ESRC PhD Studentships at Middlesex University
SENSS student-led ESRC PhD studentships at Middlesex: Applications now open
Applications for ESRC PhD studentships open on 24 September 2024, until 22 January 2025.
Key details
Course start date: October 2025
Location: London Campus
Programme type: +3.5 year PhD or +4.5 year master's plus PhD
Mode of study: Full and part-time applications equally welcome
SENSS ESRC studentships are open to UK and EU/international applicants.
Current PhD students at Middlesex who will have at least 50% of their period of study remaining on 1 October 2025 are also able to apply.
Eligibility rules are available here.
What do I need to do to begin my application journey?
The most important thing is to read the background material on the SENSS website and make contact with a potential supervisor at Middlesex with whom you can begin to discuss and develop your project.
How do I apply?
There are two stages: first, apply for a place in the Middlesex PhD programme, and second, apply to SENSS for your ESRC studentship. Applications for Middlesex must be submitted by 15 January 2025 (17:00, UK time). Applications for SENSS ESRC Studentships must be submitted by 22 January 2025 (12:00, UK time).
SENSS ESRC studentships at Middlesex: Key themes
Middlesex University is a member of the South and East Network for Social Sciences (SENSS), a research and doctoral training partnership funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The SENSS consortium, comprised of eight universities engaged in internationally recognised social sciences research, offers ESRC studentship funding for postgraduate studies as well as a range of other training and development opportunities.
SENSS offers funding for +4.5 year master’s plus PhD studentships, as well as +3.5 year PhD-only studentships at Middlesex, across five themes:
SENSS themes
The focus on themes implies doctoral research responding to real-world challenges and framed by strong interdisciplinarity.
Ring-fenced support for priority areas
Within the pool of SENSS studentships there are several that are ring-fenced– ie funding set aside to support doctoral researchers in priority areas:
- Three studentships for the best application from home students from a BAME background (responding to the structural challenges these candidates face)
- Three studentships for the best Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) applications
- Three studentships for the best applications focussed on Data Skills
At Middlesex, the five themes are supported by the following disciplines and areas:
- Earth Systems and environmental science
- Geography and environmental studies
- Economics and econometrics
- Business and management studies
- Green finance and social enterprise
- Political violence, extremism, international human rights
- Gender, justice and security
- Migration studies
- Social policy
- Mental health and substance use
- Sociology
- Criminology
Research centres and groups
Research centres and groups are at the centre of knowledge production at Middlesex, and ESRC studentships can be supported by the following:
Research centres
- Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies (CATS)
- Centre for Enterprise, Environment and Development Research (CEEDR)
- Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (DARC)
- European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC)
- Flood Hazard Research Centre (FHRC)
- Centre for Social and Criminological Research
- Social Policy Research Centre
Research groups
Academic departments
Your research will be also be supported by the academic departments that make up the Faculty of Business and Law:
Your research will be also be supported by the academic departments that make up the Faculty of Business and Law:
Entry requirements
+4.5 master’s plus PhD applicants should have, or be expecting to receive, a minimum 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent.
+3.5 PhD studentship applicants should have, or be expecting to receive, a minimum 2:1 honours in a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) and a aster’s degree in a relevant field of study.
The length of the studentship awarded is dependent on the skills applicants require to successfully deliver their PhD project. This means that where additional training is deemed to require less than a full naster’s year, SENSS may offer +3.75, +4 and +4.25 year studentships.
Further details regarding eligibility are available on the SENSS website.
Current PhD students at Middlesex who will have at least 50% of their period of study remaining on 1 October 2025 are also able to apply.
Applicants will also need to meet institutional requirements for example for English language proficiency.
A placement as part of your research
Each SENSS studentship includes three-months of funding dedicated to undertaking a mandatory placement with a collaborative partner, for example a business, charity or think tank. Applicants do not need to have identified where they will do their placement at the point of applying for a SENSS studentship – SENSS fully supports the placement process.
Funding
Successful candidates will be awarded a SENSS ESRC studentship, which pays tuition fees and stipend at standard UKRI rates.
Additional funding is available to help students with disabilities meet additional costs in relation to their studies.
SENSS-funded postgraduate researchers are also able to access funds to cover research and training costs linked to their PhD. This could include conference attendance, fieldwork, language training, overseas research visits, and costs associated with the placement with a non-academic partner.
International students in receipt of a SENSS studentship also receive an exemption from international tuition fees, meaning that they will have no tuition fees to pay. Unfortunately, SENSS is not able to provide any additional assistance with relocation or visa costs.
How to apply
Applications are live, as of 24 September 2024.
We recommend that potential applicants consult the SENSS website as early as possible. This offers much more depth about the kind of doctoral research that SENSS and the ESRC are looking to support.
Applicants need to submit two applications (three if applying for a Middlesex master’s degree).
The first is to Middlesex, to enrol in the PhD Programme (or masters and PhD). The second is to SENSS, to apply for your ESRC studentship.
1. Application(s) to Middlesex University
Applications for a place to study for a PhD (and master’s, if required) must be submitted to Middlesex by Wednesday 22 January 2025. Find out more about applying to research degrees to Middlesex.
Current PhD students do not need to submit a new PhD application to Middlesex, only a SENSS application as below.
2. Application to SENSS
A separate application to SENSS for studentship funding must be made by 12:00 (noon) on Wednesday 24 January 2025 via the SENSS online application platform. The application platform is live as of 24 September. Your supervisor’s supporting statement must also be completed and submitted by this deadline.
Contact us [email protected] if you have any enquiries about SENSS funding or the application process, or otherwise require any assistance with your application.