Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences

🎓 CALL FOR PhD APPLICATIONS — 1 DOCTORAL POSITION

🤖 AI and Civic Participation: How Do Citizen Voices Shape Public Policy?

Public policy is often designed for people, but not always with them.
How can AI help policymakers better understand the priorities, concerns, and lived experiences of citizens—especially those whose voices are rarely heard?

, Amrit_University, invites applications for a full-time PhD position under Associate Professor Victoria Ustenko.

This interdisciplinary project sits at the intersection of AI, public policy, and civic participation. Using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and computational social science methods, you will investigate how citizen perspectives travel—or fail to travel—into policy agendas.

🔍 Research Focus
• Analyse how citizens frame real-world challenges in their own words
• Map public concerns to policy priorities in areas such as environment, gender equality, and social policy
• Develop scalable tools for more inclusive and responsive policymaking

✨ Why this PhD?
✅ Work at the frontier of AI and governance
✅ Build open-source tools for policymakers and practitioners
✅ Collaborate with researchers from the University of Groningen
✅ Help bring rural and underserved voices into policy design

🎓 We're looking for candidates with a Master's degree in Computational Social Science, Data Science, Public Policy, Political Science, Sociology, Computational Linguistics, or related fields.

📊 Experience with quantitative methods, Python or R, NLP, topic modelling, policy research, or fieldwork will be an advantage.

👥 1 Full-Time Position

📩 Apply here: https://aoap.amrita.edu/phd-26/index/
For enquiries: [email protected]



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🎓 CALL FOR PhD APPLICATIONS — 1 DOCTORAL POSITION
🌱 PhD Opportunity in Development Studies | Transforming Agroforestry in Tribal India

Why do some communities achieve remarkable agroforestry outcomes while others struggle under seemingly similar conditions?

In Odisha's tribal regions, the WADI programme has planted millions of mango and cashew trees. Yet survival rates vary dramatically between villages. Understanding why could help improve livelihoods, strengthen climate resilience, and inform the future of rural development.

The School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (), invites applications for a PhD position under Associate Professor Victoria Ustenko.

This is not just a data analysis project. You will combine rigorous quantitative research with field engagement to uncover the drivers of agroforestry success and co-design practical interventions with farming communities and programme partners.

✨ Why this PhD?
✅ Work on one of India's largest agroforestry initiatives supported by
✅ Move from data to real-world intervention design
✅ Contribute directly to programme and policy decision-making
✅ Engage in an emerging international collaboration with Tel Aviv University

🎓 We are seeking candidates with a Master's degree in Economics, Development Studies, or a quantitative social science discipline, with strong analytical skills and experience in R, Stata, or Python.

👥 1 Full-Time Position

For enquiries: [email protected]

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🎓 CALL FOR PhD APPLICATIONS — 1 DOCTORAL POSITION
Can behavioural science help turn policy into lasting change?

The School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (2Amrita_SSBS), , invites applications for a PhD position under Associate Professor Victoria Ustenko.

Working across areas such as safe drinking water, coastal livelihoods, and environmental sustainability, this project explores how behavioural and social factors shape the success of development interventions.

🔬 You'll:
• Diagnose behavioural barriers in rural communities
• Design and test real-world interventions
• Conduct field-based research
• Generate evidence that informs policy and practice

✨ Why this PhD?
✅ Hands-on field research
✅ Mixed-methods impact evaluation
✅ Emerging collaboration with TU Delft
✅ Direct relevance to government, CSR, and development programmes

🎓 We're looking for candidates with a Master's degree in Psychology, Behavioural Science, Economics, Public Health, Development Studies, or related fields, with strong quantitative research skills.

👥 1 Full-Time Position
📩 Apply here: https://aoap.amrita.edu/phd-26/index/
For enquiries: [email protected]

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CALL FOR PhD APPLICATIONS — 2 DOCTORAL POSITIONS

Skills Intelligence: Reimagining Vocational Training through AI & Neurotechnology
Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (hashtag ), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, in partnership with AMMACHI Labs, invites applications for two PhD positions on a DST-CSRI funded research project that sits at the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, machine learning, and human dexterity.

The Mission
For 15 years, AMMACHI Labs has trained women across 21 Indian states in vocational trades. Now we are decoding the science of expertise itself — using EEG, motion capture, and AI to understand how master tailors organize the "motor synergies" that novices have not yet discovered.
The outcome: a scalable, AI-driven training ecosystem that can transform livelihoods for India's informal labour sector.

Two PhD Positions
Neuroscience Scholar — design EEG + behavioural experiments mapping cognitive load, attention, and memory during skill acquisition.
Biomechanics Scholar — use motion-capture and wearable sensor data to model expert vs. novice motor coordination.
Who we're looking for
MSc in Cognitive Science, Psychology, Neuroscience, Biomechanics, Kinesiology, Biomedical Engineering, or related fields — with strong programming / AI skills (Python, MATLAB, EEGLAB, OpenSim).
Why pursue your doctorate here?
Hands-on access to Tesla Suits, Rokoko Smartsuits & Smartgloves, Brain Products LiveAmp EEG, Emotiv EEG, VR & HoloLens headsets, and HPC
Confirmed international collaboration with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, USA
Industry advisory from the Chief AI Scientist, UrbanKisaan
Structured Q1 publication pipeline with mentorship support
Real-world deployment through AMMACHI Labs field pilots across rural India
Active DST-CSRI funded research project with industry pilot pathway
Principal Investigator: Dr. Gayathri Manikutty, Assistant Professor,
, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Project page:
https://lnkd.in/gqfhAfnp

SSBS:
https://lnkd.in/gSbFznjp

Follow us:
https://lnkd.in/gUfjsR8r

Apply, share, or tag a prospective doctoral scholar in the comments.
Scholarship and funding options will be discussed as part of the admissions process.



