect with other researchers, and explore ideas and practices to adopt in my own research.
How has working with Faith and the team shaped your skills, thinking, or career plans?
I have adored working with Faith: her exceptional supervision, support and expertise have equipped me with the skills and opportunities to grow as a researcher. Her guidance has encouraged me to think critically about my research protocols and methodology, and I have carried this learning forward into shaping my PhD research. Equally, collaborating with other members of the lab, such as Bex, has developed my knowledge of how to run an experience sampling study, develop study protocols and navigate the challenges associated with this methodology.
What advice would you give someone thinking of joining the lab?
Be prepared to learn from people with a wide range of interests and expertise, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or share your ideas. There is so much to gain from the support and collaboration within the lab, so make the most of opportunities to get involved and learn from one another.
Curious what it is like to work here? Get in touch.
Applying for a PhD: How It Actually Works
Three steps. Click a card to read more about it.
1. Reaching out to the supervisor
Send your CV, your research interests and eventually a couple of project ideas that connect to the lab's work. Having no ideas yet is perfectly fine: we will usually propose some directions and refine them with you. It also helps enormously to arrive having already searched and selected potential funding schemes you want to target, so we can shape the project around what you are actually eligible for.
This is the most crucial part. Four profiles cover most cases:
you and the supervisor can build a project and apply for a scholarship together;
the supervisor already holds a grant for a specific project and recruits for it;
you arrive with a scholarship already secured; or
you self-fund
Funding opportunities are listed below, but you should also search for others.
3. Then apply
With a target and topic in mind, gather the documents and write the proposal. Fingers crossed and all the best!
PhD Funding Opportunities
Funding is the usual barrier between a plan and a PhD. Below are some opportunities, but you should also search for others.
2027 entry · apply to Sussex by 1 December 2026
SEDarc (ESRC) scholarships
The ESRC's doctoral training partnership for the South East, and the closest fit for most of what this lab does: Psychology is one of its eligible subject areas. Home-rate fees and a UKRI stipend over 3.5 years, or 1+3.5 if you do not have a Masters yet, plus a funded three-month placement outside academia. The project has to sit inside one of the five SEDarc themes, and a proposal claiming the advanced quantitative methods or data skills steer is what this lab is built for.
You apply to Sussex by 1 December 2026, complete with a supervisor statement; Sussex nominates to the consortium at the end of January. Write to Faith well before November.
If an external partner covers half the cost, the university can match the other half. This works well for applied projects with startups, companies or NGOs, especially where there is a product, piece of software or service to build at the end.
Cross-school
Sussex AI studentships
Your primary supervisor must be from the School of Engineering and Informatics, though Faith can serve as co-supervisor.