Psychology
Portsmouth to become home of legal psychology
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:12:00 GMT
Threats from international terrorism, organised crime, criminal networks and violent gangs are to be addressed by a new doctoral programme offered by the University of Portsmouth.
From 2013, the University of Portsmouth, in collaboration with University of Maastricht (The Netherlands) and University of Gothenburg (Sweden), is offering approximately 25 fully funded PhD scholarships, to be taken up over the next three years. Key policing tactics such as lie detection, facial recognition, investigative interview techniques and best practice in the law courts will be tackled as part of the doctorate programme.
The collaboration, called the ‘House of Legal Psychology’ is designed to prepare a new generation of high calibre researchers as experts in cross-European legal, forensic and security domains.
Students will benefit from the expertise of world-leading researchers based across the three institutions in the fields of investigative and legal psychology. Students will also have the opportunity to work in collaboration with organisations such as government research bodies, public prosecution services, police forces, and defence agencies, who have already lent their support to the programme.
Dr Lorraine Hope, a reader in applied cognitive psychology at the International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology, University of Portsmouth said: “This is a unique opportunity for researchers to work with police and security personnel to find cost-effective solutions to problems. Research scientists trained in the programme will not only drive forward scientific advances in the field but will also be well-equipped to influence policy and practice across Europe”.
In the UK, the doctorate will be lead by Professor Aldert Vrij, Dr Lorraine Hope and Dr James Sauer.
The posts are funded as part of an EU Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate grant worth more than 5 million EUR.
For more information about the programme and how to apply see http://legalpsychology.eu/
The deadline for applications is 31 January 2013.