Transdisciplinary and Systems Thinking in Design and Creative Arts (Ref: SDCA26-SF-004)

About the Project

Transdisciplinarity and systems thinking embrace complexity, seeking holistic approaches to interconnected societal challenges. This area fosters collaboration across disciplines, for example, public health, business, education, engineering, and governance—to address issues such as health equity, urban resilience, and social innovation. Challenges include developing the theoretical underpinnings for integrating diverse knowledge systems, navigating disciplinary boundaries, and designing and creating for emergent outcomes. Research questions include: How can design and creative methods facilitate dialogue and co-creation across sectors and communities? What tools and frameworks support systems thinking in design and creative arts education and practice? How can design and creative arts interventions be evaluated within complex adaptive systems? Projects may involve strategic design, futures thinking, ergonomics and human factors, storytelling, design for policy, and collaborative innovation, with a focus on building bridges between disciplines to tackle real-world problems.

Supervisor

Prof Claire Warden (C.Warden@lboro.ac.uk)

Tuition fees for 2026-27 entry

• UK fee - £5,238 Full-time degree per annum
• International fee - £29,500 Full-time degree per annum

Fees for the 2026-27 academic year apply to projects starting in October 2026, February 2027 and July 2027.

UK tuition fees for 2026/27 are currently to be confirmed pending the release of the UKRI recommended rates. Once published, these rates will be subject to formal approval by the University before being confirmed.

Opportunity Details

• Target Start Date: October 2026
• Full time or part time available.
• Open to UK and international applicants.

How to Apply

We welcome discussions with interested candidates.

• Step 1: Interested applicants should first contact Professor Claire Warden (C.Warden@lboro.ac.uk) to discuss your research interests and funding options.
• Step 2: Applicants are then strongly encouraged to contact potential supervisors with a CV, academic transcripts, and confirmation of funding sources or planned funding sources.
• Step 3: following any informal discussion, applicants are invited to make a formal application on the Loughborough Website.