[Commlist] PhD Scholarship on Mainstreaming Climate Policy Misinformation School of English, Media and Creative Arts

PhD Scholarship on Mainstreaming Climate Policy Misinformation School of 
English, Media and Creative Arts (SEMCA)

Application(s) are invited from suitably qualified candidates for a 
full-time, funded PhD scholarship in the Discipline of Journalism and 
Media within SEMCA at the University of Galway.

This position is co-funded by Taighde Éireann (Research Ireland), the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Met Eireann, and the Sustainable 
Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

University of Galway
Located in the vibrant cultural city of Galway in the west of Ireland, 
the University of Galway has a distinguished reputation for teaching and 
research excellence. For information on moving to Ireland please see 
www.euraxess.ie

Detailed Project Description
This is an exciting opportunity to undertake a PhD as part of a Research 
Ireland Project addressing the emerging and urgent challenge of climate 
policy misinformation. The project, entitled Tackling Climate 
Misinformation in Ireland: An Evidence Base and Novel Resources for 
Journalists and Communications Professionals (CLiME) examines how 
misleading claims, delay discourses, and climate-sceptic arguments — 
particularly in relation to decarbonising agriculture — are reproduced 
and normalised within Irish news media and public discourse.

The PhD candidate will play an important role in the project working 
collaboratively with the PI and a postdoctoral researcher, and there 
will be excellent training and travel opportunities. The candidate will 
also have opportunities to gain teaching experience. The supervisory 
team will include Dr Brenda McNally (PI) and co-supervisor Professor 
Karyn Morrissey. The project is also supported by an advisory board of 
international experts in the field.

CLiME’s overarching aim is to shed light on the evolving forms of 
climate misinformation, to provide an evidence base of climate policy 
misinformation in Ireland and to raise awareness of the discursive 
strategies used to mainstream climate policy misinformation, while also 
interrogating the political and institutional power structures that 
enable their mainstreaming. The successful PhD candidate will conduct 
foundational research by identifying misleading and climate sceptic 
claims in news media coverage about decarbonising agriculture – a key 
area of climate policy contestation in Ireland and contribute to 
knowledge of the influence of journalistic news routines and production 
practices on the reproduction of misinformation in Irish news media. The 
findings of the PhD research will be used to inform the development of 
evidence-based tools and resources to support journalists and 
communication professionals.

The post will also provide the opportunity to develop a range of highly 
transferable skills, including policy translation, stakeholder 
engagement, public communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and 
project management — all of which are relevant for academic careers as 
well as roles in the public, non-profit, and media sectors.
The ideal candidate will have a background in qualitative research, news 
media analysis, or misinformation studies, with an interest in strategic 
political communication. This is an opportunity to contribute to current 
debates on climate action, public trust, and media responsibility, while 
also advancing scholarship in climate policy misinformation, journalism 
studies, and environmental communication.

The successful candidate will be based in the Moore Institute for the 
Humanities and Social Studies (MI) at the University of Galway and will 
be a registered student within SEMCA. MI provides a particularly 
supportive environment for early career researchers and is a first 
port-of-call for collaborators working in academia, the Cultural and 
Creative Industries (CCIs), government, and industry. They will also 
have access to the Researcher Development Centre, which supports 
researcher training, researcher career development and the integration 
of researchers into
University of Galway’s community.

Living allowance (Stipend): €25,000 per annum [tax-exempt scholarship 
award]. Computer equipment and funding for travel (e.g. to conferences) 
as well as attendance at international summer schools will be provided 
in addition to the stipend.
University fees: Funding support is in place for 4 years of fees.

Start date: 1st September 2025.
Academic Entry Requirements: An MA/MSc in any of the following areas: 
Media and Communications; Journalism Studies; Political Science; Social 
Sciences; or a related area to at least a high 2:1 standard. Other 
evidence that signifies suitability for the programme (e.g. demonstrated 
interest in misinformation studies, journalism studies and/or climate 
communication research).


Essential Selection Criteria

·	Master’s degree to honours 2:1 standard (or equivalent international 
qualification) in a relevant area, such as Media and Communications or 
Social Sciences
·	Evidence of an ability to carry out independent research

·	Highly self-motivated

·	Excellent written and oral communication skills
·	Ability to work independently and as part of a team

·	High level of spoken and written English. Please see link for details 
entry requirements



Desirable Selection Criteria

·	Professional experience in environmental/climate communication or 
misinformation studies

·	Experience of working as part of a research team


To Apply for the Scholarship: Email a cover letter and CV with TWO 
references in one PDF File with your name and CLiME as the file name to 
(Brenda.mcnally /at/ universityofireland.ie)
The cover letter should include the following information:

i)	Academic Awards or Scholarships received (max 300 words)

ii)	Details of your previous research experience (max 500 words)

iii)	Personal statement on your motivation for pursuing a PhD on this 
research topic and why you are particularly suited to the CLiME research 
project (max 1000 words).
iv)	Please provide any other relevant information (max 500 words).

v)	TWO academic references with full contact details. References listed 
as ‘available on request’ will not be accepted.
PLEASE SUBMIT ALL INFORMATION IN ONE PDF DOCUMENT


Contact Name: Dr. Brenda McNally

Contact Email: (brenda.mcnally /at/ univesityofgalway.ie) Application Deadline: 
6th June, 2025, 17:00 hours Primary Supervisor name: Dr Brenda McNally


•	Keywords:
Climate Communication, Misinformation Studies, News Media Analysis, 
Political Communication, Environmental Communication.



---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------