Studentships

SWDTP policy and procedures are governed and stipulated by ESRC guidelines. Click here to read the ESRC postgraduate training and development guidelines.

We have 34 fully-funded PhD studentships from the ESRC available through 14 disciplinary and 4 interdisciplinary pathways spanning the social sciences for the support of full time or part-time postgraduate study (at a minimum of 50% part-time). Click here to see our full list of pathways and at which institution they are offered.

Funding length and additional training is determined through Development Needs Analysis at the point of application*

Further information: Applying for a studentship

*for studentships that began from Sep 2024 onwards

The standard funding offer for PhD studentships is typically 3 years and 3 months plus 3 months ‘Research in Practice’ placement (see below), although this will end sooner if the student completes and submits their thesis for examination well ahead of their funded period.

As part of their application form, an applicant completes a self-assessment of research skills and knowledge. The SWDTP uses this information to conduct Development Needs Analysis (DNA) to determine ‘top up’ training conditions, for which additional funding and time are awarded. This can include a Masters year, specific methods units, self-directed learning and so on.

These ‘top up’ requirements can be found in the offer letter sent to successful applicants.

IMPORTANT: The ESRC expects that, for students from the 2024 intake onwards, every PhD thesis will be submitted within the funded period and requires that nearly everyone is. Institutions are at risk of sanction by the UKRI if students do not routinely submit within their funding period. Medical and other periods of leave are also not funded by the SWDTP after the funding of the scholarship has ended.

We therefore ask all applicants to think carefully about what is viable in the time available, to make sure that this is agreed and understood with the proposed supervisor, and to make every effort to submit within the funding period. Critically, these should not be conceived as four-year projects but as projects to be completed within 3 years and 3 months (or the part-time equivalent).

Mandatory component: Continuous engagement with Training/Development Needs Analysis

Further information: Training and development

All students must continue to engage with either Training Needs Analysis (TNA) or Development Needs Analysis (DNA) throughout their funded period, depending on when their funding began. This is required by the ESRC, and is crucial for documenting and informing each student’s individual training and development needs.

Training Needs Analysis (TNA): studentship commenced before Sep 2024

Engagement with Training Needs Analysis is primarily based on local progress review procedures.

Development Needs Analysis (DNA): studentship commenced from Sep 2024 onwards

Students are provided with a DNA log in the form of a OneNote document, which contains a number of objective setting, planning and logging activities that they should engage with on a regular basis. The OneNote document is shared between the SWDTP hub and the student only, and parts of it will be monitored for engagement.

Engaging with DNA is separate from any training and development components required locally by institutions, and students are expected to engage with both.

Mandatory component: Placements

Further information: Student placements

The Placement Scheme is an opportunity to get up to three months’ work experience in a relevant UK-based partner organisation.

The ESRC views the placement as a major and mandatory component* of a student’s access to ‘Research in Practice’ training – practical opportunities for students to apply their theoretical knowledge and methodological skills in contexts in and beyond academia, and to further develop a host of transferrable skills.

*For SWDTP-funded students who began their studies in or after September 2024, this is an integral part of their studies, for which 3 months’ ringfenced funding has been built into their original funding offer. Funded students who started their study before September 2024 are still eligible to apply.

Full-time placements usually last three months although part-time placements are also possible. Subject to agreement with their supervisor, placements can start at any point during a student’s studies, but not during the Masters year nor within the first three months of the PhD, and must be completed, at the very latest, before the last three months of a studentship.

The SWDTP and ESRC work throughout the year to broker exciting placement opportunities, which are advertised on the Placements page of our website. Many students will also source their own placement hosts, utilising their own networks and those of their supervisory teams. The SWDTP Collaboration Facilitator will help students develop their application, as well as approach external organisations and develop a formal placement agreement on their behalf.

Allowances and grants

Further information: Student allowances and grants

The SWDTP has a number of funding pots available to further support students in their academic development, research and placement activities throughout their funded period. Below is a summary of each. Please visit the students’ Allowances and Funding page for further information and guidance documents.

Funding for student-led activities

Further information: Collaboration and impact

Three types of funding pots are available to current SWDTP students to run impact, collaboration or cohort building activities respectively.

Absences, leaves, changes to supervision, changes to study

Key policies in relation to absences, leaves, and changes to study are covered in the ESRC Postgraduate Funding Guide and UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions.

Contact your institutional coordinators in the first instance to discuss arrangements pertaining to the above.