Reimagining Rogers’ fully functioning person: A neurodiversity-affirming approach to understanding & measuring therapeutic growth in autistic adults

Key facts

• Opens: Tuesday 3 November 2026
• Deadline: Monday 16 November 2026
• Number of places: 1
• Duration: 36 months
• Funding: Home fee, Stipend

Eligibility

Applicants for this scholarship must have:

• an Honours degree at First Class or high Upper Second-Class level in psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, autism studies, education, health or social sciences, or a cognate discipline
• a Masters degree at Distinction or Merit level in a relevant discipline (predicted grades may be accepted where the degree will be successfully completed before the scholarship commences)
• applicants should demonstrate an interest in neurodiversity-affirming, humanistic and person-centred approaches to understanding autistic experiences, alongside knowledge of qualitative research methods and strong analytical, written communication and organisational skills
• experience of participatory research, counselling and psychotherapy research, or questionnaire development would be advantageous. A professional counselling or psychotherapy qualification is not required

Project Details

What does meaningful therapeutic growth look like for autistic adults, and how can it be measured in ways that affirm their experiences? This project will explore Rogers’ concept of the fully functioning person, understood as congruent functioning, through autistic perspectives on wellbeing, distress and living a good life.

Working within a humanistic and person-centred framework, the researcher will analyse existing clinical data, collaborate with autistic contributors and conduct Three-Step Test Interviews to develop and refine the Neurodiversity-Affirming Strathclyde Inventory (Neuro-SI). The project will examine the assumptions and content of the original inventory, identifying what autistic perspectives affirm, challenge or extend.

The successful applicant will join an interdisciplinary collaboration between Education and Counselling, supported by two Research Clinics and established participatory and practitioner networks. The doctorate will contribute new understanding of neurodiversity-affirming congruent functioning and a refined inventory, providing a foundation for subsequent evaluation and use in psychotherapy research and practice.

Funding details

The Dean’s Research Award scholarship covers Home fees and equivalent UKRI stipend for the duration of study, to be completed within 3 years. The stipend rate for 2026/27 £21,805 (tax free) each year (calculated pro-rata on start date) – paid in monthly instalments and likely to increase each academic year.

International applications may be considered, but if successful, they would need to be able to fund the difference between Home & International fees per annum for the duration of study, as no additional funding is available.

While there is no funding in place for opportunities marked "unfunded", there are lots of different options to help you fund postgraduate research. Visit funding your postgraduate research for links to government grants, research councils funding and more, that could be available.

Dr Anna Robinson

Senior Lecturer Strathclyde Institute of Education

Dr Susan Stephen

Senior Lecturer Counselling

Apply

Please submit your application with the required documentation uploaded no later than 16 November 2026 at 5pm:

Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel after the closing date and incomplete applications will not be considered.

Number of places: 1

To read how we process personal data, applicants can review our 'Privacy Notice for Student Applicants and Potential Applicants' on our Privacy notices' web page .

• cover letter 800 –1,000-word outlining why you wish to undertake this project and your suitability for this research study
• CV (up to 3 pages)
• all degree certificates and transcripts to date
• 2 Academic Reference Letters regarding the suitability for this research project
• IELTS Academic with a minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no individual test score below 5.5 (taken within the past 2 years prior to commencing study) or equivalent of English language proficiency (if English is not your first language)
• applicants shortlisted for interview will be notified the week beginning 23 November 2026
• interviews will be conducted the week beginning 30 November 2026
• the successful applicant must be able to commence study on 1 January or 1 April 2027

Education

Programme: Education

Contact us

hass-pgr-scholarships@strath.ac.uk

Research areas