MusicFutures

University of Liverpool Management School is inviting applications for a four-year fully funded MusicFutures PhD studentship starting in August 2026. This opportunity sits within the University’s AHRC-funded MusicFutures creative industries cluster and is designed for students interested in business and management research connected to the music sector.

The project themes are broad and interdisciplinary, with a strong focus on the intersection of music, innovation, digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and the future of the Liverpool City Region music economy. Suggested areas include disruptive technologies, changing business models in the music industries, platformisation, organisational responses to technological change, sustainable growth and resilience in music-related SMEs, data and automation, collaboration and monetisation models, and place-based innovation and ecosystem development.

The successful candidate will join both the MusicFutures research environment and the University of Liverpool Management School, with the chance to gain teaching experience through the Graduate Teaching Fellowship route. The studentship includes teacher training and a fixed amount of teaching, supporting development as both a researcher and an academic teacher.

Eligibility is aimed at applicants with a UK master’s degree or international equivalent, preferably at distinction or merit, in a relevant field such as management, business and management, innovation, digital business, entrepreneurship, organisation studies, or cultural and creative industries. Applicants should propose an original, rigorous, theoretically informed and methodologically robust PhD project that fits the School’s supervisory expertise and the wider aims of MusicFutures.

Funding includes a £21,805 annual maintenance grant, full coverage of PhD fees at the Home rate, and a £700 per year GTF allowance from Year 2. International candidates may need to pay the difference between UK and international fees. The studentship is not compatible with some other awards, including the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership and the China Scholarship Council.

Deadline: Friday 5 June 2026, 5pm UK time.

How to apply: Prepare the required documents, register for the online application, choose the Management Studies PhD programme, select funding source “Sponsor,” and include “ULMS-MUSICFUTURES-2026” in the finance section and personal statement. Academic questions can be directed to Dr Jennifer Davies or the supervisory team.