ESRC Funded Studentships in Politics (PhD and MA+PhD) University of Liverpool in United Kingdom

[Fully funded ESRC studentships cover payment of tuition fees at the Home rate (£5,006 in 2025/26), annual maintenance stipend (full-time: £20,780, part-time: £10,390 in 2025/26), reimbursement of research, training and conference expenses, additional funding for fieldwork and overseas visits, expenses for mandatory 3-month research placement, and Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) for reasonable adjustments.]

The University of Liverpool is offering ESRC Funded Studentships in Politics through the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP). These prestigious studentships are available for both a three-and-a-half-year PhD (+3.5) and a four-and-a-half-year MA+PhD (1+3.5) pathway, with options for part-time study. The NWSSDTP is a collaboration between the Universities of Liverpool, Manchester, Lancaster, and Keele, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and is one of the largest doctoral training partnerships in the UK social sciences.

Studentships are open to UK and international applicants, and any Politics topic is eligible, provided there is supervisory capacity within the department. The ESRC particularly encourages applications in priority areas such as Advanced Quantitative Methods, Data Skills, and interdisciplinary research that crosses into other research council remits. The programme is committed to diversity and strongly encourages applications from Black British, Asian British, and Global Majority backgrounds.

Successful applicants will benefit from a world-class research environment, exceptional supervision, and extensive links with non-HEI partners. The NWSSDTP offers bespoke training through its flagship scheme, Methods North West, supporting advanced research skills and professional development.

Funding for these studentships is comprehensive: it includes payment of tuition fees at the Home rate (£5,006 for 2025/26), an annual maintenance stipend (£20,780 full-time, £10,390 part-time for 2025/26), reimbursement for research, training, and conference attendance via the Research Training Support Grant, and opportunities to apply for additional funding for fieldwork and overseas institutional visits. There is also support for expenses related to the mandatory 3-month research placement and an additional Disabled Student Allowance (DSA) for reasonable adjustments.

The application process is two-step: candidates must first be accepted into the University of Liverpool Politics PhD Programme. Once accepted, you will be invited to apply for ESRC funding through the NWSSDTP. The deadline for the NWSSDTP funding application is 2nd February 2026, for an October 2026 programme start. It is strongly recommended to send your research proposal and transcript to the Politics Director of Postgraduate Research to ensure supervisor availability before applying.

For further details on the programme and application process, visit the University of Liverpool Politics postgraduate research page and the NWSSDTP website. For queries, contact [email protected].