Doctoral Project Briefs

Each year, Falmouth University invites MPhil and PhD project proposals that align with and respond to the Doctoral Project briefs.

About Doctoral Project briefs

Doctoral Project briefs are prospective research calls devised by Falmouth University staff to indicate our priority areas of research interest for research degree applicants.

Each brief considers our overarching Research & Innovation strategy and has been subsequently designed to align with one, or more, of our strategic aims. It's expected that research MPhil and PhD applicants will emphasise the link between their proposed project idea and our Research & Innovation strategy within their application.

Doctoral Project briefs are expressed in the form of challenges and have been designed to elicit a range of creative responses. In each case, it is imperative that applicants are able to demonstrate an imaginative, methodologically robust and independent response to the thematic area.

Although applications for PhDs are closed until November 2025, you can find below a list of doctoral briefs previously hosted by Falmouth University which demonstrates the scope of our research and areas of expertise found within our vibrant researcher community.

List of project briefs

RKE

African Portrait Photography Archives

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

African Portrait Photography Archives
RKE

African Textile Archives

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

African Textile Archives
Algorithmic Dramaturgies

Algorithmic Dramaturgies

We invite proposals for a PhD project exploring algorithmic dramaturgies: the temporal, affective, a...

Algorithmic Dramaturgies
Students sitting and under a fern and walking through Falmouth campus greenery.
Falmouth campus students under fern

ANIMAL/LAB 

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

ANIMAL/LAB 
Falmouth University Acting student sitting down with her arm raised above head
Acting - Scene Study 2
Photo by Elena Benedettini

Capturing “The Spirit of Kneehigh”

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Capturing “The Spirit of Kneehigh”
An image of a large garden on a sunny day
Fox Hill

Colliding voices

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Colliding voices
A group of students seated on sofas in a blue room with book cases and art on walls
Lighthouse school of communication students

Cozy Crime

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Cozy Crime
Students walking towards a gateway between red brick walls on Falmouth campus.
Students walking on Falmouth campus

Creating a Destination Storyworld

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Creating a Destination Storyworld
Soft lectures: James Hawes
James Hawes (Black Mirror) directing masterclass

Creative approaches to heritage challenges

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Creative approaches to heritage challenges
Penryn campus students outside exchange, sitting on grass
Penryn campus students outside exchange

Creative placemaking

The tangible, intangible, and mixed elements of place can be explored within this brief, to animate ...

Creative placemaking
Students in a square on campus
Stannary

Design for active living

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Design for active living
A group of people at a lecture
Fashion Redesign Forum 1

Credit: Matt Jessop

Design for Healthy Ageing

This doctoral brief invites you to investigate opportunities for design to support healthy ageing ac...

Design for Healthy Ageing
Digital Curation image

Digital Curation and the Networked Image

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Digital Curation and the Networked Image
Digital Dissent

Digital Dissent

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Digital Dissent
Falmouth University student immersed up to knees in river, bending down to view though camera on tripod.
BA(Hons) Marine & Natural History Photography 11
Photo by Adrian Brown

ENVIRO/PHOTO

Based within Falmouth’s Institute of Photography, but working with partners locally and globally, ...

ENVIRO/PHOTO
A white building behind greenery
fal campus building

Ethical, Sustainable, Development and Curriculum Design for the Creative Industries

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Ethical, Sustainable, Development and Curriculum Design for the Creative Industries
Sustainable Business
Sustainable Business

Exploring the Salience of Sustainable Development

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Exploring the Salience of Sustainable Development
Games Academy Facilities
Games Academy Facilities

Exploring the Transformative Potential of AI-Powered Serious Games in Education

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Exploring the Transformative Potential of AI-Powered Serious Games in Education
AIR Studio

Fashion Responses to Wearable Haptic Technologies (‘FRWHT’)

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Fashion Responses to Wearable Haptic Technologies (‘FRWHT’)
Students working in front of laptop
Marketing & Digital Communications MA Lead Image 2022

Folk Horror and Gothic/Crime Fiction

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Folk Horror and Gothic/Crime Fiction
microphone and audio recording screen photo
Podcast recording

Futures of Audio Storytelling

We're looking for theoretical and and practice-based doctoral project proposals which explore produc...

