PhD Studentships - Behavioural Science of Creativity

Kingston University is offering 15 fully-funded PhD studentships. I am inviting applications from prospective doctoral candidates interested in exploring creativity through behavioural science methods, and will personally mentor up to three candidates to develop competitive proposals.

Application deadline for mentoring: 31 January 2026
University competition deadline: 4 March 2026

A New Research Direction

After two decades studying judgement and decision-making, my research has shifted from asking “What makes people rational or creative?” to a more productive question: “What environments, interactions, and conditions enable creative thinking and behaviour?” This reframing treats creativity not as an innate trait but as a process we can systematically study, predict, and design for.

The Opportunity

Kingston University is offering 15 fully-funded PhD studentships through a university-wide competition. I am inviting applications from prospective doctoral candidates interested in exploring creativity through behavioural science methods. I will personally mentor up to three candidates to develop competitive proposals.

Research Methods and Questions

Successful proposals will employ rigorous empirical methods to study creative processes. Potential methodologies include:

• Eye-tracking technology to examine attention patterns during creative practice
• Interactive experimental designs to investigate how physical manipulation of objects influences cognition
• Data science approaches to identify patterns in creative breakthroughs
• Field research in applied contexts (organisations, healthcare, sustainability) to test theoretical insights

Proposals might address questions such as:

• How does neurodiversity influence innovative problem-solving approaches?
• Can we predict the conditions under which individuals experience insight moments?
• What motivational factors sustain creative practice over time?
• How do humans and artificial intelligence systems collaborate effectively in creative tasks?

Application Process for Mentoring

Step 1: Submit a draft research proposal (1-2 pages) by 31 January 2026. Your draft must include:

• A clear, focused research question
• Proposed methodology
• Engagement with current creativity and behavioural science literature
• Articulation of the research’s significance

Step 2: I will review submissions and shortlist 2-3 candidates for mentoring.

Step 3: Shortlisted candidates will receive approximately three hours of individual mentoring to refine their proposals.

Step 4: Submit your revised proposal to the university competition by 4 March 2026.

Important: The mentoring process strengthens existing proposal drafts. Your initial submission should demonstrate substantial preliminary thinking about a specific research question, not early-stage ideas requiring development.

Additional Information

University competition details: Kingston University Studentship Competition

Industry partnerships: Organisations interested in sponsoring research on creativity, innovation, or behavioural change are invited to contact me regarding collaborative opportunities.

Self-funded candidates: Applications for supervision are welcome from self-funded doctoral candidates.

Timeline: Submit draft proposals as soon as possible to allow adequate time for the mentoring and refinement process before the March deadline.