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• ESRC PhD Funding – A Guide for 2023 | FindAPhD.com

ESRC PhD Funding

Written by Marcus Holt

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the main source of UK Government funding for research on social and economic issues. ESRC PhD studentships usually cover fees and a maintenance as well as providing high quality research training.

This guide will explain how ESRC funding works for PhD students, including information on the different types of ESRC funding, who is eligible and how to apply.

On this page

What is the esrc.

The ESRC is one of the seven Research Councils that form part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Each council manages a budget for training and research, provided by the UK Government, some of which is allocated to PhD students.

As the name suggests, the ESRC is responsible for supporting research on economic and social issues.

Which PhD subjects does the ESRC fund?

The ESRC funds PhDs in areas such as:

• Environmental Sciences
• Public Health
• Politics and International Studies
• Town and Country Planning

Interdisciplinary funding for research in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) may also be available.

What PhD funding does the ESRC provide?

The ESRC provides the national minimum stipend set by UKRI of:

• Tuition fee payment of £4,596 per year
• Stipend of £17,668 per year (additional money is available for students in London)

It's also worth bearing in mind that the value of both amounts rises annually with inflation, which means you'll get the increased amount in each subsequent year of your PhD. The above figures represent the amounts for 2022/23.

These values increase annually with inflation and you’ll receive the new amount each year.

The tuition payment goes straight to your university and covers the full fees for your PhD (the university won’t charge you anything extra for tuition). The stipend is paid to you to cover accommodation and living costs. You do not need to pay this back.

Students are also able to access a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) to cover the cost of conference attendance and fieldwork as well as have access to the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) .

How is funding allocated?

You don’t apply directly to the ESRC for PhD funding. Instead, funding for studentships is provided to universities who allocate awards to individual students within either Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) or Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs).

Some ESRC funding is attached to specific advertised projects, but many studentships will also be held in reserve to fund PhDs proposed by students themselves.

UKRI funding for other subjects

The funding opportunities described on this page are for Economic and Social PhDs. Other members of Research and Innovation allocate their own Research Council studentships for different PhD subjects.

ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships

Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) are the main way the ESRC provide PhD studentships. Each DTP is set up by individual universities or, more commonly, by a group of universities in the same region. DTPs are set up to provide additional training and support.

It is sometimes possible for DTPs to join forces with non-academic partners. This provides students with addition training opportunities as well as internships.

ESRC DTPs for 2024

The current ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships are:

Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by the University of Cambridge , along with Anglia Ruskin University .

Find out more about the Cambridge Social Science DTP .

Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by the University of Oxford , along with the Open University and Brunel University London .

Find out more about the Grand Union DTP .

London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by King’s College London , along with Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College London .

Find out more about the LISS DTP .

LSE Doctoral Training Partnership

Based at the London School of Economics & Political Science .

Find out more about the LSE DTP .

Midlands Graduate School Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by the University of Warwick , along with Aston University , the University of Birmingham , the University of Leicester , Loughborough University the University of Nottingham , De Montfort University and Nottingham Trent University .

Find out more about the Midlands Graduate School DTP .

Northern Ireland and North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by Durham University , along with Newcastle University , Northumbria University , Queen’s University of Belfast , Teesside University, Ulster University and the University of Sunderland .

Partners include the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Find out more about the NINE DTP.

North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by the University of Liverpool , along with Keele University , Lancaster University and the University of Manchester .

Find out more about the NWSS DTP .

Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by the University of Edinburgh , along with the University of Aberdeen , the University of Dundee , Edinburgh Napier University , the University of Glasgow , Glasgow Caledonian University , Heriot-Watt University , Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, the University of St Andrews , the University of Stirling , the University of Strathclyde and SRUC.

Find out more about the SGSS DTP .

The South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by the University of Southampton , along with the University of Brighton , the University of Portsmouth and the University of Chichester .

Find out more about the South Coast DTP .

South East Network for Social Sciences (SeNSS) Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by the University of Essex , along with City University London , Cranfield University , the University of East Anglia , Goldsmiths College , the University of Lincoln , the University of Roehampton and Middlesex University .

Find out more about the SeNSS DTP .

South West Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by the University of Bristol , along with the University of Bath , Bath Spa University , the University of Exeter , Bournemouth University , the University of Plymouth, the University of St Mark & St John (Marjon) and the University of the West of England.

Find out more about the SWDTP .

UCL, Bloomsbury and East London (UBEL) Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by University College London , along with the School of Oriental & African Studies, Birkbeck College , London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine , the University of East London and the University of Greenwich .

Find out more about the UBEL DTP .

Wales Doctoral Training Partnership

Led by Cardiff University , along with Aberystwyth University , Bangor University , Cardiff Metropolitan University, the University of Gloucestershire, Swansea University and the University of South Wales .

Find out more about the Wales DTP .

White Rose Social Sciences DTP

Led by the University of Sheffield , along with the University of Bradford , the University of Hull , the University of Leeds , Manchester Metropolitan University , Sheffield Hallam University and the University of York .

Find out more about the White Rose Social Sciences DTP .

Studying your PhD at an ESRC DTP

Studying within a DTP will provide you with additional training to help you successfully complete your PhD. This is usually provided as a series of workshops and seminars that are run throughout the course of your doctorate.

You will be studying at the university you applied to, however, you may be studying as part of a cohort of other PhD students within your DTP. This provides you with a supportive experience and the opportunity to attend additional training and team building exercises as well as conferences.

You will also have access to additional DTP benefits, such as the Doctoral Training Grants that provide you with money for additional training and any overseas fieldwork, should you need it.

ESRC DTP studentships can either be offered as a 1+3 programme (which includes an integrated Masters year) or a +3 programme, which provides funding for a three year PhD only.

Some DTPs may offer Collaborative (CASE) studentships for ESRC students. This type of studentship is more common for STEM based research councils (such as the BBSRC , MRC or EPSRC), but they provide similar opportunities. Most notably they promote partnerships with non-academic businesses to enhance training opportunities.

ESRC Centres for Doctoral Training

Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) are the other way in which the ESRC funds PhD studentships. Whereas DTPs are set up by networks of universities and support research across broad subject areas, CDTs are usually established in association with, or within, one institution, with very specific research objectives.

Like DTPs, CDTs receive funding for a certain number of PhD studentships each year. These usually involve external partners to provide unique interdisciplinary research opportunities.

ESRC CDTs for 2024

There are currently two CDTs:

Social-Biology (Soc-B) Centre for Doctoral Training

Led by University College London , along with the University of Essex and the University of Manchester .

Find out more about the Soc-B CDT .

Data Analytics and Society Centre for Doctoral Training

Led by the University of Leeds , along with the University of Liverpool , the University of Manchester and the University of Sheffield .

Find out more about the Data Analytics and Society CDT .

Studying your PhD at an ESRC CDT

The ESRC CDTs were commissioned in 2016 and are relatively new. They deliver training focused on specific interdisciplinary research areas. CDTs are developed in collaboration with non-academic partners to support innovative training.

The CDTs provide a four year PhD programme (+4), which is an integrated MSc and PhD in specific areas of research and offer the same fee and stipend payments as an ESRC DTP studentship (subject to eligibility). The first two years are spent on the MSc aspect focusing on training and project rotations. The following two years are then spent on your PhD research topic.

Eligibility

The eligibility for ESRC PhD funding follows the same criteria as all the other UKRI research councils, with UK and international students eligible for funding.

However, only 30% of the total number of awards available at a university may go to international students. International students are also only eligible to have their tuition fees paid at the lower domestic rate , which means they may have to pay the difference between this amount and the higher international rate. Please note that you aren’t allowed to use the living stipend to pay this difference. Some studentships will fund the shortfall in costs for particularly high-achieving students, but this is at their discretion and you may need to find an alternative source of funding.

• UK students who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least three years will be eligible for a full studentship (covering fees and including the doctoral stipend).
• EU students may be eligible for UKRI funding on the same terms as UK students if they have settled status in the UK or applied to the EU Settlement Scheme prior to 30 June 2021. EU students who arrive in the UK for a PhD from 2021-22 onwards may apply as international students.
• Irish students are eligible for UKRI finding on the same terms as UK students as part of the Common Travel Area .

Academic requirements

ESRC studentships are awarded on a competition basis, with the funding being allocated to the best applicants. Typically, the normal requirements for an ESRC PhD is a first or upper second (2.1) class honours degree (or equivalent). If you hold a lower honours grade (2.2), a Masters (or equivalent experience) may help with your application. These are guidelines provided by the ESRC, however, and individual universities may ask for higher degree requirements

It is always a good idea to tailor your application when applying, so make sure you carefully read the advertised criteria.

Working during an ESRC studentship

You cannot work full-time while receiving ESRC funding (this is true for any UKRI funding). It is possible to work part-time, but it is advisable to get your supervisors’ advice on this as studying for a PhD can be time consuming.

Also, while receiving ESRC funding, you cannot apply for a PhD loan . This goes for any UKRI funded studentships.

Applications

The ESRC provides funding to their network of DTPs and CDTs but not directly to students. This means that all applications must be made directly to a university, or to the DTP or CDT it is part of.

Self-proposed projects vs advertised projects

Most ESRC DTP studentships ask potential student to propose their own research topics and submit a research proposal for it. These projects are guided by an expert supervisory team and may involve working with external partners that allow you access to data, equipment or participants for your project.

Other projects are designed by universities and advertised in advance, with pre-defined questions, aims and objectives. These research areas have been developed by the academic supervisors that you will work with during your PhD.

Along with your research proposal, you will usually need to also include a personal statement (detailing your academic background and research interests), CV and covering letter (stating your suitability and interest in the project).

If your application is successful, you will then be invited for a PhD interview , where you will be able to discuss the PhD project application further.

Application deadlines

Individual DTPs and CDTs set their own closing dates for applications, and as such, prospective students should contact the programme you wish to apply to directly. For the majority of the time, they open for applications September / October for projects starting in the following October. However, some DTPs offer studentships throughout the year, each with its own closing date.

