ESRC Studentship Funding

The WRDTP is now inviting student applications to our WRDTP Collaborative Awards and ADR - UK Studentship projects. Click here to find out more!
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The White Rose Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (WRDTP), accredited by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in 2016, is a collaboration across the social sciences at the Universities of Leeds, Sheffield, York, Bradford, Sheffield Hallam, Hull, and Manchester Metropolitan.

We offer a range of social sciences PhD studentships starting in September/October each year at our partner universities.

The awards on offer are either/or:

+3 programme: funding for a three-year PhD (assumes that a student has already met the majority of the core social sciences research methods training requirements and that the PhD focus is largely on more advanced training)

1+3 programme: an integrated Masters programme precedes the three-year PhD which will deliver the core social sciences research methods training requirements (e.g. MA Social Research)

ALL awards are available for study on either a full-time or part-time basis.

Student Applications for the following WRDTP ESRC Award competitions will be welcomed from November 2022:

The Pathway and Advanced Quantitative Methods Award competitions fund students who have designed their own research projects. To apply for ESRC studentship funding as an academic colleague, please see the WRDTP Collaborative Awards section below.

Academic colleagues are invited to develop a proposal for the following WRDTP ESRC Award:

WRDTP Collaborative Awards are designed by academic colleagues at our partner universities. Students will be able to view the list of successful projects and apply for the studentship linked to their preferred project in Spring 2023.

Further information on the training offered by the WRDTP for our funded students can be found here.

Links to MA Social Research programmes offered at our partner Universities can be found below:

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How to apply

Applicants who are interested in the WRDTP Pathway and AQM Awards are invited to attend an information session for guidance on the application process. There will also be an information session for Black British applicants who are interested in applying for a WRDTP/Stuart Hall Foundation Award.

These will be held online  on the following dates:

  • Pathway Awards and AQM Awards (open to home and international applicants) 
    • Thursday 20 October 2022: 5:30pm – 6:30pm
  • Stuart Hall Foundation Awards (open to Black British applicants only) 
    • Wednesday 26 October 2022: 5:30pm – 6:30pm

These sessions will include opportunities for Q&A and a recording of the session will be made available afterwards. Potential supervisors of applicants are also welcome to attend these sessions for further information.

The slides and recording from the WRDTP Studentship Awards Application Workshop (Pathway and AQM Awards), held on Thursday 20 October 2022 can now be found below:

WRDTP Studentship Awards Application Workshop (Pathway and AQM Awards) - Presentation Slides

The White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership now invites applications from academic colleagues for 10 fully funded ESRC WRDTP Collaborative Awards with a variety of non HEI partners. For further details, please visit our WRDTP Collaborative Awards webpage.

Student applicants: Please note that WRDTP Collaborative Awards are designed by academic colleagues at our partner universities. You will be able to view the list of successful projects and apply for a studentship linked to your chosen project in Spring 2023.

Supervisor Information Sessions

Academic colleagues who are interested in submitting a proposal to the Collaborative Awards competition will be invited to attend an online information session.  The session will be repeated on the following dates:

  • Tuesday 4 October 2022: 3:30pm – 4:30pm
  • Wednesday 5 October 2022: 10:00am – 11:00am

To book your place on a session, please follow this link.  A recording of the session and the slides will be made available afterwards.

Key information for Applicants

Key information for Postgraduate Directors and Supervisors

Eligibility criteria

  • For 1+3 and +3 awards, applicants must hold at least a UK upper second class honours degree or equivalent.
  • Applicants applying for a +3 award must demonstrate that they have already completed the full social sciences research methods training requirements at masters level. i.e. to be eligible for a +3 award, the student must demonstrate that they have already completed substantial social sciences training in research methods which would enable them to undertake an independent research project in a particular discipline or interdisciplinary field. A candidate must have at least 60 credits at M level of core social sciences research methods training acquired in the last five years. This must include a broad range of methods, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods and the use of appropriate software/tools for their application, and comprehension of principles of research design and strategy, and an appreciation of alternative approaches to research.  For more details on +3 eligibility see the FAQs above.
  • All UKRI-funded PhD students will be eligible for the full award – both the stipend to support living costs, and fees at research organisations’ UK rate. Further details can be found in the documents above, and the UKRI website. 
  • International students are eligible for all UKRI-funded postgraduate studentships. UKRI will normally limit the proportion of international students appointed each year through individual doctoral training programmes to 30 percent of the total  number of awards. Schools/departments should speak to their institution’s WRDTP AQC member(s) to confirm the process for nominating international candidates for a WRDTP studentship.

WRDTP Pathway Awards 2023/24

The WRDTP ESRC is pleased to announce 45 interdisciplinary Pathway Awards starting September/October 2023.  The WRDTP is required by the ESRC to offer awards through open competition and not based on internal discipline/departmental quotas.

Our allocation of Pathway Awards incorporates 2 x Interdisciplinary Research Awards and 2 x WRDTP/Stuart Hall Foundation Awards for Black British students. The overall number of Pathway Awards is 45.

WRDTP AQM Awards 2023/24

The White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership is pleased to announce 4 Advanced Quantitative Methods Awards starting September/October 2023.

Collaborative Awards 2023/24

The White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership now invites applications from academic colleagues for 10 fully funded ESRC WRDTP Collaborative Awards with a variety of non HEI partners.

WRDTP Collaborative Awards are designed by academic colleagues at our partner universities. Students will be able to view the list of successful projects and apply for a studentship linked to their chosen project in Spring 2023.

ADR UK Studentships 2023/24

The White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership now invites applications for a fully funded ESRC WRDTP Studentship Award in collaboration with ADR UK, focused on quantitative research using linked administrative data.