Futures of Audio Storytelling
View of busy games academy, students working on computers
Games Academy Slideshow 08

Games Education Landscapes

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Games Education Landscapes
Penryn Campus

Glitching Gender

This doctoral project will open up new critical and creative ways of thinking about the ways in whic...

Glitching Gender
Graphic design work presentations suspended in studio at Falmouth University
Graphic Design show gallery exhibition

Graphic Design Urgencies

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Graphic Design Urgencies
A pathway winds between apple trees in full blossom
Walled garden

Grunts and Squeaks and Squawks

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Grunts and Squeaks and Squawks
A white building behind greenery
fal campus building

Liveness, collaboration and sustainability in immersive audiovisual performance

This doctoral research project investigates how real-time audiovisual practices consider immersion, ...

Liveness, collaboration and sustainability in immersive audiovisual performance
Computing for Games student
Computing for Games student

Mixed-initiative artificial intelligence for the aquaculture industry

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Mixed-initiative artificial intelligence for the aquaculture industry
Library facilities
Library facilities

Neurodivergence in Magical Universes

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Neurodivergence in Magical Universes
Games Academy Facilities
Games Academy Facilities

Neuroplastic Reflective Game Design (NRGD)

This research project will investigate how structured reflection in digital games can activate neuro...

Neuroplastic Reflective Game Design (NRGD)
Student looking at computer
Computing for games

Peacegaming

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Peacegaming
Digital Poetries

Post-Digital Poetries and Poetics

This doctoral brief calls for creative new interpretations, examinations, and performances at the fo...

Post-Digital Poetries and Poetics
Antti RKE photo
Antti RKE photo

Post-Immersive Futures

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Post-Immersive Futures
Launchpad studio
Launchpad studio

Radical Ceramics and Alternative Communities

This collaborative project proposes developing a research project looking at new and diverse narrati...

Radical Ceramics and Alternative Communities
Art student working in studio with large window on Falmouth campus and person walking past and looking in.
UG14 Page 023: Fine Art Studio
Art studio, Falmouth Campus

Radical Spaces of Making

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Radical Spaces of Making
RKE

Re-performing Story Archives

This doctoral proposal encourages candidates to consider the distinctive nature of Cornwall, its wri...

Re-performing Story Archives
Fine Art summer shows 2023 work by Deborah Bunce
Fine Art summer shows 2023 work by Deborah Bunce

Work by Deborah Bunce

Re-thinking diagnosis: an artistic approach to diagnosis in mental health

The aim of this practice-led research project is to contribute to existing knowledge surrounding...

Re-thinking diagnosis: an artistic approach to diagnosis in mental health
Regenerative Economies

Regenerative Economies

We invite expressions of interest for doctoral research into the evolving field of regenerative econ...

Regenerative Economies
Students sit and read on the grass outside the Stannary
Students on grass

Right support, right place, right time

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Right support, right place, right time
Design journals on a desk in the foreground, students working out of focus in the background.
MA Communication Design - Luke Tonge
Visiting lecturer, Luke Tonge

Romance and/or Erotica

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Romance and/or Erotica
Social Sustainability
Social Sustainability

Social Sustainability

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Social Sustainability
Surfer inside the tube of a wave
Surfer on wave

Surfing & Sustainability

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Surfing & Sustainability
Design journals on a desk in the foreground, students working out of focus in the background.
MA Communication Design - Luke Tonge crop

The Pedagogy of Creative Writing

The tangible, intangible, and mixed elements of place can be explored within this brief, to animate ...

The Pedagogy of Creative Writing
Student on cliffs
Student on cliffs

The Role of Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in supporting sustainable business in Cornwall

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

The Role of Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in supporting sustainable business in Cornwall
Swanpool Beach from the water with the beach, cafe and beach huts in the background
View of Swanpool Beach and cafe

Tourism Futures

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Tourism Futures
Penryn campus

Virtual Study Buddy

This PhD project explores the concept of a "virtual study buddy," a digital character designed to su...

Virtual Study Buddy
RKE

Voice, Sonic Agency and the Environment

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of resea...

Voice, Sonic Agency and the Environment