ESRC DTP Collaborative Studentship: Understanding “Common Factors” in Therapeutic Relationships with Autistic Young People

The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). One of 15 such partnerships in the UK, the Midlands Graduate School is a collaboration between the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham, Nottingham, Aston Leicester, Loughborough, De Montfort and Nottingham Trent.

University of Birmingham as part of Midlands Graduate School is now inviting applications for an ESRC Doctoral Studentship in association with our collaborative partner Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust to commence in October 2026.

Autistic young people experience mental health difficulties at vastly increased rates in comparison to their neurotypical counterparts. How to meet this need remains an open question. It is well-evidenced that psychological therapies are effective treatments for common mental health problems in autistic young people, but their effectiveness is significantly less than for the neurotypical population. The treatment gap in mental health for autistic people reflects a significant social inequality and has a negative impact on their wellbeing and achievements. Consistent findings from research in psychological therapy suggest that “common factors”, such as alliance, empathy and therapist expectation can be as important as the “content” of the therapy itself. Surprisingly, investigation of “common factors” in therapy with autistic people has been relatively scarce. Research is needed to drive improvements in practice.

The School of Psychology and Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s Psychology team have partnered to try and address this need. The successful applicant will work under the supervision of Dr Andrew Surtees and Dr Gary Law at University of Birmingham, and Dr Davy Evans with Birmingham Children’s Hospital. They will use longitudinal survey methods to track common factors in therapy with autistic young people over time. They will use experimental methods to examine biases that might impact common factors in relationships with autistic people. They will develop and evaluate a training package to implement their findings and progress towards impact. They will work with Clinical Psychologists to understand key decision-making in clinical practice. They will work with experts by experience group to shape research questions that are meaningful for service users. They will work towards a programme of research and impact to support meaningful outcomes.

We are keen to work with a candidate who has a strong passion for research, and an interest in the intersection between neurodiversity, mental health and developmental science. The successful applicant will have strong analytical skills, good knowledge of research and theory in psychological science, a strong work ethic and a passion for clinical psychology.

Application Process

To be considered for this PhD, please complete the Collaborative Studentship application form available online via the 'Apply' button above. Applicants will be required to upload an anonymised CV, anonymised cover letter, and transcripts as part of the online application process.

Application deadline: 25th February 2026

Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP

Our ESRC studentships cover fees at the home rate, a maintenance stipend, and extensive support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Support is available to both home and international applicants. For further details, visit: www.mgsdtp.ac.uk/studentships/eligibility/ .

Informal enquiries about the research or School of Psychology prior to application can be directed to A.Surtees@bham.ac.uk