Here are the deadlines for the current DTPs starting in October 2024:

• Cambridge – tbc
• Grand Union – 11 January 2024 for the Open University / tbc for Brunel University. If applying to the University of Oxford, check the funding deadline for your chosen course.
• London Interdisciplinary Social Science – 26 January 2024
• LSE – 15 January 2024
• Midlands Graduate School – 23 January 2024
• Northern Ireland and North East (NINE) – 22 January 2024
• North West Social Sciences – 24 February 2024
• Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences – 1 December 2023
• The South Coast – 19 January 2024
• South East Network for Social Sciences (SeNSS) – 9 February 2024
• South West – 12 January 2024
• UBEL – 15 January 2024
• Wales – 12 January 2024
• White Rose Social Sciences – 24 January 2024

These dates are for projects starting in 2024 only. The exact dates will probably change for 2025, but you can use these to get a general idea for future deadlines.

ESRC funding application tips

ESRC studentships are very competitive. Here are some tips to help you with your application:

• Think about what makes your project worth funding – The majority of ESRC studentships are proposed by students, this makes it all the more important for your proposal to have an impact. Explain why your project is important and what makes your research worthwhile.
• Give yourself time to prepare – Proposals take time to write. On top of that, you also have to prepare your cover letter and update your CV. Start early so you don’t miss the application deadline.
• Think about the studentship you want – The ESRC offers different lengths of studentships so it’s good to know which one you need to apply to first. Whether that be a 1+3 or +3 or maybe the +4. If you already have a Masters degree, or your Masters isn’t relevant, it’s probably best to go for the 1+3. However, if your Masters degree is relevant and provided training for most of the ‘core training requirements’ then apply for the +3.
• Contact potential supervisors – Not only will this show your interest in the project, it will also mean supervisors will recognise your name when your application is put in. Plus, they may also help you with your research proposal. Just make sure you contact supervisors that have research interests close to your proposed project, that way they are more likely to take an interest in your ideas and move forward with them.

Search for ESRC PhD funding

ESRC projects can be found on the DTP and CDT websites, or can be easily found here on FindAPhD. Also if you subscribe to our newsletter , you will be the first to hear about new listings and opportunities.

Further information

Check the ESRC and UKRI websites for additional funding details.

Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice

Marcus holt.

Marcus brought his experience and expertise in data analysis and project management to the FindAPhD team in 2020, whilst completing a PhD at the University of Leeds. He experienced the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on doctoral research first hand and helped share honest advice and support with prospective students.

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Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP

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The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership. First established in 2016 and re-accredited in 2023, the second iteration of the MGS DTP now includes our new partners: De Montfort University and Nottingham Trent University.

The DTP offers 17 different training pathways that span various social science disciplines; a large number of postgraduate studentships will be awarded annually across the pathways and institutions, funded by the DTP with contributions from our partner universities.

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• ESRC & DTP
• The Studentship
• Current opportunities
• Eligibility
• How to Apply
• ESRC DTP Innovation Fellowships

PhD Funding Opportunities

Opportunities for ESRC-funded PhD studentships at Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge starting in October 2025

Route s to funding in 2025

CAM -DTP offers two scholarship routes .

Please note there is no direct application to the CAM-DTP in either route ; you should follow the standard PhD application process for ARU or UoC.

You can find out more about research degrees at ARU and UoC by following the Further Information links in the sidebar.

The first route is via departmental nomination . You will need to apply for a PhD place a t your preferred CAM-DTP university and indicate that you wish to be considered for ESRC  funding.  If you are made an offer of admission, your department will decide whether to nominate you for CAM -DTP funding in February 2025.  

The second is within one of the twenty advertised topics below.

If you are interested in one of these topics, please contact the supervisory team for an informal chat, to find out more and discuss a project proposal with them before making an application to the lead university. You should indicate clearly on your application which project or projects you are interested in .  

If you are made an offer of admission, your Department will decide whether to nominate you for CAM-DTP funding in February 2025.

Farming for biodiversity

In its 2023 Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum ranked biodiversity loss as its fourth global risk in terms of both severity and impact. The main source of this biodiversity loss is due to land use change and agriculture practices.  

Subsequently, this reduces the provision of vital ecosystem services, such as pollination of food crops, water treatment, and fertile soil, that the agricultural system relies.  

Changes to food production and biodiversity also affect systems much wider than on the farm, and impact  livelihoods of rural communities, as well as wider society through impacts on food prices in the context of a cost-of-living crisis.  

  This PhD will investigate best practices in farming that result in positive biodiversity outcomes. It will explore how food sector governance (including investment and new funding streams such as Biodiversity Net Gain) can be incorporated into land management decision processes and be supported by national policy to further enhance biodiversity.  

Our current projects exploring food risk and agriculture in the UK include a range of partners (such as Food Ethics Council, WWF, Sustain, Better Food Traders, Trussell Trust). Dengie Crops Ltd in Essex have agreed to be a case study and give access to their governance and decision making processes.  

Applying OneWelfare to assistance dog retirement

Previous research highlights the positive impacts of assistance dogs on reducing social isolation for those with disabilities. However, there is very little research into how individuals and families are impacted by the retirement of their assistance dogs, or these dogs’ welfare during retirement.  

This PhD will explore these topics by a OneWelfare approach. It will use a mixed-method study, involving quantitative surveys of assistance dog owners and their families, qualitative interviews to understand lived experiences, and co-designing resources for retiring assistance dogs. We offer a research environment that encourages collaboration and idea exchange, particularly between people with varied academic backgrounds. The project integrates social sciences, animal welfare, and healthcare with the aim of holistically preparing assistance dog owners and their dogs for retirement of the partnership.  

UPF Overconsumption and Interoceptive Awareness

Ultra-processed foods (UPF) are hyper-palatable, energy-dense products that are often of low nutritional quality. They contribute to an obesogenic environment and unhealthy nutritional behaviours that can harm human health. There is a propensity to overconsume UPFs, with reports showing UPFs make up over 50% of dietary intake.  

An overlooked aspect of human health, particularly with UPFs, is interoception – the perception of the body’s internal states. This PhD will investigate whether interoception is linked to UPF intake, using both experience sampling methods (ESM) and laboratory investigations. Samples will reflect populations affected by high UPF consumption, particularly ethnic groups underserved by such studies. The resultant research will be used to design an intuitive eating intervention, targeting interoceptive awareness, to reduce UPF intake in daily life.  

The overconsumption of UPF is a public health issue, which impacts health inequalities across socio-economic and ethnic boundaries. Because of this, we are particularly interested in applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds.  You will be assisted by an interdisciplinary supervisory team, with plenty of experience in student development.  

Female veterans: disability and parenthood

There is a scarcity of literature on parenthood with a physical disability, particularly for women veterans. This study will focus on women veterans who have acquired physical injury during service, to understand the impact of disability on pregnancy and child rearing.  

  Negotiating military-to-civilian transition has an additional layer of complexity if physical injury was sustained during service. This is known as being wounded, injured and sick (WIS). However, studies of WIS veterans often come with assumptions. They often assume their children act as carers or focus on the disability itself from the veteran or practitioner perspective. Moreover, there is very little research focusing on women veterans, despite the proportion of female WIS personnel in defence recovery services being higher than that of male personnel.  

This study will explore coping from women veterans’ perspective, in the context of returning to a civilian life, and negotiating pregnancy and childrearing with disabilities.   

This PhD is part of Anglia Ruskin University’s initiative to expand the study of military personnel. It comes in tandem with the expansion of the Centre for Military Womens Research and the Veterans & Families Institute (VFI), and the development of a new Centre for Equities in Uniformed Public Services. This initiative, funded by UKRI, will incorporate a new social science lab to support inclusivity for those with physical, mental, and neurodiverse needs.  

Minority Faith Group/LGBT+ Refugees in the UK

This inter-disciplinary PhD will explore the experiences of refugees/asylum seekers (R/ASs) in the UK who may experience identity-specific barriers to accessing services and community assets. More precisely, it will focus on those discriminated against due to sexual orientation, gender reassignment or membership of a minority faith group within their national diaspora or refugee population.  

Services delivered to R/ASs through local authorities, religious or civil society agencies are largely predicated on the demographics of a 'mainstream' refugee population. Thus, people from a region or country where they are a member of a faith or sexual minority group and who may already have experienced persecution or discrimination in their country of origin are likely to self-censor when seeking asylum accommodation, or healthcare. This can severely impact their well-being.  

This studentship aligns to an inter-disciplinary UKRI cross-council investment, which utilises creative methods to understand use of community assets by refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to support health/wellbeing. The successful applicant will benefit from access to diverse policy makers, practitioners, and health and creative arts professionals. This supervisory team has extensive experience working with diverse refugee/asylum seeking populations.  

The student will be embedded into Anglia Ruskin's 'inter-university migration network' and ‘New Routes: Old Roots’ refugee support network. This will offer collaborative opportunities, including with LGBT+ faith groups; the University of Cambridge and the United Nations Faith for Rights network.  

Understanding frequent callers to NHS crisis lines

This knowledge exchange studentship will involve exploring the phenomenon of frequent callers to an NHS mental health crisis support service. This pioneering service receives 2,000 calls per month from people experiencing a variety of mental health issues.  

This research aims to ensure that callers have their needs met, as well as enabling the Trust to manage the resource demands posed by frequent callers. It will analyse recordings of interactions, and interviews with the frequent callers, to understand their experiences. Health and social care professionals are still underrepresented in wider academia and clinical research settings, making this a great opportunity for clinicians from those backgrounds.  

There will also be the opportunity to undertake a placement at the Trust and observe the workings of the service. Training in a range of advanced qualitative analysis approaches will be provided. If you have taken a less conventional route to PhD study, this project might be of particular interest to you.  

Including community re-use and repair groups in Circular Economy digitalization

Community re-use and repair groups help citizens to extend the lifetimes of their products, fostering an inclusive ‘Circular Economy’ (CE) by slowing cycles of consumption, therefore reducing emissions and waste.

New digital tools introduced by policymakers, such as Digital Product Passports, are designed primarily for businesses. Due to their informal or non-profit status, community re-use and repair groups will be excluded from full CE data. Their needs have been overlooked in research and policy on emerging CE tech – including platforms, and AI.

This PhD seeks to address this gap e.g. by undertaking participatory research with re-use and repair groups to bring their unique needs and novel insights into design and policy.

