[PHILOS-L] PhD Position in Philosophy: University College Dublin (cognition, moral psychology, ethics and technology)

[Leda Berio]

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Fully Funded PhD Position in Philosophy (cognition, moral psychology,  language, ethics and technology)


The School of Philosophy, University College Dublin, advertises a PhD position in philosophy, starting in September 2026.

• PhD student stipend of €25k per year (tax free).
• €4k per year in research allowance
• Student fees are waived.
• Four years full time.
• Both EU and non-EU candidates are eligible.

The PhD candidate will work under the supervision of Leda Berio, who is currently Lecturer/Assistant Professor and Ad Astra Fellow at University College Dublin. The candidate’s proposed project and research interests should match Berio’s own areas of specialization. These are Social Cognition (in particular but not limited to Theory of Mind, mindshaping, comparative social cognition, emotions), Moral Psychology (in particular issues regarding the self and identity, the ethics of conversation and empathy, social norms), Ethics and Philosophy of Technology (in particular moral skills and AI use, HRI, empathy and technology, and the impact of technology on social norms), Social Philosophy (in particular feminist theory and folk theories of social groups), and Cognition and Language (in particular language learning and categorization, linguistic injustice and psychological essentialism, and related topics).
The candidate is expected to be proactive in proposing and organizing events (masterclasses, workshops, invited speakers, etc.) relevant to their topic of interest, using the research allowance. While the research project is expected to be in line with Berio’s interests, the candidate will be supported in developing their own research program.  Potential applicants are encouraged to look at Berio’s published papers, e.g. here, to gauge how well the proposal fits her research projects, and are encouraged to send informal inquiries regarding the possible match.

Application requirements:

• Academic CV
• Transcripts of previous degrees (undergraduate and postgraduate)
• Two confidential academic letters of recommendation, to be sent to the email address below by the letter writers or a dossier service. Letter writers should include applicant’s name in title, like this: ‘Recommendation: LAST NAME, FIRST NAME’.
• Writing sample (max. 8000 words)
• 2-page research proposal
• 1-page cover letter
• Proof of English proficiency (IELTS of 7 total score, with no band below 6.5, or alternatively a bachelor’s or master’s degree completed in English and obtained from an English speaking institution in an English speaking country, within the past 3-years from date of application)

Send application materials as PDFs to ad.phi...@ucd.ie with the subject line AD ASTRA PhD
Deadline: April 15th, 2026.
Interviews will be held between April 28th and May7th


We offer a structured PhD program in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, which involves taught courses in the first year of study. In Dublin there is a very lively culture of collaborative research activity, invited speaker seminars, international conferences, and workshops. In any one year our School has about 20 MA students and 35 doctoral students. Our research students are offered the opportunity to act as tutors and teaching assistants and have been successful in attracting national and international research funding, including postgraduate and postdoctoral fellowships. Philosophy PhDs from UCD have been able to secure permanent academic jobs in universities around the world.
UCD School of Philosophy has been ranked among the top 100 QS Philosophy departments in the world and was awarded an Athena SWAN Bronze Award in May 2025.

Click here for more information on UCD School of Philosophy and here for more information on doing a PhD at UCD.

For enquiries please contact the School Manager, Gillian Johnston (gillian....@ucd.ie), or Leda Berio (leda....@ucd.ie)

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Leda Berio, PhD

Ad Astra Fellow | Assistant Professor 

School of Philosophy

University College Dublin, Ireland 

Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

Office D515

Newman Building D515

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