North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP)

[Full tuition fees and a tax-free maintenance stipend of £20,780 per year, funded by the ESRC through the NWSSDTP.]

The CASS Research Centre at Lancaster University is offering a fully funded PhD studentship for both UK and international candidates, commencing in October 2026. This prestigious opportunity is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) through the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP). The project, delivered in collaboration with Trinity College London, focuses on communicative competence in English language tests, examining fairness, accessibility, and social mobility in assessment contexts.

The research will use large-scale corpus methods and discourse analysis to investigate successful communication in spoken and written English across informal, semi-formal, and academic settings. Key research questions include identifying linguistic and discourse features that characterize effective communication, determining which test tasks elicit the richest range of these features, and exploring how linguistic patterns correlate with candidates’ social backgrounds to assess fairness and accessibility.

Applicants should have experience in corpus linguistics, language testing, or quantitative applied linguistics, and demonstrate strong analytical skills in areas such as corpus design, statistical analysis, or the use of tools like R, Python, or #LancsBox X. The successful candidate will join the CASS team on campus at Lancaster University and receive advanced training in corpus linguistics, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and applied research in high-stakes assessment contexts.

The studentship covers full tuition fees and provides a tax-free maintenance stipend of £20,780 per year. It is open to candidates from all backgrounds, with no specific GPA or language test requirements mentioned. Applicants must submit a motivation form as part of the funding application process and are expected to describe their practical skills and experience in their application. Supervision will be provided by Professor Vaclav Brezina and Dr Dana Gablasova, both experts in applied linguistics and corpus research.

To apply, candidates should submit a PhD application to Lancaster University, indicating the supervisors and the NWSSDTP studentship topic. Instead of a full project proposal, applicants should detail their experience with corpus linguistics and quantitative methods, including practical examples. The application deadline is 10 April 2026, with interviews expected on 24 April 2026 and the start date set for 28 September 2026. For informal enquiries, contact Prof. Vaclav Brezina at [email protected].

This PhD opportunity is ideal for those interested in advancing research in English language assessment, communicative competence, and social equity within applied linguistics. The CASS Research Centre offers a vibrant academic environment and access to cutting-edge resources for corpus-based research.