Mental health & diabetes self-management behaviour

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects around 500 million people across the globe, with a disproportionate effect on ethnic minorities and those with lower income/education. This PhD focuses on developing a better understanding of the relationship between mental wellbeing and T2D self-management behaviours, to inform more effective interventions.  

Previous research has focused on between-individual comparisons, examining how average mental health relates to T2D behaviours, such as dieting, and vice versa.  

Exploring associations within individuals can inform the development of personalised interventions tailored to people’s unique needs and circumstances.  

This PhD aims to enhance our understanding of mental wellbeing and T2D self-management behaviours using ecological momentary assessment. This involves collecting real-time data in individuals' natural environments with smartphones and wearable devices. The project will also involve secondary analyses of existing datasets and qualitative enquiry.  

This project addresses a pressing societal challenge with real-world applications, allowing individuals to leverage their unique perspectives, skills, and experiences. In the process, it provides transferable skills, networking opportunities, and career guidance, equipping students to thrive in and beyond academia.  

A place-based, intersectoral approach for Net Zero

This PhD studentship aims to develop a place-based approach for understanding the behavioural interdependences of the transport, housing and energy sectors at the city-regional scale. This will be done through empirical research using both novel behavioural / experimental data and conventional statistical data such as census.  

Mainstream policies for sustainability, such as congestion and emissions taxes, are often subject to inequality concerns due to the risk of disproportionate impact on those from disadvantaged backgrounds and places. While not all policies are regressive in nature, people from disadvantaged backgrounds can face higher yet often implicit or hidden adaptation barriers. To achieve a just transition towards net zero and resilience, policy design must be more targeted, addressing the inherent heterogeneity of choice preference and adaptability across distinct population groups.  

This study will experiment with an intersectoral and behaviour-oriented approach for public policy design to achieve the dual goal of net zero and climate resilience. For example, mitigate capacity constraints of local energy and transport systems in both day-to-day operation and emergency response through integrated and customised management of office space, workplace parking / EV charging, and mobility services.  

For this reason, we are especially interested in applicants from underrepresented communities and social groups, to provide input based on their lived experiences.  

Public pedagogies and environmental justice

Our topic is the gap in research pertaining to public pedagogy's role in addressing the environmental crisis and the issues of justice associated with it.   

Public pedagogies are understood as ‘spaces, sites and languages of education and learning that exist outside of the walls of the institution of schools’ (Sandlin, Schultz and Burdick, 2010, p. 1) and other formal settings. Occurring in public spaces, these pedagogies tend to be driven by pursuit of social justice rather than excellence, and potentially impact multiple generations, e.g. the public and policy impacts of the recent dramatization of the Post Office scandal.   

Public pedagogy also arises from the cultural institutions as whole, as such public pedagogy might be defined as political or moral practice (Giroux, 2004). Proposals should demonstrate how to address this gap through empirical research on public pedagogy.   

Such acts as transnational gatherings focused on international policy, public protest and artivism highlighting environmental injustices, museum outreach programmes, theatrical/artistic performances educating about climate breakdown, public space as public pedagogy are apt.  

Individualised second language learning

This project integrates cognitive research with digital technology to develop an individualized approach to second language learning.  

Tailoring instruction to students' abilities improves outcomes, while using multiple languages brings cognitive, cultural and economic benefits to individuals and society. Language learning is thus an obvious candidate for tailored instruction. Yet it is still dominated by one-size-fits-all approach. This has become a pressing issue as language education now faces a widening participation crisis. Many students, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, are increasingly unable to access language programmes.  

Digital technologies could help with this. Individualised language learning through digital technologies can make language learning more accessible, levelling the playing field for applicants with barriers to traditional language learning. They can increase flexibility, be more cost-effective, and most importantly be tailored to individual needs.  

Our project will first identify key cognitive and environmental predictors of second language learning. It will focus on learning English as a second language, although the findings will be applicable generally. Collaborating with Cambridge University Press and Assessment, a world leading provider of language programmes, we will then create a digitally based method of individualised instruction, tailored to learners' unique predictors. We focus on adolescents as the population with a unique learning potential and motivation for learning a second language.  

You should have a language sciences or psychology background with theoretical knowledge of language processing and familiarity with experimental design with human participants.  

In addition to training in critical scientific reasoning, you will complete programming and technical training that is required for the development of digital technology tools for language learning.

Analysing Music Therapy with Autistic Children

This project is an analysis of music therapy with autistic children, with an aim to develop policy regarding music therapy for autistic 7–11-year-olds.  

In this trial, 120 autistic children will receive 24 sessions of music therapy. You will use video data from this trial to provide a detailed analysis of the engagement and interaction. Sampling and analysis strategies will be an important aspect of this topic. The participants are recruited from schools in different areas of England, with diverse cultural backgrounds and varying levels of affluence.  

The study will be linked to the Autism-CHIME project, a Randomised Controlled Trial of improvisational music therapy with autistic children. It is led by the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University and the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University and is currently collecting data. The Autism-CHIME trial seeks to produce data that informs healthcare decision making in actual clinical settings, rather than ascertaining outcomes under controlled circumstances.  

Your research could make a difference, by ensuring autistic children get the education they need.  

Male stress responses to infant crying

This proposed programme of research will use lab-based studies to investigate the psychological and physiological responses of adults to infant crying. It will focus on adult men, to explore the psychological and social risk factors of hyper-arousal and infant abuse.  

Crying is a normal infant behaviour. Yet for some adults, this elicits an extreme stress response. Reports estimate that up to 6% of parents have smothered, slapped, or shaken their baby at least once because of crying, with men being more likely to harm a child than women. An independent review for government highlighted that fathers with stressful life histories can find it harder to cope with their crying baby, resulting in a greater number of non-accidental head injuries (shaken baby syndrome). The report recommends an urgent need for research to understand backgrounds, characteristics, and triggers for abuse by men.  

This study will be interdisciplinary, encompassing psychology, evolutionary biology, and psychoacoustics. In psychoacoustic playback experiments in the laboratory, the listeners will hear natural and resynthesized baby cries, allowing us to experimentally investigate the acoustic factors that lead to variation in the adult listeners' responses. Listeners will answer psychological tests and will be monitored for their physiological responses to baby cries before, during and after the experiments.   

The research has applied implications for the fields of social work and healthcare. We are looking for applicants with a desire to improve child protection and the lives of vulnerable families and children.  

Outcome after stroke: survivors and their carers

Estimates suggest that around 40% of stroke survivors develop aphasia, an impairment of language function. Aphasia has a drastic impact on wellbeing of both patients and their carers. This project will explore whether the patient's language impairment and awareness of it affect the wellbeing of the people caring for them.  

You will study patients' language impairments, as well as their awareness of these impairments. You will also study how carers perceive their patients’ impairment and explore their psychological wellbeing and quality of life, as these can affect the quality of care they provide. You will then combine these two branches of research, studying whether the patient's awareness of their impairments affects the relation between aphasia severity and the carers own wellbeing. To our knowledge, no studies have combined psycho-social and cognitive studies of aphasia this way.  

AI and the free will debate

A topic of considerable interest is how positions concerning free will may be interpreted in an era of increasingly advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI).   

Free will can be defined as the ability to have done otherwise: having made a decision to take an action was it possible for us to have chosen to take a different action, such that the decision was up to the chooser?   

Some positions include: (i) that brains follow the deterministic laws of physics so free will cannot exist [hard determinism]; (ii) that physics comprises deterministic laws and probabilistic processes (quantum mechanics) but free will still cannot exist since probabilistic processes are likewise not under our control [hard incompatibilism]; (iii) that brains are deterministic/probabilistic, but that free will (often redefined, such as simply requiring that we are reasons-responsive or that we can act independently of coercion) exists via unknown, possibly emergent, mechanisms [compatibilism]; and (iv) that brains can initiate new thoughts ab initio, independently of deterministic and/or indeterministic physics, via unknown mechanisms or dualism [libertarianism].   

The applicant will develop a proposal examining how AI on deterministic computers, which increasingly provide a simulacrum of human reasoning, can inform this debate and how the positions outlined above might be applied to computational intelligence.  

Intercultural communication in NHS nursing

NHS staff and patients are extremely diverse, culturally and linguistically.   In this environment, effective communication requires cultural and linguistic competence. Currently, the UK Standards Framework for Nursing Education requires nursing students to have training in equality and diversity. However, there is comparatively little research into intercultural nursing training from a linguistic perspective.  

This project will investigate the effects of language use in cross-cultural nursing within NHS clinical settings, through observation, role play, interviews or a combination of methods. The aim is to provide an evidence base to underpin simulation-based intercultural competence training; such training will develop knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote more inclusive clinical nursing and interprofessional interactions, hence improve health outcomes for diverse patient groups.  

The topic invites candidates to be a catalyst for change, by effecting better clinical outcomes and reducing health disparities.  

Advancing flood loss assessment economics

UK local authorities use the Flood and Coastal Risk Management Grant in Aid (FCERM GiA) tool to assess the losses avoided from alternative flood   risk management projects. The tool uses a heavily generalised monetary value for average flood damage per house(hold) for the calculation of direct   loss.   Social impact is calculated using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). IMD provides deprivation per average of 750 households.

Decisions   made based on data with low-spatial resolution fail to distinguish marginalised communities that need to be priorities for support. This research will establish an advanced methodology for local flood loss assessment by utilising advanced loss assessment methods and data with high-spatial resolution for both physical vulnerability (construction economics) and social vulnerability (socioeconomics). Essex County Council (ECC) will be used as a case study area. The proposed methodology will be validated based on previous ECC works.  

Developing graduates’ labour market resilience

There has been a noticeable rise in the proportion of young adults with higher education qualification in the UK over the past 20 years . However, the proportion of graduates considered to be “underemployed” is estimated to be over one third, with females and graduates from ethnic minority backgrounds more badly affected.

This phenomenon has caught the attention of both policy makers and university administrators. Surveys of employers suggest that apart from structural issues in the labour market, a lack of soft skills and career resilience in graduates could be causing this.

This project assesses the efficacy of a unique student employability initiative from a post-92 university in improving students’ employability skills and career resilience. We adopt a mixed method approach, utilizing individual level student administrative data, as well as structured surveys of students post-graduation.  

Young adults - intergenerational care and education

The ageing of populations in Europe and beyond has transformed intergenerational relations. Young caregivers are increasingly likely to provide informal care to older relatives or friends.