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hashtag

CALL FOR PhD APPLICATIONS — DOCTORAL POSITION

Reimagining Community-Centred Research through AI & Participatory Methods
Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (hashtag ), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, invites applications for a PhD position under Dr. Srividya Seshadri.

The Challenge
Communities are dynamic and constantly changing. Yet much of social research still relies on fixed scales, standardised surveys, and periodic snapshots.
At hashtag , we believe the gap is not in the communities. It is in the methods.
Grounded in the hashtag framework and real-world deployments, this research aims to develop new approaches for understanding, measuring, and responding to community realities.

Research Areas
• Computational Metrics from Real-World Data
• Accountable AI in Community Settings
• Bridging Field Voices to Programme & Policy Insight
• Vulnerability-Mapped Community Digital Twins
Who We're Looking For
Scholars working at the intersection of:
• Social Work, Development Studies, Gender Studies, or Public Policy
• AI/ML, Social Data Science, or Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Implementation Science, Rural Management, or Engineering
Why pursue your doctorate here?
Develop new methodologies for community-centred research
Work with real-world data and field-deployed technologies
Collaborate across social science, AI, and development practice
Shape tools and frameworks that inform programmes and policy
Apply, share, or tag a prospective doctoral scholar in the comments.




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🎓 CALL FOR PhD APPLICATIONS — 1 DOCTORAL POSITION
⚖️ Algorithmic Bias, Digital Entrepreneurship, and Gender: Mapping Policy Gaps for Women in India's Technology Economy
Algorithms increasingly shape who gets hired, who receives credit, and who gains access to economic opportunity. But who ensures these systems are fair?
Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences ( ), Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, invites applications for a PhD position under Assistant Professor Nimita Pandey to investigate how digital systems influence women's participation in India's technology economy—and how policy can respond.
This project explores the intersection of:
🔹 Gender and Technology
🔹 Digital Governance and Public Policy
🔹 AI, Fairness, and Accountability
🔹 Entrepreneurship and Economic Inclusion
From hiring platforms to financial technologies, the research will examine where algorithmic systems create unequal outcomes and what reforms are needed to align India's digital future with principles of equity and inclusion.
👥 1 Full-Time Position
📩 Apply, share, or tag a prospective doctoral scholar in the comments.

The Psychology of Sacred Places and Sustainable Behaviour | TAG, Cultural Studies and Social Change TAG: T_353|

Are you interested in how values, identity, and place attachment drive pro-environmental action? Join Dr. Mukil M.V. for a groundbreaking PhD project exploring The Experience of Sacred Places: Meaning, Attachment, and the Psychology of Sustainable Behaviour.

This study moves beyond information and incentives to look at the most enduring driver of sustainability: Meaning.

The Research Mission:

The Framework: Operationalize the Daya-Dama-Dana model (Compassion toward living beings, Restraint in consumption, and Generosity toward the commons).

The Methodology: A sequential mixed-methods design involving phenomenological fieldwork across three distinct cultural contexts and the development of a new psychometric instrument.

The Goal: To understand the conditions that allow the meanings formed in sacred sites to persist—or fade—in daily life.

Candidate Requirements:

Education: Master’s degree in Psychology, Social Work (MSW), Anthropology, or related behavioral sciences.

Skills: Strong qualitative and quantitative potential, comfort with cross-cultural fieldwork, and excellent English writing skills.

Position Details: 👥 1 Full-Time Position 📍 Amritapuri Campus 📈 Impact: Confirmed pipeline for Q1 publications and established community access for immediate fieldwork.

This is a rare opportunity to join a cumulative research program that bridges environmental psychology and cultural studies to address the global climate challenge.

📩 Ready to apply? Visit [Insert Link/Email] for full details.

PhD Opportunity: Gender Harmony and Community Resilience in Rural Karnataka

The School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, invites applications for a PhD project on Gender Harmony and Community Resilience: Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Kolar District.

Gender-based violence is not only a private household issue. It is also shaped by community norms, institutional response systems, local leadership, economic vulnerability, migration, and access to support.
This PhD project is grounded in the Gender Harmony Program, a community-based initiative in Karnataka designed to strengthen local systems for the prevention and response to gender-based violence, especially intimate partner violence.
The scholar will work in rural field contexts, particularly in Kolar district, with Self-Help Groups, Gender Point Persons, Panchayat representatives, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, police, health workers, schools, youth groups, and other community stakeholders.

The project follows a district-to-village cascade model: building institutional support, training local gender champions, strengthening referral pathways, supporting community dialogue, and helping Ward Members develop practical action plans for GBV prevention and response.

We are looking for candidates with an MSW or related social work background, preferably with Kannada language skills, fieldwork readiness, and sensitivity to working on gender-based violence, community resilience, and rural development.

This is a hands-on PhD opportunity for someone who wants their research to be deeply connected to community practice, institutional change, and real-world social impact.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply through the SSBS PhD admissions process.