CIM Warwick Collaborative Scholarship
The Valuation of Secure Software
Funded PhD Studentship: The Valuation of Secure Software (Warwick Collaborative Fellowship)
University of Warwick – Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies (CIM)
Location: Coventry, West Midlands
Funding for: UK Home students
Funding amount: Full tuition fees (Home rate) + UKRI-aligned stipend for 3.5 years
Research Training & Support Grant: ~£7,000 (for duration of studies)
Hours: Full Time
Closes: Friday 13 February 2026 (midday UK time)
Start Date: On or after 9 March 2026 (No later than 27 April 2026)
This Warwick Collaborative Fellowship provides funding for a student to undertake a PhD exploring the valuation of secure software working with Dr Matt Spencer at the University of Warwick Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, and collaborating with the Research Institute for Sociotechnical Cyber Security (RISCS).
The security of digital infrastructure impacts contemporary society in many ways, from privacy to safety, from economy to the availability of vital services. Actors of many kinds, whether consumers of software, developers, vendors or policymakers, have an interest in demonstrating and assessing the security of software products. This project builds on sociological research into cyber security (Spencer 2024, Spencer & Pizio 2024) arguing that this challenge of evaluation and communication cannot be seen as a purely 'technical' challenge. Drawing on work on valuation (Helgesson & Muniesa 2013), market narratives (Beckert 2013), and narrative theory of organisation (Cooren 2000), the student will explore how value is accounted for in software marketing, procurement and policy, how practitioners ‘make sense’ of security as a kind of quality of software, and how narratives about security shape the constitution of digital infrastructures.
Research questions:
• How is the value of secure software made visible in market practices?
• How can sociological approaches to valuation contribute to our understanding of secure software?
• What are the implications of this perspective for cyber security policy?
To answer these questions, your methodology will draw on qualitative sociological methods, participatory design-based workshops, or a combination of both, depending on the student’s academic background and aspirations.
The student will be expected to work closely with RISCS throughout the project, keeping RISCS stakeholders updated on progress and co-designing project activities with input from RISCS. RISCS will facilitate access to informants, provide an industry mentor, and will offer opportunities for engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The supervisor will work with the student to deliver a joint policy workshop with RISCS and the Warwick ESRC IAA Policy Hub.
FUNDING
This studentship is supported by a Warwick Collaborative Fellowship and includes:
- Full tuition fees (at Home rate, £5,006 for 2025-26 academic year)
- UKRI-level stipend for 3.5 years (~£20,780 for 2025-26 academic year, rising each year)
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Research Training & Support Grant: £7,000 (for duration of studies)
ELIGIBILITY
We welcome applications from candidates with:
- MA/MSc degree in a relevant subject at 2.i or above
- Evidenced interest in cyber security
- Experience with, or enthusiasm for, the application of sociotechnical approaches to security
- A commitment to interdisciplinary and policy-engaged scholarship
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please submit the following materials in a single PDF:
- CV
- Proposal document setting out how you would approach the project, your motivations and details of relevant experience (maximum 2,000 words)
- Names and contact details for two referees (at least one academic; the other may be academic or vocational)
Please send your application to with the subject title Valuation of Secure Software.
Deadline for applications: Friday 13 February 2026 (midday UK time)
Start Date: On or after 9 March 2026 (no later than 27 April 2026)
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Matthew Spencer at