Postgraduate Research Scholarships 2020 – University of Sussex Business School, Department of Accounting & Finance (2020)

What you get

• Full tuition fee waiver for 3.5 years at the Home/EU rate. Current fees for both the PhD in Accounting and the PhD in Finance are £4,327 per year.
• A total package worth £17,500 per year (pro rata for the final 6 month period) comprising:
  • A teaching-based element in the form of remuneration for undertaking teaching and related duties for up to 6 hours per week from Teaching Block 2 of the first year onwards.
  • A stipend to cover living expenses, bringing the total annual income to £17,500.

Type of award

4 X Postgraduate Research (‘PGR’) Scholarships

PhD project

We are delighted to offer four Postgraduate Research Scholarships to commence in September 2020 in subjects within accounting and finance. Awards will cover tuition fees at the Home/EU rate plus a stipend for up to 3.5 years (full-time) to enable outstanding researchers to undertake a PhD in the Department of Accounting & Finance on a full-time or part-time basis. Scholarship-holders will receive a maintenance package of £17,500 p.a. (pro rata for part-time study) which will consist of a stipend payment plus a salary for 6 hours of teaching per week as a Postgraduate Research Tutor from the second term onwards. Applications are welcomed from both UK/EU and overseas students; however, in cases where applicants are liable to pay fees at the higher international rate, they must be willing to fund the shortfall on fee costs themselves or secure additional funding from other sources.

Subject of Study

Applications are invited for research proposals dealing with any topic within the disciplines of Accounting and Finance. Information regarding the research currently being undertaken in the Department can be found here on our research webpages, along with further information about our PhD programmes and details of the research interests of our faculty and current research students. For any queries regarding the suitability of a proposed research topic, please contact the relevant PhD Convenors (see below).

For questions relating to the PhD programme, please contact the PhD Course Convenors:

• For the PhD in Accounting this is Dr Tobias Polzer: T.Polzer@sussex.ac.uk

• For the PhD in Finance this is Prof Ranko Jelic: R.Jelic@sussex.ac.uk

Eligibility

To be eligible you must:

• Have or expect to have a UK Master’s degree, or its equivalent, in a relevant subject.

• Have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the scholarship.

Applications are welcomed from both UK/EU and overseas students; however, in cases where applicants are liable to pay fees at the higher international rate, they must be willing to fund the shortfall on fee costs themselves or secure additional funding from other sources.

Number of scholarships available

Four

Deadline

How to apply

Apply online here.

Select the PhD in Accounting with a September 2020 start date or the PhD in Finance with a September 2020 start date, as appropriate.

In the Finance section you should enter the name of the scholarship, which is: Postgraduate Research Scholarship in Accounting and Finance

Be sure to supply all the required documents, including:

All transcripts from Higher Education degrees, including partial marks for any Master’s degree currently in progress;

• A current CV detailing all educational and employment history;
• Letters from two referees, where possible in relation to the specific project proposal being submitted.

All applicants invited for interview will also be requested to submit a sample of written academic work prior to interview. As the award entails entering into a contract of employment with the University, no award will be made without an interview and statutory ‘right to work’ checks having first taken place. (Interviews may be conducted via Skype if candidates are unable to travel to Sussex for interview in person.)

Due to the high volume of applications received, you may only hear from us if your application is successful.

Contact us

For practical questions about applications, please contact the Business School Research Support Team: business-research@sussex.ac.uk.

For questions relating to the Postgraduate Research Scholarship Scheme as a whole, please contact the Business School Research Manager: richard.taylor@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

All complete applications must be submitted by 30 April 2020 by 23:59 (GMT) through the University of Sussex online Postgraduate Application System.

A shortlist of candidates will be invited for interview at the University of Sussex Business School, likely taking place the week commencing 25 May 2020. Candidates who are unable to attend in person may request a Skype interview.

Every effort will be made to notify successful candidates by 31 May 2020.

Frequently asked questions

Q1)       What will I be assessed on at interview?

A1)        The panel are required to make a judgement regarding both your academic ability – in particular, your ability to undertake the course of study set out in your research proposal – and your ability to teach effectively.

Q2)       Will I become an employee of the University?

A2)        Yes. If successful you will be required to enter into a contract of employment with the University to cover the teaching component of the scheme. The contract is that of PGR Tutor, based on the standard University contract for PhD tutors (copies available on request).

Q3)       Is the award subject to Tax?

A3)        In part. The teaching-related component will be paid via University payroll and be subject to standard salary deductions for Income Tax and National Insurance. However, the stipend component, which comprises the majority of the award, is not taxable.

Q4)       Can the award be extended beyond 3.5 years?

A4)        No. Funding is fixed for 3.5 years (7 years part-time) only.

Q5)       What happens if I intermit (temporarily cease studying) partway through the award?

A5)        During any periods of intermission, the award (including stipendiary payments) will be temporarily suspended along with your teaching and related duties.