General information

The Tizard Centre is one of the leading academic groups concerned with learning disabilities and community care.  Successful applicants will have the opportunity to work alongside academics renowned nationally and internationally for their contributions to the field.

The Tizard Centre offers the following research programmes on a full or part-time basis:

Community Care (MPhil and PhD)   
Intellectual & Development Disabilities (MPhil and PhD)
Applied Psychology (MPhil and PhD)
Clinical Psychology of Intellectual & Development Disabilities (MPhil and PhD)
Mental Health (MPhil and PhD)
Applied Behaviour Analysis (MSc) - New September 2012, Behavior Analyst Certification Board approval currently sought.

 

Potential topics and supervisors

We welcome applications concerning all aspects of community care, but the academic staff named below are particularly interested in supervising research in the following specialist areas:

1. Learning Disabilities

Professor Glynis Murphy on autism/learning disabilities and challenging behaviour; augmentative communication systems; mental capacity; witnesses and suspects with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system; cognitive behaviour therapy and learning disabilities; secure services and learning disabilities

Peter McGill on  analysis of causes of challenging behaviour in people with severe learning disabilities especially gene x environment and physiology x environment interactions ;  residential school placement of children with severe learning disabilities;  reducing the prevalence of challenging behaviour in services for people with learning disabilities.

Dr Michelle McCarthy on the broad areas of sexuality; sexual abuse; sexual and reproductive health, especially for women with learning disabilities.

Dr Mecca Chiesa on communication strategies in learning disabilities/autism; fluency-based instruction in learning disabilities/autism; applied behaviour analysis and learning disabilities/autism

Dr Nick Gore on supported employment and people with complex needs – Evaluation and research development of SHIEC – Sustainable Hub of Innovative Employment for people with Complex needs. Approaches to support, outcomes and maintenance for individuals, families, paid carers and employers.  

 

2. Learning disabilities, mental health and older people

Dr Rachel Forrester-Jones on community care outcomes; social networks and social support relating to all client groups including university students; social inclusion; social environments; transport; supported employment, death and bereavement and spirituality.  

 

Individual staff can be contacted to discuss research ideas in their respective areas.

 

For a more general discussion, please phone Dr Michelle McCarthy on 01227 827997 on Wednesdays and Fridays only or email M.McCarthy@kent.ac.uk

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Funding

The Tizard Centre has one departmental studentship to award to an outstanding applicant. This covers tuition fees, plus a bursary of £10, 500 per annum for a period of 3 years. If you wish to be considered for the studentship, please include a covering letter to that effect with your application.

Closing date: Bursary now closed for 2012
This is advertised in October /November of each year.

 

For an informal discussion, please phone Dr Michelle McCarthy on 01227 827997 on Wednesdays and Fridays only.

 

 

 

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Application

Applicants should have, or expect to receive a very good honours or Master's degree in a relevant social science subject such as psychology, social policy, social work or sociology.

The Centre is open to applications focused on any relevant topic. Applicants are welcome to contact individual members of staff they think would be potential supervisors. Applicants may also make general enquiries of Michelle McCarthy, PhD Programme Convenor (M.McCarthy@kent.ac.uk).

 

Information on applying online

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Supervision

Most students have a principal and a second supervisor, at least one of whom will have specialist knowledge of the research topic. The department's PhD Programme Convenor (currently Michelle McCarthy) takes an overseeing role, providing support to both PhD students and academic supervisors. In addition to routine meetings between the student and supervisor, a formal review of progress takes place by a supervisory panel every six months. Research students and supervisors each complete a six-monthly report on their progress. This covers the written or other work they have done, the skills they have acquired, who has seen their work, conferences attended, training received, obstacles to their progress, judgements about whether they are on schedule or not and what the supervisors are doing about this. This will be considered by the supervisory panel, which will make recommendations for any student whose progress is problematic.

Facilities

The University has excellent library and computing facilities. These include access to many on-line databases including PsychLit, Medline and the Web of Knowledge. The Computer Centre provides a range of courses and every student has an e-mail address and access to the Internet. The Tizard Centre provides computers and video equipment and computer-based systems for the analysis of video. Postgraduate Research students are provided with shared office space with a computer and shared telephone.

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