University College Dublin (UCD) Opens Applications for 2026 Fully Funded PhD Studentship on Generative AI and Climate Change Misinformation: Includes €25,000 Annual Stipend

PhD Studentship on Generative AI and Climate Change Misinformation

University College Dublin (UCD) has announced applications for a fully funded four-year PhD studentship exploring the intersection of generative artificial intelligence, climate change misinformation, and human behaviour.

The interdisciplinary doctoral project is part of a national data science and AI research centre funded by Research Ireland and is scheduled to begin in September 2026.

The PhD opportunity will be supervised by:

• Ciara Greene
• Andrew Parnell

The studentship combines advanced research training with professional development activities, including transferable skills workshops, peer-led learning, and collaborative innovation programmes.

Research Project Focuses on AI Chatbots and Climate Misinformation

The PhD project will examine how generative AI systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini may influence public understanding of climate change and environmentally related behaviour.

Researchers noted that increasing numbers of people are using AI chatbots to seek information on complex social and scientific topics, raising concerns about how misinformation embedded within AI training datasets could shape user beliefs.

The project will investigate both:

• The accuracy and reliability of AI-generated climate information
• The psychological and behavioural effects of interacting with AI-generated misinformation

PhD Will Examine How AI Responds to Climate Change Questions

One major objective of the research is to analyse how large language models (LLMs) respond to climate-related prompts and conversations.

The successful candidate will study whether AI systems:

• Repeat misleading climate narratives
• Agree with inaccurate climate claims
• Reinforce misinformation during natural conversations
• Produce biased or unreliable responses based on training data

The project will specifically investigate how “polluted” misinformation datasets may affect AI-generated responses to leading climate sceptic questions and statements.

Researchers will explore examples such as:

“The climate has always been changing, so how can humans have had anything to do with it?”

The study aims to understand the extent to which generative AI systems may unintentionally amplify climate misinformation.

Research Will Explore Effects of AI Misinformation on Human Behaviour

A second core objective of the project is to measure how exposure to AI-generated misinformation affects users’ beliefs and decision-making.

Human participants will engage in controlled conversations with simulated AI chatbots that provide responses varying in:

• Accuracy
• Bias
• Persuasiveness
• Framing

Researchers will then assess how these interactions influence:

• Belief in anthropogenic climate change
• Willingness to engage in pro-environmental actions
• Trust in AI-generated information
• Responses to misinformation exposure

The project will also compare AI-generated misinformation with other communication formats, including:

• Social media posts
• Plain-text information
• Traditional digital misinformation formats

The goal is to determine whether AI-generated misinformation may be more persuasive or influential than other forms of misleading content.

Project Will Investigate AI “Nudges” Toward Greener Behaviour

Researchers additionally plan to examine whether subtle modifications in chatbot responses could encourage environmentally responsible behaviour.

The successful candidate will help investigate whether conversational AI systems can positively “nudge” users toward:

• Sustainable lifestyle choices
• Climate-friendly behaviour
• Greater environmental awareness

The project combines psychology, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, behavioural research, and data analysis within a rapidly growing global research area.

Fully Funded PhD Includes €25,000 Annual Stipend

The studentship provides significant financial support for the selected doctoral candidate.

Funding includes:

• €25,000 annual tax-free stipend for four years
• Conference funding support
• Research and training activity funding
• Skills development opportunities

According to the programme announcement, tuition fees for EU students will be fully covered automatically.

Non-EU students may also receive a tuition fee waiver from University College Dublin.

Cohort-Based Training Programme Offers Additional Professional Development

The PhD forms part of a structured national doctoral training programme focused on data science and artificial intelligence.

In addition to their individual research projects, doctoral candidates will participate in:

• Hackathons
• Research seminars
• Entrepreneurship training
• Ethics workshops
• Spin-out innovation sprints
• Peer-led workshops
• Reading groups
• Career development programmes

The interdisciplinary structure is designed to provide both academic and transferable professional skills.

Eligibility Criteria for Applicants

Applicants must meet several academic and professional requirements to be considered for the studentship.

Mandatory Requirements

Candidates must possess:

• An honours degree in Psychology or a related discipline
• At least upper second-class honours or international equivalent
• Strong quantitative data analysis skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Strong organizational and administrative abilities

Desirable Qualifications

Additional desirable qualifications include:

• Master’s degree in Psychology, Cognitive Science, or related field
• Background in cognitive psychology
• Experience conducting online experiments
• Computer programming skills
• Experience working with large language models (LLMs)

Application Deadline Set for June 2026

Applications must be submitted through the programme’s general cohort-based application system.

Applicants are instructed to:

• Select “Information Integrity” as their first-choice research theme
• Choose UCD as their first-choice institution
• Specify the generative AI and climate misinformation project in the application

Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact primary supervisor Ciara Greene before applying.

The application deadline is 5:00 PM on June 2, 2026.

Interviews are expected to take place later in June 2026, with final decisions announced shortly afterward.

More information about the studentship and application procedures can be found through the official UCD and Research Ireland programme pages.

SEE MORE DETAILS & APPLY HERE

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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.