This scholarship explores the experiences of young adults living in the UK who are in formal education (i.e. in higher education or doing an apprenticeship) and providing informal care to older relatives or friends.

Theoretically, the proposal is grounded in the models of social justice developed by Nancy Fraser and Kathleen Lynch. Methodologically, it draws on a range of qualitative methods, such as   interviews, ethnographic approaches, and/or art-based research.

The project is linked to Intergenerational Care Relations (InterCare), an   international project funded by the Volkswagen Foundation (2024-2028). The applicant will be pursuing a PhD while working alongside international   experts and ECRs researching intergenerational care relations.

Biodiversity finance for sustainable outcomes

In its 2023 Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum ranked biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as its fourth global risk in terms of both severity and impact in the long run. The loss of biodiversity poses a critical threat to ecosystem health, jeopardizing vital services such as pollination of food crops, water treatment, carbon sequestration, fertile soil and woodland. These risks should be taken into account across the finance sector, where investments are the backbone of economic growth.   

This PhD will investigate best practices in biodiversity finance, in particular within public-private partnerships, both nationally and internationally exploring opportunities to improve biodiversity finance in the future to inform policy development and the establishment of future investment mechanisms. The project may encompass a variety of social science approaches. It is anticipated methods will include interviews, observations (anthropology), field notes, case studies and workshops.  

Further Information

• Research degrees at the University of Cambridge
• Research degrees at Anglia Ruskin University
• 2024 CAM-DTP webinar for prospective students and supervisors
• Choosing a PhD supervisor (FindAPhD)
• Choosing a supervisor (UoC)
• Questions to ask a PhD supervisor (FindAPhD)

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Economic and social research council (esrc) studentships.

Key information

Scholarship overview.

SOAS is a member of the UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership (UBEL-DTP) , alongside UCL, Birkbeck, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of East London. The Partnership provides ESRC funding for over 40 new PhD studentships each year.

Although applications for 2025/26 are yet to open, ESRC will be hosting a workshop on 17 th October, designed for prospective students interested in the UBEL DTP studentships:

• Date: 17 th October 2024
• Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
• Platform: Microsoft Teams Join the meeting here
• Overview: This workshop will provide an overview of the UBEL DTP studentship opportunities, including presentations and guidance on the application process.

Application and deadlines

Esrc applications for funding are now open.

UBEL DTP Preliminary Applications for ESRC funding are open until 15 January 2024 23:59 (UK Local time).

Candidates should make an online application via the Survey Monkey Apply portal. The application will consist of a preliminary form (including a proposed research summary) and equal opportunities information. 

References and a full research proposal are not expected at this stage of the competition.

Prospective students should closely read the resources in the “Useful documents” section above, to help complete their application.

Studentship competitions for 2024 entry are subject to confirmation of ESRC funding.

ESRC funding 

• UBEL DTP studentships cover tuition fees at the  UKRI rate  and an annual maintenance stipend. For 2023/24 a UBEL studentship will cover tuition fees of £4,712 and a minimum stipend of £20,622.This figure includes the London Allowance.
• UBEL DTP offer a wide range of pathways with 26 different disciplinary pathways, in 7 groupings across 5 London institutions. Each pathway provides a range of study routes (+3, 1+3; 2+3 and +4) with over 80 MRes, MSc and MA programmes attached and accommodates both full-time and part-time students.

Full information (entry criteria and pathways) and how to apply for the ESCR Studentships can be found on the UBEL DTP website.  

• For queries please contact  [email protected]

Applicants who make a preliminary application for funding must ensure they apply to SOAS to study. For further information, please see our page  how to apply (research) .

UBEL Deadlines for 2024 Entry 

Deadlines for 2024 Entry

For enquiries, please contact the Scholarships Office:

• Email : s [email protected]
• Phone : +44 (0)20 7074 5090

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Postgraduate Study - PhD and Research Degrees

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ESRC South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP)

Applications for september 2025 entry are now open. .

Details below provide guidance on the studentships for 2025 entry. 

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), South West Doctoral Training - Applications for September 2025.

The Universities of Bristol, Exeter, Bath, Bath Spa, Bournemouth, Plymouth, Plymouth Marjon and West England form one of the UK’s largest Centres of postgraduate research training for social scientists in fields ranging from economics and human geography to quantitative methodology and psychology

The   Economic and Social Research Council   has granted doctoral training partnership status to the collaboration. The South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) has been accredited to offer a hub of world-class social sciences research. As one of only 15 Partnerships in the UK, the SWDTP is part of a national network which will train a new generation of social scientists. The SWDTP has been allocated 34 studentships per annum.

The SWDTP offers funding for PhD studentships that are typically 3 years and 3 months plus 3 months ‘Research in Practice’. It also funds a Masters + PhD for applicants without a prior Masters or equivalent professional experience. For applicants with a previous Masters or equivalent professional experience where this does not fully meet the ESRC’s training requirements set out ( here ), then the student is required to undertake ‘top up’ training during their PhD, which may extend the length of the funding.

Part-time studentships will be offered pro rata to their full-time equivalents.

SWDTP Pathways at Exeter

Fully-funded ESRC studentships are offered at Exeter through eleven disciplinary pathways that span the social sciences and four innovative interdisciplinary pathways, to offer students the broadest possible approach to their studies with us. 

Applicants should read Exeter’s Eligibility Information below and then apply directly to the relevant pathway through the ESRC SWDTP Pathway PhD Studentships Available tab below. Exeter applicants to the SWDTP are   not   required to submit a second application for a place at the University prior to applying for a SWDTP studentship.

There are two ESRC strategic steers that are allocated a quota of the funding:

• Data Skills : Any proposal using large and complex qualitative and/or quantitative social science datasets within any pathway (bar AQM) can request to be considered for this steer.
• Advanced Quantitative Methods : Any proposal using and developing advanced quantitative social science data can apply to the AQM pathway to be considered for this steer.

SWDTP Training at Exeter

Each SWDTP pathway at Exeter University has an identified Masters programme that provides methods training in line with the ESRC’s training requirements. This will typically comprise: i) An introduction to research methods in social science; ii) advanced training in either quantitative or qualitative social science methods; iii) specialist training in digital methods and data skills; iv) a research dissertation or equivalent, and v) modules in the pathway subject area.

SWDTP PhD students are also encouraged to undertake ‘Research in Practice’. This aims to support skills and professional development as a researcher with transferable skills that will support a career outside of the university sector, as well as within it. A key component of it is a placement, internship or equivalent, of three-months total length (but not necessarily taken in one three-month period).

Further application information and documentation can be found on the  SWDTP website .

SWDTP Q&A at Exeter

If you would like further information there will be two Q&A sessions held online at Exeter to answer any further questions you may have:

• Thursday 17th October 2024 - 10.00-11.00*
• Thursday 5th December 2024- 14.00 - 15.00*

The Q&A session will give you an opportunity to: 

• Find out more about the SWDTP and PhD study at the University of Exeter
• Get advice on how to write a strong application for funding
• Learn more about the application process for studentships
• Ask any questions you have about SWDTP Studentships and studying at Exeter

*Please contact  [email protected]  to confirm your attendance for the virtual information session, indicating the date of the session you would like to attend.

Please also include a few details about the subject area you are interested in and any supervisor that you have been in contact with or are planning to get in contact with.

Closing date

The closing date for applications is 12 noon GMT, Tuesday 14th January 2025.

Find out more about the SWDTP.

Collaboration, Impact and Placements .

Academic Entry Requirements

Applicants for a PhD award should have:  

• completed, or be due to complete, an ESRC-accredited or an equivalent research Masters * with a significant element of research training. Applicants may be asked for further information to determine the relevance of the content covered.

  *An equivalent research Masters is defined as including significant social sciences research design and quantitative and qualitative research methods elements. The transcript will need to show that a minimum of a third of the taught stage of the programme entailed research methods elements – which should normally be roughly divided equally between social sciences research design, quantitative and qualitative research methods elements – and that there is also a Dissertation. For students who have undertaken a Masters outside the UK we will look for appropriate equivalencies. All awards are subject to ratification by the “Awards and Ratification Committee”, who shall have the authority to reconsider the equivalence of any Masters awards.  

  The ESRC’s requirements for postgraduate training and development can be viewed at https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ESRC-160622-PostgraduateTrainingDevelopmentGuidelines2022.pdf  

•   achieved a current average grade of their Masters (at the point of application) normally of at least Merit (60%) grade. Successful applicants must ultimately achieve BOTH an overall average of at least 60% across the taught units/modules AND at least 60% for the dissertation component as a condition of their funding.

Holders of Masters degrees that are not considered equivalent (as above), must apply for the Masters + PhD award.  

However, where only a small component of the required, prior training is missing, the Awards and Ratification Committee / SWDTP Director may exercise discretion and offer a PhD award conditional on the award recipient taking top-up training in one or more research modules and passing their assessment at a grade of 60% or above.  

In the case of a Masters + PhD application, continuation of funding from the Masters stage to the PhD stage of the programme will be subject to achieving 60% across the taught units / modules AND 60% for the dissertation component .  Students who fail to achieve these conditions may have their funding terminated and may be required to refund any money paid to them during the PhD portion of the programme.  

In order to receive ESRC studentship funding you must have qualifications/experience equal to the standard of a good honours degree at first or upper second class level from a UK academic research organisation.  

Degree qualifications gained from outside the UK, or a combination of qualifications and/or experience that is equivalent to a relevant UK degree may be accepted.  

Nationality and Residency Requirements

ESRC SWDTP studentships are open to UK and Irish nationals who, if successful in their applications, will receive a full studentship including payment of university tuition fees at the home fees rate.  

A limited number of full studentships are also available to international students which are defined as EU (excluding Irish nationals), EEA, Swiss and all other non-UK nationals.   

Those not meeting the nationality and residency requirements to be treated as a ‘home’ student may apply for a limited number of full studentships for international students.  Although international students are usually charged a higher tuition fee rate than ‘home’ students, at Exeter those international students offered an ESRC SWDTP full studentship starting in 2024 will have their full tuition fees covered for the duration of their programme (the ‘home’ tuition fee rate covered by the studentship and an additional University of Exeter fee waiver).   

