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Applications are invited for a self-funded, 3-year full-time or 6-year part time PhD project.

The PhD will be based in the School of Computing and will be supervised by .

The Homes for Ukraine scheme was created to allow UK residents to sponsor Ukrainian nationals and their families who were fleeing the war in Ukraine. The scheme was launched by the UK government in March 2022. The search for a sponsor was predominantly carried out online, using social media platforms such as Facebook .Many Ukrainians faced several challenges when trying to find a sponsor, including language barriers, lack of social connections and difficulties navigating the application platform. The process of finding a sponsor on Facebook was overwhelming for many, including the risk of scams.  Furthermore,  women in particular were subjected to different types of exploitation, causing additional stress and trauma to those already dealing with the trauma of displacement.  

For vulnerable women, the digital environment can also increase the risk of exploitation, abuse, and harm. Vulnerable women, including those who are marginalised, disadvantaged, or experiencing poverty, homelessness, or trauma, are often more susceptible to exploitation and abuse in the digital environment. The digital/faceless environment can facilitate the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable women in several ways. Online harassment, abuse, and exploitation can take many forms, including cyberstalking and online grooming. Furthermore, the digital environment can also exacerbate existing social and cultural factors that contribute to the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable women. For example, patriarchal and misogynistic attitudes and behaviors can be perpetuated and amplified online, creating a culture of sexism and misogyny that can be particularly harmful to vulnerable women. 

This research seeks to explore the challenges Ukrainian women face seeking refuge in the modern,digital world. It will look at how the digital/faceless environment can increase risk/exploitation in vulnerable women. What are the specific risks and vulnerabilities associated with the digital/faceless environment?, and how do these impact on womens’ experiences of exploitation and abuse?Do  reduced social cues in online interaction increase impulsive or risky behavior ?  Who were the exploiters? Were they the same people who exploited others, or did this war and also the HFU scheme itself cause new different ‘exploiters’ to step forward?  Was the official checking of UK sponsors as accurate, robust and wide ranging as was needed? What lessons can be learnt for future online sponsorship schemes The research will also adopt a   lived experience approach, which will aim to prioritise the personal subjective  experiences of these  women fleeing war and as such will increase validity and improve contextual understanding to problem area

NB Dr Alice Good received an MBE in 2024 for services to Ukrainian refugees

Fees and funding

Visit the research subject area page for fees and funding information for this project.

Funding availability: Self-funded PhD students only. 

PhD full-time and part-time courses are eligible for the UK  (UK and EU students only).

Bench fees

Some PhD projects may include additional fees – known as bench fees – for equipment and other consumables, and these will be added to your standard tuition fee. Speak to the supervisory team during your interview about any additional fees you may have to pay. Please note, bench fees are not eligible for discounts and are non-refundable.

How to apply

We’d encourage you to contact Dr Alice Good (alice.good@port.ac.uk) to discuss your interest before you apply, quoting the project code.

When you are ready to apply, please follow the 'Apply now' link on the Computing PhD subject area page and select the link for the relevant intake. Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees, proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV. Our ‘How to Apply’ page offers further guidance on the PhD application process. 

When applying please quote project code: CMP10111026