PhD Studentship: Understanding and Changing Driver Behaviours in Situations of Acute Stress

University of Birmingham - Birmingham Medical School

The Centre for National Training and Research Excellence in Understanding Behaviour (Centre-UB) is inviting applications for a Doctoral Studentship in association with our collaborative partner, Department for Transport, to start in October 2026.

This PhD will aim to understand how driver behaviours change under acute situational stress—short-term, context-specific increases in cognitive load, perceived stress, and time-related urgency. It will translate this understanding into practical interventions for policy and operations.

The project will model behaviour as a shifting continuum influenced by perceived time pressure, traffic density, uncertainty, expectations of disruption and the physical/social environment. Such acute situational stressors arise in scenarios ranging from routine congestion to stadium egress, border queues, major power outages (and the resulting loss of communications and systems functionality), and emergency evacuations.

The PhD student will use systems thinking to map the psychosocial processes that drive behavioural tipping points; those moments when drivers begin to engage in maladaptive behaviour (e.g. rule-bending, blocking, queue-jumping). The student will also examine whether and why these behaviours are disproportionately displayed by certain groups (e.g., elderly people, those with disabilities, tourists unfamiliar with local norms or emergency protocols) and they will identify interventions - communications, routing strategies, preparedness cues - that help keep behaviour in safer, more cooperative regimes, thereby making road networks safer, more equitable, and more resilient.

The PhD student will undertake a full research programme: interviewing participants, leading focus groups, designing studies, analysing data, developing models, designing technological, educational and policy concepts, and co-producing interventions with DfT and other partners. The PhD student will be based at the University of Birmingham and supervised by Professor Russell Beale and Dr Renate Reniers, who bring expertise in the areas of human computer interaction and psychology respectively. The PhD student will be co-supervised by DfT’s Behavioural Science team, work alongside DfT teams at key stages, and have access to operational expertise and real-world datasets.

We are looking for a highly talented and dedicated PhD student with a 1st class or 2:1 degree, or good masters degree, in a related field such as human-computer interaction, behavioural science, psychology, or cognitive science, reflecting the true interdisciplinary nature of the project. Previous experience with qualitative and quantitative research, the design of behavioural interventions, computer-based modelling and simulation, and online experiments is desirable. Prospective applicants are not expected to be expert in all these areas as training and support will be given where appropriate, but they must demonstrate a range of inter-disciplinary skills and be focussed on human-centred solutions supported by technology.

To be considered for this PhD, please follow the instructions on www.centre-ub.org

Application deadline: May 1, 2026, 5pm

Interviews for this studentship are expected to take place 26th May, online.

Centre-UB studentships cover tuition fees, a maintenance stipend, support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. This application is open to UK home students only. You can find further details on www.centre-ub.org.

Informal enquiries about the project prior to application can be directed to Dr Renate Reniers at r.l.e.p.reniers@bham.ac.uk.