International applicants need to be aware that you will have to cover the cost of your student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD .  

Please see the Key Facts in our International Student Support pages for further information https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/international/applyingforavisa/studentvisas/  

The conditions for eligibility of home fees status are complex and you will need to seek advice if you have moved to or from the UK (or Republic of Ireland) within the past 3 years or have applied for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.  

The full ESRC guidelines are available in the Postgraduate Funding Guide .  

For more information on SWDTP entry and collaboration requirements, please read the Admission Statement & FAQs 2024 Entry .  

How to Apply

To apply for SWDTP funding, you must choose the relevant pathway listed in the ' ESRC SWDTP Pathway PhD Studentships Available ' section and choosing the ‘apply now’ button. Only applications submitted via this SWDTP pathway link will be considered for funding.   Please do not apply directly to the University PhD programmes of study at this stage. If successful, your application for funding will become your University Programme application so you will not need to apply again.  

You will need to upload the following documents to the studentship application form. Please note our preferred format is PDF, each file named with your surname and the name of the document, eg “Smith – Transcript”, “Smith – Annex A”, “Smith – Collaboration Support”:  

• A completed SWDTP Studentship Application Form 2025 Entry (Annex A) This will include your research proposal of 1,300 words including the name(s) of the potential supervisors. For 1+3.5 students it is recognised that this will be an outline proposal to be further developed during the first year of the studentship.  Please upload your Annex A to the 'ESRC SWDTP Studentship Application Form' section of the online application system.
• 1 Supervisor Supporting Statement Form for 2025 Entry (Annex B) – this must be completed by your nominated primary supervisor
• 1 reference from someone familiar with your academic work  

         If your referees prefer, they can email the reference direct to [email protected]

• Verified transcript of your highest qualification to date or an interim transcript if you are still studying
• Letter(s) of support (ESRC collaboration):  If your project requires external letters of support from prospective collaborators please upload the documents to the "Letter(s) of support (ESRC collaboration)" section in the application form.  If your project does not require an external collaboration letter of support please upload a blank document in the format identified above with the title "Collaborative Support N/A"
• If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your proficiency in English (for further details, please see the University’s English language requirements )

If you encounter a technical issue when uploading your supporting documents to the portal where you may not see options to upload all the requested documents, or the upload pages may be titled something different. Please continue to apply for the programme through the portal and upload your supporting documents where you are able .  A full list of the required supporting documents can be found on the ‘How To Apply’ tab on the webpage https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/pg-research/funding/phdfunding/fundedcentres/swdtp/

If you are unable to upload any of the required documents to the portal, please continue to submit your application by the deadline. Once you have submitted the application you will receive a 9 digit reference number. Please email any additional supporting documents that you were not able to upload, to [email protected]. Please title the email “ESRC Studentship Application-[Your Name*]–[9 digit application number*]”.  *Edit with correct information.

Key Dates 

Deadline for applications: 12.00 (Noon) GMT Tuesday 14th January 2024 5

Interviews for short listed applicants will take place between 27th January and 7th February 2025 and will be held online.  

Reference information 

It is your responsibility to ensure that your supervisor and referee email their Supervisor Supporting Statement/references to [email protected] , as we will not make requests for references directly; you must arrange for them to be submitted by midday Tuesday 14th January 2025 .   Please note that applications with missing documentation will not progress to shortlisting.  

References should be submitted to us directly in the form of a letter. Referees must email their references to us from their institutional email accounts. We cannot accept references from personal/private email accounts, unless it is a scanned document on institutional headed paper and signed by the referee.  

All application documents must be submitted in English. Certified translated copies of academic qualifications must also be provided.  

Data Sharing 

During the application process, the University may need to make certain disclosures of your personal data to third parties to be able to administer your application, carry out interviews and select candidates.  These are not limited to, but may include disclosures to:  

• The selection panel and/or management board or equivalent of the relevant programme, which is likely to include staff from one or more other HEIs;
• Administrative staff at one or more other HEIs participating in the relevant programme.  

Such disclosures will always be kept to the minimum amount of personal data required for the specific purpose. Your sensitive personal data (relating to disability and race/ethnicity) will not be disclosed without your explicit consent.  

Research Training Pathways Information

The South West Doctoral Training Partnership has created a number of new and innovative training pathways which aim to tackle current national and international research priorities.

The following research training pathways are available at the University of Exeter. All programmes are available at the Streatham Campus in Exeter unless otherwise stated. The links below are for programme information only.  The application links associated with the below are for direct programme entry only are not linked to the ESRC SWDTP; therefore please do not submit an application for funding via the links below as your application will not be considered for the funding. 

Further information can be found on the  South West Doctoral Training Partnership’s webpages .

ESRC SWDTP Pathway PhD studentships available

Current available funding.

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The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership

The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership is an ESRC funded organisation that unites six leading social science institutions.

UBEL is a Doctoral Training Partnership between University College London, Birkbeck University of London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, SOAS University of London, University of East London and University of Greenwich.

UBEL is one of the  15 Doctoral Training Partnerships  across the UK funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) , providing postgraduate students with high-quality social science research training.   

Studentship Competitions

UBEL offers fully funded and co-funded ESRC studentships cover payment of tuition fees per year to eligible students.

Current Students

Find information about managing your studentship and get support with any issues that may be affecting your ability to study.

The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London Doctoral Training Partnership is an ESRC funded organisation that unites five leading social science institutions.

The DTP’s strategic vision is driven by a shared emphasis on interdisciplinary research; a multiplicity of existing connections within and across the partners; a joint apetite for engagement with non-academic partners; and a collective embedding in London, a super-diverse city with global reach and one of the largest populations of doctoral students anywhere in the world.

We are guided by a collective aim to foreground learning how to work across boundaries(disciplinary, institutional and professional) and work to produce graduates with the ability and flexibility to operate at the highest level within the London context and elsewhere, moving between local, national and international concerns. 

Find the right competition for you

ESRC Studentships Main Competition

ESRC Co-funded studentships

ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships

Is a PhD right for me?

Meet our students.

Shomo Basu Birkbeck , University of London

Kieran Robson University of East London

Hamda Mohamed University of East London

Since 2017 UBEL has:

in our community of funded students

partner institutions

research pathways

non academic partners

Clara Fabian-Therond – Macmillan Cancer Support

Understanding relationships between science, society, gender inequality and cancer Clara Fabian-Therond and Macmillan Cancer Support Throughout March, Macmillan Cancer Support have been publishing a series

Sara Tofiq’s experience with the OLive Scheme

I volunteered with refugees and asylum seekers in the second year of my PhD. The Olive initiative, led in partnership with Bristol University, University of

UKRI Policy Internships Scheme 2023/24

As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s postgraduate training portfolio, the UKRI Policy Internships scheme provides an opportunity for UKRI-funded doctoral students to undertake

Get in touch

The UBEL DTP support team provide guidance to prospective and current students in relation to ESRC guidelines and internal DTP processes. The UBEL DTP support team are in regular contact with partner colleagues as well as the Director and Deputy Director.  

Alison Freeman ( [email protected] ) – DTP Manager  

Jamie Kozak ( [email protected] ) – DTP Co-ordinator  

Gita Tailor ( [email protected] ) – DTP Administrator  

Freya Moores ( [email protected] ) – DTP Administrator

Current Students Managing your Studentship Funding Opportunities Training and Development Student Support International Institutional Visit Research Training Support Grant (RTSG)

Studentship Competitions Groupings and Pathways ESRC Studentships Main Competition ESRC Co-Funded Studentships ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships

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LSE PhD Studentships

It was a huge honour to receive funding from such a prestigious institution

For 2025 entry, LSE will be offering studentships to new PhD students in the form of LSE PhD Studentships, LSE DTP  ESRC Studentships  and London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP)  Studentships.

The awards are open to high calibre students of all nationalities studying across all research areas at the School.

Eligibility

LSE PhD Studentships are tenable for four years and cover full fees and an annual stipend, which for 2024 entry was £21,237. They are available for UK and international students undertaking research in any LSE discipline, with annual renewal subject to satisfactory academic performance.

These awards will be made solely on the basis of outstanding academic merit and research potential. This relates both to your past academic record and to an assessment of your likely aptitude to complete a PhD in your chosen topic in the time allocated.

How to apply

Academic departments nominate students for consideration by a School panel for all PhD funding opportunities they may be eligible for. There is no separate application for any of these studentships.

To be considered for this funding, you must submit your complete application for admission to LSE by a specific date. This date differs by academic department. Refer to the individual programme page for the relevant deadline information.  Find your graduate programme .

• deadline for the research programme in the Law School for 2025 entry: 1 December 2024
• deadline for the research programmes in the Department of Economics and the Department of International Development for 2025 entry (including PhD Studentships and ESRC funding: 18 December 2024
• funding deadline for first round of PhD Studentships and for ESRC funding for 2025 entry: 15 January 2025
• London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) PhD Scholarships  deadline: 27 January 2025, 17:00 GMT
• funding deadline for second round of PhD Studentships deadline for 2025 entry (some departments only): 25 April 2025

Find out about ESRC Studentships .

More information on how to apply for a place on a PhD programme .

Student stories

"I received an LSE PhD Studentship, which covers both my tuition and living expenses. It was a huge honour to receive funding from such a prestigious institution and without this support it would have been impossible for me to pursue my PhD."

Katherine Furman East London, South Africa MPhil/PhD Philosophy LSE PhD Studentship

ESRC Studentships Scholarships for PhD study and master's linked to a PhD

How to apply The application process, UCAS and when to apply

Undergraduate fees and funding Details on available scholarships, bursaries, loans and tuition fees

Graduate fees and funding Details on available scholarships, bursaries, loans and tuition fees

Contact us Get in touch with the Financial Support Office

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Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

Award description.

Funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), through the Midlands Graduate School DTP is now open for applications.

These awards are available for campus-based doctoral research in a range of disciplines including Applied Linguistics, Area Studies (African Studies), Economic and Social History, and Socio-Legal Studies. 

Find out more information about the awards on the studentships webpages here.

How to Apply

Students can make a funding application through the  Midlands Graduate School ESRC funding website.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/studentships/

Funding opportunity: ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships: 2024

Apply for funding to provide PhD training and professional development opportunities to students.

ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) are designed to:

• enhance the capabilities of doctoral candidates
• develop a world-class, highly skilled workforce for the UK.

Your organisation must:

• be a UK research organisation eligible for research council funding
• have the infrastructure in place to provide postgraduate training.

Your proposal must be multidisciplinary across a range of social science disciplines.

We invite institutional level or multi-institution bids.

Update, 28 July 2022 We have:

• added a frequently asked questions document (see ‘supporting documents’ under ‘additional info’)
• updated the ‘delivery, management and governance’ section under ‘what we’re looking for’ in regards to consortia proposals
• added the webinar slides from 5 July 2022 (see ‘webinar for applicants’ under ‘how to apply’)
• updated the annex page limit information in the Je-S guidance document (see ‘supporting documents’ under ‘additional info’).

Who can apply

All UK-based research organisations that are eligible to receive research council funding for research, and have the infrastructure in place to deliver postgraduate training, will be eligible to submit a proposal for a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).

You do not need to be part of the ESRC doctoral training network to apply.

Research organisations are only allowed to be part of one DTP proposal. Proposals can come from both single research organisations and consortia. We want to support excellence in postgraduate training wherever it is found, so there will not be a limit on the number of research organisations which can be involved in consortia arrangements.

Non-academic organisations, such as those from industry, charities and public sector research establishments, may also form part of consortia bids for the delivery of training and would be expected to contribute resources and access for studentships.

All DTP proposals must be multidisciplinary across the majority of the social sciences. Single discipline or narrowly focused DTPs are not eligible to apply.

DTP proposals must be able to demonstrate high quality provision across the breadth of the social sciences.

The research organisations in a DTP will be expected to demonstrate full commitment to the partnerships in which they are involved. ESRC reserves the right to terminate any partnership that is performing poorly.

What we're looking for

Working in partnership.

Proposals are encouraged to represent a consortia of academic organisations to optimise the breadth and depth of training available to students.

Partnerships are also encouraged to:

• include smaller institutions, with what might be discipline-specific centres of excellence
• consider the strengths of regional partners to build connections in local communities and to support them to deliver the ESRC objectives.

Proposals including what might be discipline-specific centres of excellence will be recognised through the allocation process (see the ‘number of awards and funding available’ section).

Whether an individual research organisation or a consortium, partnerships must show:

• a clear vision and strategy for how they will work to deliver their goals
• how they will grow and mature collaborations over the funding period.

Proposals must:

• justify the partnership’s structure
• make a clear case for the size of the partnership, and the added value each partner brings to the delivery of training and to the doctoral candidate experience.

ESRC acknowledges that it may take time for a new collaborative arrangement to fully evolve and for partnerships to be consolidated. All would be expected to provide demonstrable evidence that they can deliver their goals.

We expect the proposed Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) to be a key part of their institution’s strategy. Applicants should demonstrate how the DTP will link into and access wider institutional resources to achieve their goals, such as:

• other research council doctoral training provision
• careers service
• knowledge exchange facilities.

Letters of support are required from each participating research organisation.

Non-academic organisations, such as those from industry, charities and public sector research establishments, may also form part of consortia bids, in agreement with the lead research organisation submitting the proposal. They would be expected to contribute resources (cash or in kind) for the delivery of training and access for studentships. The DTP must demonstrate the added value of their inclusion.

Content and delivery of training

ESRC expects partnerships to provide an excellent postgraduate training environment and deliver leading edge social science research training which is student centred and responsive to their prior experience and subject area.

The ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 detail how partnerships will be expected to provide conceptual, general, specialist and research in practice training.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate how they will meet these requirements and the quality of the research environment they can provide.

Conceptual, general and specialist research training

Partnerships should set out how they will meet our expectations for core conceptual, general and specialist research training.

This should include:

• an overview of their existing strengths
• where there is a need to develop their training offer
• how the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) will do this.

This can include working in partnership with other providers outside the DTP.

The ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 stress the importance of avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach that will require structural and cultural change within research organisations. Both elements should be addressed in the bid.

To support innovation in both the content and delivery of training to ensure a flexible and leading edge training offer, partnerships can bid for funding of up to £150,000 to support the development of new training content and delivery approaches.

This funding will be available for a period of three years from October 2023, a year ahead of the first cohort of students starting, to provide time to develop and test the new training.

The funding can be used to fund:

• development of materials
• delivery infrastructure.

We are keen to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and development of partnerships across DTPs to deliver high quality training. To support this ambition, DTPs will need to identify a training lead for this work who will form part of a ESRC co-ordinated DTP training network.

While the overall approach to developing the training should be included in the case for support, the detailed justification of resources should be provided as an attachment on the proposal.

In annex 1 of the case for support, partnerships should evidence the quality of the research environment they will provide for students at a disciplinary or subject area level. This should include:

• Research Excellence Framework (REF) metrics (output, environment and impact)
• supervisory capacity
• completion rates
• major grant funding or centres of excellence
• other indicators they believe demonstrate the quality of the research environment.

They should also provide examples which demonstrate the quality of their specialist training offer.

Research organisations are advised to play to their research strengths where they have world class expertise and infrastructures to develop expertise in their doctoral students. Where they are seeking to use the DTP to grow capacity in new research areas, they must detail their rationale.

ESRC wants to support a vibrant specialist training offer for all students. As part of their bid, partnerships should indicate where they will be able to make specialist training available beyond their DTP. We anticipate at least three per year.

Research in practice

In their applications, DTPs will need to set out how they will embed research in practice as a core component of the doctoral experience for all ESRC funded students.

Research in practice should comprise of a suite of options aimed at developing students’ skills in a number of core areas relating to employability:

• ability to apply research skills in different research contexts
• ability to collaborate across sectoral and disciplinary boundaries
• communication with impact, developing networks, entrepreneurship and leadership skills
• ability to proactively engage in their own personal development and career direction.

Partnerships are expected to describe how they will ensure all students have access to high quality, innovative and experientially-based professional development opportunities throughout the doctoral experience which develop transferable skills and provide opportunities to apply knowledge in different contexts (more detail provided in the ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 ).

DTPs are encouraged to work in partnership with other training providers outside the DTP to develop and deliver opportunities and also consider opportunities for student-led activities.

Students will be expected to participate in a range of opportunities, tailored through the development needs analysis according to their previous experience, goals and development needs.

As part of research in practice, our ambition is that all students have the opportunity to complete a placement in academia, policy, business or third sector organisations. This will give them the practical opportunity to develop their transferrable skills and apply their research skills in different contexts.

Funding to undertake a three-month placement has been embedded within the standard PhD model, with all studentships having access to three and a half years of funding and £1,000 allocated to support the additional costs of undertaking a placement (for example, travel and subsistence). Those who do not take part in a placement will receive funding for three and a quarter years.

ESRC will also contribute up to £40,000 per DTP per year to the cost of administering research in practice. This will be provided from October 2023 to allow successful DTPs to establish structures and processes to develop these opportunities. These costs should be requested in the justification of resources additional document.

In their bid, applicants should provide evidence on how they will deliver research in practice, particularly how they will scale their placement offer and encourage students and supervisors to view them as a core and valuable part of their doctoral training. They should demonstrate how they will draw on connections they already have including ESRC Impact Acceleration Accounts and how funding will be used to develop new connections.

Our ambition is for all students to have the opportunity to undertake placements. By the time of the DTP mid-term review in autumn 2026, partnerships will need to demonstrate that they have the infrastructure, range and volume of opportunities to enable them to deliver this.

We are not mandating placements but do expect by the time of the mid-term review that DTPs can demonstrate the majority of students in the first two cohorts will be undertaking a placement as part of their studentship.

Applicants should also detail how they will link up the research in practice element with the development needs analysis (DNA) process. How will the DTP identify the needs of the students and ensure the suite of options available is suitable?

Capacity building in priority areas

The ESRC review of the PhD in the social sciences highlighted the continuing need for us to develop capacity in data skills and advanced quantitative methods (AQM) training and the importance of supporting interdisciplinary research which spans research council boundaries.

Partnerships are encouraged to demonstrate their strengths and how they will work to support studentships in these areas. More information can be found in the additional document appendix A – ESRC strategic steers (PDF, 116KB) .

To recognise the partnership’s strength, studentships will be ring fenced as part of the allocation process (see section on number of awards and funding available).

Collaborative studentships

Collaborative studentships with non-academic organisations are an important part of DTPs offering direct benefit to students and host organisations and providing important co-funding.

With the increased emphasis on providing research in practice placements, we do not want to lose the benefits collaborative studentships bring. We are therefore setting a target that at least 15% of the studentships we fund should be collaborative with non-academic organisations in the public, private or civil society sector.

Collaborative studentships can also include a placement as part of the opportunity. While co-funding is encouraged, it is not required.

In their bid, partnerships should indicate their commitment to meeting the target and how they will achieve it. Failure to meet the target may lead to a reduced number of studentships allocated after the mid-term review.

International engagement

We are keen to support researchers to develop the capability to operate in a global context. Therefore, we will continue to provide support for overseas fieldwork for doctoral students and provide extensions to allow time for difficult language training.

We will also provide funding for overseas institutional visits (OIVs) of up to three months to undertake specialist research training and to develop collaborative links.

Applicants are encouraged to highlight the international aspects of their training provision in their proposals, drawing particular attention to aspects which develop the cultural and methodological skills required for working with international partners.

Development needs analysis

Development needs analysis (DNA) is fundamental to achieving more flexible and responsive doctoral training. Students should benefit from a tailored DNA experience that allows for specific training needs, learning outcomes and research in practice elements to be clearly defined.

At the outset of the PhD, the DNA will be used to inform the structure of funding that is appropriate for each student, taking account of prior knowledge and experience and at a minimum we expect this to be reviewed annually.

In their bid, applicants must describe the processes they will put in place to meet our expectations for development needs assessments (full details can be found in the ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 ), including how they will engage with supervisors to ensure that they are aware of the different training opportunities.

The applicants will also need to explain how they will ensure consistency in the approach used across the partnership and how these processes will enable them to obtain an overarching view of training needs across the DTP.

DTPs will be required to report to ESRC on development needs and emerging gaps in provision through their annual report and ESRC will undertake assurance checks on a sample of DNA forms.

