ESRC White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership

Fully funded PhD studentship at the ESRC Centre for Digital Futures at Work (Digit), based in Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds.

The project is titled “Developing Systems of Employee Voice within Digital Transformation at the Workplace” and sits at the intersection of employee voice, digital transformation, workplace AI, industrial relations, and work and employment studies. The research will examine how involving employees in digital transformation may improve trust, support job redesign, and strengthen skills upgrading, with a focus on UK finance and insurance sector case studies.

The studentship is associated with the White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership (WRDTP) and must fit within one of the ESRC Thematic Interdisciplinary Training Pathways. It is open to UK and international applicants, including EU applicants.

Funding includes fees at standard Research Council rates, a maintenance grant of £21,805 in Session 2026/27 for full-time study, pro-rata for part-time study, and a Research Training Support Grant for travel and research costs during the PhD part of the award. International relocation costs such as visa, insurance, NHS fees, and flights are not covered.

Duration options include 1+3.5, +3.5, and +3.75 routes. Typical eligibility depends on prior social science training: applicants with a relevant social science Masters may fit +3.5 or +3.75, while applicants without a social science Masters may be considered for 1+3.5. Applicants must first apply for a research programme of study and obtain a Student ID Number before submitting the studentship form. If English is not the first language, evidence of the University’s minimum English language requirements is required.

Deadline: Friday 3 July 2026 at 17:00 UK time. The project includes a 3-month Research in Practice placement and potential collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and Trades Union Congress (TUC).