Applications are invited for a three-year, full-time PhD studentship, funded by the Qatar National Research Fund, to be based in Qatar. The studentship forms an integral part of a research project on how bullying develops in children. The PhD student will be expected to study the risk factors and the consequences of cyberbullying amongst children and adolescents in Qatar, perform meta-analysis and systematic review, and review the legal and health aspects surrounding cyberbullying in Qatar. The PhD student will be responsible for liaising with schools in Qatar and parents, recruiting and interviewing children, and data analysis. They will also be involved in the writing-up of journal articles and dissemination of findings. The PhD student will be based in Qatar and it requires occasional visits to the UK to coordinate the work with a UK-based research fellow who is working on the same project. Knowledge of Arabic language is highly desirable.

The selected PhD student will be supervised by Dr Muthanna Samara. Applicants should be committed to pursuing psychological research to the doctoral level, focusing on the topic of the precursors and consequences of cyberbullying, and working both individually and as part of a team. 

The studentship will pay $30,000 a year for the duration of 3 years.

Candidates should review the further particulars for the studentship (below). Potential applicants may contact Dr Muthanna Samara with further enquiries related to the research project at M.Samara@kingston.ac.uk

Eligibility criteria
Applicants should hold a good first degree and a good MSc in Psychology or related discipline, demonstrate familiarity with the topic of bullying and aggression amongst children, as well as skills in statistical analysis using SPSS and using the reference management (e.g. Endnote) and electronic databases.

Please note that the studentship cannot be held on a part-time basis. The fees of $ 30,000 will be paid and students should cover their tuition fees and living expenses from these fees.

Applications instructions:
Applications should be sent to b.sainz-garcia@kingston.ac.uk via the Apply button below. Please include the following materials in your application (incomplete applications will not be processed): 

• a covering letter, including your contact details and describing your research interests and expertise carrying out psychological research.
• a CV.
• official transcripts and degree certificates for undergraduate and MSc degrees.
• the names and contact details of 2 referees, to be contacted in the event that your application is long-listed.
• a short writing sample (1,000 words max.).

Short-listed candidates will be asked to be interviewed for the studentship.

The closing date for application is on 30^th October 2013.

The start date of the studentship will be as soon as possible.

Further particulars
The selected PhD student will be expected to contribute to the design of the research project including interviews with children and children and schools recruitment and data collection, data entry, analysis, and reporting using advanced statistical analysis techniques using SPSS, as well as contributing to the dissemination of results in the form of written articles and oral communications at national and international conferences. The PhD student will work closely with Dr Samara on the research, with bi-weekly meetings to discuss research papers and assess progress of the research. The student will also be expected to coordinate research activities and will be required to take part in some research training, which will further support the development of his or her research skills.