In response to the ESRC review of the PhD in the social sciences , ESRC commissioned a review of the existing literature and landscape of doctoral training needs analysis to identify best practice and areas for potential development and innovation.

The aim was to inform this opportunity and provide a resource for applicants and support innovation in practice. DTPs and students provided important input to the review and moving forward, we want to work collaboratively with our network of DTPs to share practice and learnings.

Applicants should therefore consider how they will evaluate and share changes to their approach. DTPs will be able to use the flexibility of their grant to support the development of their approach to development needs analysis.

Supervision

Effective supervision is critical to the success of a DTP, and details of our expectations regarding supervisory practice and policy can be found in the ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022 . Applicants are required to describe the formal systems which are in place for:

• monitoring the performance of supervisors
• identifying their training and professional development needs
• ensuring that these needs are met.

Ensuring that supervisors are engaged with the DTP is essential to ensure that the student gets the most out of their ESRC studentship and the range of opportunities available to them. Applicants must set out a clear strategy for communicating with supervisors and ensuring that they are fully engaged with the aims and objectives of the DTP.

Applicants should also provide details on the professional development opportunities that will be available to supervisors and how they will encourage members of staff, including early career researchers, to join the supervisory teams.

ESRC is working with the UK Council for Graduate Education and the other research councils to explore existing best practice and how UKRI can further support high quality supervision as part of the New Deal for Postgraduate Research Programme.

We will continue to work with the DTP Network (and broader sector) once commissioned to share practice and support high quality supervision.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

ESRC is committed to increasing the diversity of our student population and ensuring that we provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all.

DTPs are asked to set out their strategy for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to support the participation of doctoral candidates from all backgrounds, as well as details of the support systems in place to protect and promote students’ physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The strategy must consider EDI broadly, recognising the full range of protected characteristics and the socio-economic backgrounds of students.

It should include the embedding of EDI principles at all levels and in all aspects of research and training practice in the DTP, including the selection and management of doctoral candidates and cohorts.

As part of their holistic strategy, DTPs should set out their approach to how they will make entry requirements more inclusive with greater focus on assessing potential. UKRI does support the use of positive action measures to encourage and support the participation of under-represented groups where there is clear evidence of under-representation and that it constitutes a proportionate response.

All institutions within the partnership must have procedures in place that allow them to capture EDI data on all applicants, for each stage of the recruitment process, from the outset of the DTP.

We want to collect socio-economic data based on the measures set out by the Social Mobility Commission and this will be built into the annual reporting template issued to partnerships.

Costs to support the development of internal systems to collect EDI and socio-economic data could be sought from the flexibility within the training grant.

Applicants must describe their strategy and actions in a dedicated EDI plan, as a two-page annex to the case for support (annex 2) submitted as part of the proposal.

Delivery, management and governance

Partnerships will be expected to describe the governance arrangements that will enable effective decision-making and engagement with all relevant stakeholders (including students) to deliver their objectives.

This should include how they will structure their training to ensure it is both responsive to the needs of the disciplines whilst facilitating opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement and ensure students benefit from being part of a cohort beyond their immediate department.

DTPs will be expected to respond in an agile manner to new training needs and need to ensure that the arrangements for sharing best practice amongst the partners is clearly set out. Partnerships must ensure ESRC receives value for money in the delivery of PhD training.

We expect the DTP to contribute to the institutional strategies for social science and as such governance arrangements should be embedded within, and reporting to, relevant institutional structures.

Clear communication plans must be in place to disseminate information across all partners in the DTP.

Full formal partnership agreements would need to be in place from October 2023. This should include a clear complaints and appeals process for the DTP.

Applicants will need to describe how the DTP will be managed and what support will be provided by the research organisations. A governance board must be in place, which provides robust oversight of the partnership and monitors progress against deliverables. Applicants will need to explain the suitability of the Director and the senior management team.

For consortia proposals, the Director of the DTP would normally be based at the host organisation. Exceptions can be considered for the director to be based at a partner institution, however the partnership would need to ensure that a robust governance structure is put in place.

There would need to be clear oversight for the full partnership as the host organisation is responsible for the management of the training grant and accountability for the funds provided, regardless of where the Director sits within the partnership.

Based on experience at a minimum, research organisations need to provide the following resourcing:

• a professorial (in exceptional cases senior) level DTP Director post (more than 20% FTE for single institution DTPs, more than 30% FTE for consortia institution DTPs)
• a Deputy Director
• an identified training lead
• an experienced senior level DTP Manager and a DTP Administrator (with administrators or points of contact based at each partner institution for consortia DTPs)
• Management Board commitment and support for finance and knowledge exchange
• other support will depend on the individual institutional configuration.

We expect that the Director will remain in place for the duration of the DTP and if they step down, then ESRC will be required to approve their replacement. Applicants should describe their approach to succession planning. The Director will be required to attend DTP Director meetings twice a year.

Internal allocation of studentships

The allocation of studentships will be devolved to the DTPs. To ensure an applicant’s potential is the primary criterion, we expect the majority of studentships to be allocated through a fair and transparent open competition, not based on internal quotas. As such, applicants must set out how they will run the allocation process, including how they will approach steered studentships.

Applicants wishing to build capacity in particular strategic areas or to strengthen partnerships can request that a small proportion of the studentships are ring fenced. DTPs will have the opportunity to update these ring fenced areas through the annual reporting process.

Monitoring progress and capturing impact

The monitoring of DTPs progress towards goals and evidence of impact are important.

Partnerships will be expected to describe:

• what success looks like for their doctoral candidates
• how the DTP will deliver this
• what evidence they will capture to measure progress and show impact towards their goals, and the process of capturing the data.

We acknowledge that it may not be possible for applicants to have all requirements in place at the point of application and that it can take time for new arrangements and processes to fully evolve. Applicants should therefore include details on how their offering for students will be developed over the life-course of the award.

ESRC wishes to continue a high level of engagement with successful partnerships in order to support research organisations in their postgraduate work. This will include the research organisations being able to seek advice on issues which may emerge in their management of the DTP, as well as enable ESRC to provide guidance on emerging skills issues and policy developments. This will take the form of the annual partnership visit and good practice sharing events.

All DTPs will be subject to a mid-term review in autumn 2026. The review will assess the progress DTPs have made in delivering their objectives and allow us to consider whether any adjustments are required to awards in response to the changing research landscape (for example, to address emerging research priorities and to increase our DTPs connectivity and alignment to other UKRI doctoral training investments as part of the commitment UKRI has made to increased collective working on talent).

Awards will be for five consecutive cohorts of students starting in October 2024. The first three cohorts are guaranteed. The final two cohorts will be dependent on the outcomes of the mid-term review.

In submitting a proposal to become a ESRC DTP, the research organisations involved thereby agree to comply with monitoring arrangements established by ESRC, and to work in partnership with ESRC to support its priorities for PhD training.

Number of awards and funding available

It is anticipated that up to 16 DTPs will be awarded.

Funding is available to support up to 500 studentships per year, for five consecutive cohorts (the first being 2024 to 2025 and the final cohort commencing in 2028 to 2029. Awards will be made in the form of a single profiled training grant. The normal flexibility of UKRI training grants will apply.

150 of the 500 studentships available per year will be allocated strategically by ESRC to reward strength in our priority areas and the extent to which they are inclusive partnerships. The remaining 350 studentships will be allocated responsively, across up to 16 DTPs and applicants are invited to set out as part of their bid how many students they can support.

We want to ensure that all DTPs have a viable cohort of ESRC funded students and that they have the supervisory capacity and infrastructure required to support the number of students requested. Currently, the overall allocation of studentships across the DTPs ranges between 28 to 45.

In determining the final allocation for each DTP, the commissioning panel will consider the following areas:

• the quality of training provided across the core and subject specific areas as well as the broader training being offered
• whether the partnership has the supervisory capacity and infrastructure required to support the number of students requested
• inclusive partnerships: DTPs incorporating partner institutions that offer excellence in social science training and research
• strengths in data skills, advanced quantitative methods (AQM) and interdisciplinary research.

As part of a separate annex in the case for support (annex 3), applicants must justify why they are asking for the specific cohort size and how they will support the cohort. Whilst co-funding of studentships is not a requirement of funding, applicants should provide details of co-funding arrangements if relevant. They will also need to set out how they will allocate the studentships in a fair, open and transparent way within the partnership.

The value of a studentship is calculated based on the following elements. DTPs will be expected to award studentships of varying durations that reflect a student’s prior experience and skills required to complete their PhD, up to a maximum of four and a half years.

Notional costs

Stipend calculation.

UKRI sets minimum stipend levels annually. The latest rate (for academic year 2022 to 2023) is £17,668.

Fees calculation

UKRI sets minimum fees levels annually. The latest rate (for academic year 2022 to 2023) is £4,596.

Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) calculation

£940 per student per year.

Overseas fieldwork calculation

£450 per student per year.

Student and cohort development calculation

£3,330 per student which includes £1,000 to support placement activities.

London allowance calculation

£2,000 per student per year for those studying at a London institution.

How to apply

Webinar for applicants.

We have scheduled an information webinar on ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships for applicants for Thursday 22 September 2022 at 10:00 to 11:30.

ESRC staff and members of the PhD Review Steering Group will host the webinar.

View the slides from the 5 July 2022 webinar (PDF, 539KB) .

View the slides from the 22 September 2022 webinar (PDF, 341KB) .

Expression of interest

All applicants must submit an expression of interest (EoI) by email by 16:00 on 31 October 2022 to [email protected] , naming the Director and setting out which research organisations are involved in the proposal.

The EoI email should be limited to the above information only. The EoIs will only be used to help plan the peer review process.

Applying using Je-S

You must apply using the Joint Electronic Submission (Je-S) system .

We recommend you start your application early. You can save completed details in Je-S at any time and return to continue your application later.

When applying, select ‘new document’ then:

• council: ESRC
• document type: Studentship Proposal
• scheme: Postgraduate Framework
• call/type/mode: Doctoral Training Partnerships 2024

Once you have completed your application, make sure you ‘submit document’.

You can find advice on completing your application in the Je-S handbook or opportunity-specific Je-S guidance (PDF, 497KB) .

Your host organisation will also be able to provide advice and guidance on completing your application.

