ESRC Studentships in Education Research

The University of Sussex ESRC Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) is currently offering studentships for doctoral research, with Education as one of the key fields of study. UK/EU candidates who have been accepted for PhD study within the Department of Education (School of Education and Social Work) may apply now for a full or part-time studentship beginning October 2013 (studentships can be awarded for full or part-time study).

The core research interests of the Department of Education are reflected by its three research centres:

The Department of Education also contributes to the Centre for Innovation and Research in Childhood and Youth (CIRCY).

Applications from candidates interested in any of these areas of education research will be especially welcome. Applicants may have a background in education, or in an allied/social science discipline with an interest in interdisciplinary research on a topic relevant to education.

1+3 and +3 Studentships

Studentships are awarded for periods of either three years full-time for those with an ESRC-recognised research training qualification (+3), or for four years full-time (1+3) for those without. They are payable at the equivalent of the Home/EU fee per annum for full-time students and, in the case of UK students, will also include an annual maintenance grant to cover living expenses. This grant is currently £13,590. The amount will be confirmed for 2013.

Studentships are paid pro rata for part-time students.

Applications will be judged on the quality and relevance of the candidate's qualifications and experience, the quality of the proposal and research design, and the 'fit' of the proposal to available supervisory expertise.

Collaborative Studentships

If you have an agreement to collaborate with an organisation outside the university sector - a private sector company, public sector body, or a voluntary organisation - you may apply for a Collaborative Studentship (+3 only). The strongest applications will:

involve the PhD student spending at least nine months working with the partner organisation during the time of registration in pursuit of a research degree
involve a substantive financial contribution from the partner organisation to the DTC
identify the contribution 'in kind' of the partner organisation to the student/studentship

For more details of Collaborative Studentships, see the Definition of Collaborative Studentships: 2012/13 [PDF 52.93KB].

Eligibility

Applicants for both 1+3 and +3 PhD awards must hold at least a UK upper second-class Honours degree, or equivalent.
A less than sufficient undergraduate degree may be enhanced, eg. by the attainment of a Masters degree
Applicants for the three year +3 PhD award must be able to demonstrate that they have completed full research training requirements (as contained in the ESRC Postgraduate Training Guidelines) by 30th September 2013. This would normally be by having completed an ESRC-recognised research Masters degree.

Applications

To apply for a studentship within the Department of Education you must:

have applied to, and been accepted and offered a place on, the PhD in Education at the University of Sussex.
have consulted the guidance and completed the ESRC Studentship Application Form on the DTC website.

Deadlines

Applications for +3 Collaborative Studentships must be received by 5pm on the 16th January 2013. Applicants must also have an accepted place on the PhD in Education by this date.
Unsuccessful applicants will automatically be considered for the +3 Studentship.

Applications for 1+3 (four year) and +3 (three year) Studentships must be received by 5pm on the 15th February 2013. Applicants must also have an accepted place on the PhD in Education by this date.

Further information

For more information about studentships or the PhD in Education, please contact:
Pascale Fanning-Tichborne, Research & Enterprise Coordinator
T: +44 (0)1273 678464
E: p.fanning-tichborne@sussex.ac.uk

For an informal discussion about your research interests and suitability for a studentship within the Department of Education, please contact:
Dr Barbara Crossouard, PhD Course Leader
T: +44 (0)1273 877042
E: b.crossouard@sussex.ac.uk