Supporting Education

PhD support

Not content with transforming research, our Behavioural Science Lab also plays a critical role in delivering transformational research-led education.

Opportunities to design, conduct and analyse experiments can be pivotal in the early stages of academic careers which is why we provide funding to support research students.

Each year we allocate a total of £25,000 in ‘seedcorn’ grants [link to page 4c] allowing junior researchers to conduct pilot studies which we help them scale up to attract external funding.

How ‘seedcorn’ grants have transformed PhD research

Gabriele Navyte is a student in the Department of Psychology and Institute for Social and Economic Research. She was inspired by working as a visiting carer to study how affectionate touch impacts physiological health among older adults.

Attracted by its ability to test multiple participants and collect data from several psychophysiological markers simultaneously, Gabriele used the Lab’s biometric testing equipment to study how people responded to videos of hugs.

Natasha Brooks is a student in the Department of Economics. She used the Lab to inform two chapters of her thesis, exploring the effect that varying tangibility and ownership has on the ‘endowment effect’, which suggests we value something more when we own it.

In her experiments participants were asked to value a coffee mug. In each session they were either buyers or sellers. Using the Lab allowed Natasha to easily vary whether participants could see or hold the mug and whether they had property rights, and incorporate specialist software she needed for her experiment.

When and how can I apply?

Calls for funding are held twice a year, once in late summer for autumn term, and once in the autumn term for the remainder of the year.

Email us for information about funding rules and an application form

Lab assistants

As well as a dedicated Lab Manager, the Behavioural Science Lab is staffed by a team of highly-trained student lab assistants, ensuring experiments run smoothly while giving students the opportunity to cultivate the skills they need to excel.

The role of our lab assistants

Our lab assistants are at the forefront of our experimental research, trained to oversee the Lab environment and work with researchers and participants.

Duties include:

• Experienced assistants are assigned specific areas of responsibility such as recruiting participants, troubleshooting technical problems, and acting as primary contacts for questions about biometric equipment.
• Lab assistant study coordinators are assigned to individual researchers, working one-to-one to deliver specific experiments successfully.
• A senior lab assistant deputises for the Lab Manager and coordinates the rest of the team.

Our dedicated student team make our Lab one of the best staffed behavioural science labs in the UK.

What our lab assistants say

Senior lab assistant Anca Sticlaru has worked in the Lab throughout her undergraduate and postgraduate study. The role has been pivotal to her Essex experience and even shaped the course of her studies, encouraging her to pursue a Masters that involved software research and technical data analytics skills.

Former lab assistant Kristina Enger is now a Senior Consultant at Deloitte, focusing on sustainable supply chains. Her time at the Lab gave her skills in data analysis, problem-solving and attention to detail which have helped shape her career:

Former lab assistant Dragos Gruia is now doing a PhD in neuroscience at Imperial College. When he came to Essex he wanted to pursue a clinical career but working in our Lab gave him the skills and knowledge he needed to combine his interest in the clinical field with research. Today he’s using computational methods to improve outcomes for patients in the NHS that suffer from cerebrovascular disease.

Additional skills development

Each week, lab assistant stake part in weekly journal clubs where they choose a research paper to present.

Led by the Lab Manager, they learn how to critique the paper and question the statistical methods used.

As well as exposing students to a wide variety of different disciplines and studies, it helps our students develop vital critical thinking and communication skills.

If you’d like to join our student team, email us to find out how you can apply.