Applications must be submitted by 14 February 2023 at 16:00.

You will not be able to apply after this time. Please leave enough time for your proposal to pass through your organisation’s Je-S submission route before this date.

You should ensure you are aware of and comply with any internal institutional deadlines that may be in place.

Attachments

The below attachments must also be included.

Case for support

Must include the annexes below:

• annex one: disciplinary research environment (for each discipline or subject area included in the bid)
• annex two: equality, diversity and inclusion plan
• annex three: allocation of studentships.

Justification of resources document

Setting out the costings for the training development and placements infrastructure (marked as ‘other attachment’).

For the DTP Director, Deputy Director post and Training Lead.

Additional information for collaborative bids

Information relating to collaborative bids.

Letter of support

From collaborative organisations (if a consortia).

Project partner letters of support

Only if applicable.

How we will assess your application

Assessment criteria.

Eligible proposals will be assessed by reviewers and panel members against the following criteria:

• working in partnership
• conceptual, general and specialist research training
• research in practice
• capacity building in priority areas
• collaborative studentships and international engagement
• development needs analysis
• supervision
• equality, diversity and inclusion
• delivery, management and governance
• allocation of studentships.

This includes:

• vision and strategy for the partnership
• how the partnership will deliver their goals
• details and justification for the structure and size of the partnership
• evidence and justification to demonstrate the strengths and areas of excellence that the partners bring to the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)
• evidence of linkage to institutional strategies and resources.
• details of how they will meet our expectations for the delivery of core conceptual, general and specialist research training within the DTP
• evidence of the partnerships strengths in providing this training
• their approach to developing new training
• evidence of the quality of the research environment, at a disciplinary or subject area level
• examples of where the partnership would make specialist training available beyond their DTP.
• strategy for how the DTP will deliver a suite of options that are open to all ESRC funded students
• evidence on how the DTP will draw on existing connections, how funding will be utilised to create new connections and a clear plan on how the placement offer will be scaled up for all cohorts
• clear details on the infrastructure needed to underpin the delivery of these options
• details on how the research in practice element will link up with the development needs analysis process and how the DTP will identify the needs of the students and ensure the suite of options available is appropriate.
• evidence of the strengths that the partnership has in the priority areas
• details on how the partnership will support studentships in the priority areas.

Collaborative studentships and international engagement

• evidence of the partnerships commitment to develop collaborative agreements with non-academic partnerships
• details on the international aspects of the training provision, including how this offering would be developed by the partnership over the lifecourse of the award.
• strategy for meeting our expectations in relation to DNA, including how the DTP will engage students and supervisors
• evidence of how a consistent approach will be managed across the DTP
• details on how the partnership will evaluate and share their approach to DNA exercises across the network.
• formal systems in place for monitoring performance of supervisors and identifying training and professional development needs
• a clear strategy for communicating and engaging with supervisors to ensure that they are fully engaged with the aims and objectives of the DTP
• evidence of the professional development opportunities available for supervisors and how the DTP will encourage members of staff to join supervisory teams.
• a clear equality, diversity and inclusion plan enabling to support the participation of all doctoral candidates from all backgrounds, including how they will embed EDI principles at all levels and in all aspects of research and training practice within the DTP
• evidence of support systems in place to protect doctoral candidates’ physical and mental health and wellbeing
• confirmation that all institutions within the partnership will have procedures in place that allow them to capture EDI data on all applicants, for each stage of the recruitment process, from the outset of the DTP.
• evidence on how the DTP will be governed and managed, including the details on the resourcing of the DTP
• evidence that the governance arrangements for the management of the DTP will enable effective decision-making, robust oversight of the partnership and monitoring of progress against deliverables
• how the DTP will engage with all relevant stakeholders
• how the structure of training will be responsive to the needs of the discipline whilst facilitating opportunities for interdisciplinary engagement
• how they will ensure students benefit from being part of a cohort beyond their immediate department
• succession planning for key roles within the DTP
• how they will respond in an agile manner to new training needs
• arrangements for ensuring good practice is shared among the partners
• evidence of support from all institutional partners.

Allocation of studentships

• rationale for the number of studentships requested, including details on how the DTP will support the cohort
• supervisory capacity and infrastructure required to support the number of students requested
• details of co-funding arrangements (if applicable)
• evidence to demonstrate strengths in priority areas (data skills, advanced quantitative methods, interdisciplinary research and administrative data)
• evidence of inclusive partnerships with pockets of excellence
• details on the internal allocation process for the partnership.

If a proposal meets the standard ESRC minimum quality threshold, applicants will be given the opportunity to respond to the peer review comments received. Proposals, along with the reviewer comments and grades and the applicants’ responses, will then be assessed by a specially convened commissioning panel.

The panel meeting will take place in the week commencing 26 June 2023 and will involve an interview with each DTP Director and up to three other members of the team including, where relevant, a representative from a discipline specific centre of excellence.

Only those proposals of a sufficient high level will progress to the interview stage.

The panel will then agree final grades and make accreditation recommendations to ESRC.

Applicants will be informed of decisions in August 2023, with pump priming grants commencing in October 2023. The first studentships will commence in October 2024.

Contact details

Get help with developing your proposal.

For help and advice on costings and writing your proposal, please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

Ask about this funding opportunity

Esrc skills and methods team.

Email: [email protected]

Get help with applying through Je-S

[email protected]

01793 444164

Opening times

Je-S helpdesk opening times

Additional info

ESRC currently funds studentships through 14 Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) covering the full range of the social sciences, as well as areas of interdisciplinary research.

The 14 DTPs are comprised of 73 high quality research organisations.

Since 2017, new studentship funding has been available through our DTPs and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) , while the Doctoral Training Centres (DTC) network continues to support existing students.

Supporting documents

• Appendix A – ESRC steers (PDF, 116KB)
• Je-S guidance (PDF, 497KB)
• Equality impact assessment – revised strategy for doctoral training and development guidelines (PDF, 137KB)
• Equality impact assessment – ESRC call for Doctoral Training Partnerships 2024 (PDF, 188KB)
• Frequently asked questions (PDF, 264KB)
• ESRC review of the PhD in the social sciences
• ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines 2022
• Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) 2024 peer reviewer guidance (PDF, 225KB)

This is the website for UKRI: our seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Let us know if you have feedback or would like to help improve our online products and services .

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ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships 2025 Entry

Type of award.

Studentship

Managing department

Faculty of Humanities

Subject to residential eligibility status, the award covers:

• Tuition fees
• Maintenance stipend (the annual maintenance stipend for 2024-25 is £19,237)
• A research training support grant
• Opportunities to apply for additional funding towards overseas fieldwork, difficult language training, overseas institutional visits, and internships
• An additional disability allowance can be provided where appropriate

Students opting to study part-time will receive a pro-rata maintenance stipend. 

Specified use

• +3/+4 - covering a full PhD programme
• +2 - covering 2 years of study for current postgraduate researchers
• 1+3 - covering Master's and Doctoral study

Tenable period

Continuation of award.

Continuation of the award is subject to satisfactory progress.

Number available

A number of awards are available on a competitive basis.

Funding provider

ESRC North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership

Level(s) of study

This funding is available to students undertaking the following types of study:

• Postgraduate taught
• Postgraduate research

Allowed study options

This funding is available to students undertaking the following modes of study:

Subject restrictions

This funding is available to students undertaking study in:

• Accounting and Finance
• Anthropology, Media and Performance
• Arab World Studies
• Architecture
• Business and Management
• Chinese Studies
• Criminology
• Development Policy and Management
• Development Studies
• East Asian Studies
• Human Geography
• Humanitarianism and Conflict Response
• International Development
• Japanese Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Linguistics and English Language
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Planning, Property and Environmental Management
• Russian and East European Studies
• Social Anthropology
• Social Statistics

Academic requirements

You must meet the minimum academic requirements for your preferred programme, in addition to those specified by the ESRC NWSSDTP.

Nationality restrictions

This funding is available to all nationalities.

Other eligibility criteria

This award is available to existing postgraduate students.

Application procedure

You must submit a complete programme application for your chosen PhD programme by the funding deadline for your school (below). This is to ensure you hold an offer by the time of the NWSSDTP committee.

Section 9 of the application asks for your funding intentions. Add a funding source and populate this as below:

Type of Funding: Research Council

Awarding Body: ESRC NWSSDTP

Status of Funding: Intend to Apply

The completed ESRC NWSSDTP Application Form and Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form must be submitted to [email protected] no later than 5pm GMT, 3 February 2025. Please note all deadlines are strict and applications received after 5pm will not be included in the competition.

Application form

• https://nwssdtp.ac.uk/how-to-apply/

Additional documentation

To be considered in the ESRC NWSSDTP competition, your research proposal must be no longer than 1500 words. If you revise your research proposal following submission of your programme application, please attach the latest draft of your proposal along with the ESRC NWSSDTP application form in your email to [email protected].

The academic transcripts and references submitted with your programme application will be attached to your ESRC NWSSDTP application form and provided to the panels for review.

Selection criteria

• Academic merit
• Quality and feasibility of research proposal
• Consideration of ethical responsibility  

Please see the NWSSDTP website.

Selection body

Closing date.

03 Feb 2025

Decision date

We expect to communicate the outcome to 2025 applicants no later than 20 March 2025. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide feedback on individual applications, as outcomes are determined by several panels across a number of institutions.

Deferral information

Additional information.

1+3 Applications:

To apply, you should submit a PhD programme application (not taught Master's), and indicate in section 9 of the form that it is your intention to apply for 1+3 funding. This will be assessed as per the Postgraduate Research admissions process; must contain a 1500 word research proposal; and be supported by a supervisory team. If you secure 1+3 funding, you will receive an offer for both Master's and PhD programme.

+2 Applications:

To apply, please submit your latest 1500 word research proposal with the completed ESRC NWSSDTP application form and Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form to the Humanities Doctoral Academy via [email protected] no later than 5pm GMT, 3 February 2025.

We may also reach out to you to request your academic transcripts and references, if we do not already have them.

Contact details for enquiries

• Humanities Doctoral Academy Admissions Tel: +44(0)161 275 1200 OPTION 1 Email: [email protected]

Useful links

• https://nwssdtp.ac.uk/about/how-to-apply/