To apply for a specific position please see the relevant details below.
I am also currently interviewing for PhD positions beginning in September 2022 with the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics. Areas of interest for these positions include human AI collaboration, designing to support autonomy, health recommender systems, and digital mental health. To discuss these positions please contact me directly.
PhD position: HCI and Digital Mental Health
Project focus: Supporting help-seeking and recommendations for mental health in young adults
Duration: up to 4 years full time with HCI@UCD and d-real, the SFI Centre for Research Training in Digitally-Enhanced Reality
Funding: An initial tax free stipend of €18,500 per annum for up to 4 years is provided, plus full PhD fees at University College Dublin and funding to support research and training, including travel and conference attendance. The stipend can be supplemented through optional paid work as a Teaching Assistant or Demonstrator, bringing the expected funding to approximately €22,000 to €25,000 per annum dependant on roles undertaken.
Deadline: 16.00 (Irish time) on Tuesday 19th April 2022.
Applications:
Application can be made through the d-real website at https://d-real.ie/apply-to-d-real/ and using the project code 2022UCD02
If you would like to discuss this position before making a formal application you can also email me at d.coyle@ucd.ie.
Description: Seeking help is a critical first step in addressing mental health difficulties. Evidence suggests that positive help-seeking experiences contribute to an increased likelihood of future help-seeking and to improved mental health outcomes. Increasingly help-seeking now starts online. However, help-seeking is a complex process. This project will address known limitations of current online help-seeking technologies, including a tendency towards information overload, medicalized recommendations, and a lack of personalization. It will focus on the help-seek needs of young adults, aged 18-25 and will be undertaken in collaboration with national youth mental health organisations. The aim is to develop guided help-seeking technologies including voice and chat-based agent systems, social help-seeking technologies, and conversational recommender systems. The research will be guided by past research that has emphasised the importance of four key design considerations: support for different levels of human connectedness, accessible and trustworthy information, personalisation that respects autonomy, and the need for immediacy. From a theoretical perspective it will explore how traditional models of help-seeking can be integrated with theories of information search and of engagement in Human Computer Interaction.
Requirements: We are seeking a highly motivated PhD student, with a genuine interest in HCI for digital mental health. A first-class or 2.1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Psychology or related field is required. A Masters (or equivalent) in Human Computer Interaction or other relevant discipline is also desirable.
The successful candidate will be enrolled on the structured PhD program at UCD. They are also expected to play an active role in the HCI@UCD research group. There is a strong expectation that their work will be published at leading international journals and conferences.
Language: Non-native English speakers require IELTS at least 6.5 (with at least 6 in all components) or equivalent (see link for details on test equivalence).
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