The SWDTP studentship also offers a range of additional funding to support activities, including:

• overseas fieldwork
• overseas institutional visits
• difficult language training

You'll benefit from access to opportunities such as placements, enhanced training, conference support and other events too.

Overseas study

As an SWDTP-funded student, you’ll also have the opportunity to integrate professional placements, overseas institutional visits, overseas fieldwork, and difficult language training as part of your PhD programme.

This will give you the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills in a professional environment, and/or travel to another country to collaborate with and learn from leading international scholars in your field.

For example, you may want to conduct fieldwork overseas, but don’t have the language skills or funding to support the research. The SWDTP provides funding to support both.

These opportunities are ideal if you want to conduct research that is collaborative, impactful, and with global significance.

Networking and collaboration

The SWDTP offers a wealth of opportunities for higher level research training, and opportunities for networking and collaboration. Through membership of the SWDTP, you’ll have access to all of the ESRC’s regional and national levels training events.

The SWDTP also provides funding to support student-led initiatives, including training events, and activities to support collaboration, networking, and impact.

Disciplinary Pathways & Pathway Lead

To apply for a disciplinary pathway, you must have at least two academic supervisors. These are typically from the University of Bath, however, we would welcome supervisors from other SWDTP Institutions. We recommend that you identify a main supervisor and then seek their advice on a suitable second supervisor.

Interdisciplinary Pathways & Pathway Lead

To apply for an interdisciplinary pathway, you must have at least two academic supervisors from separate disciplines. Ideally, these supervisors should also be from different SWDTP Institutions. We recommend that you identify a main supervisor and then seek their advice on a suitable second supervisor.

If you do not have a masters, and if your application is successful, it is likely that the SWDTP will make your PhD funding conditional on passing, at an overall grade of 60% or above, a Masters course that is linked to the pathway to which you are applying. You will receive funding whilst taking that course. This means your overall period of funding and study will be extended by one year full-time or two-years part-time.

If you have a Masters (or equivalent professional experience) but where that does not fully meet the ESRC’s training requirements (see below) then you will be required to undertake ‘top up’ training during you PhD, which may extend the length of your funding. The need for any ‘top up’ training is determined from an on-going Development Needs Analysis (DNA), beginning at the point of application.

The standard funding offer for PhD studentships (excluding any Masters year) is typically 3 years and 3 months, plus 3 months ‘Research in Practice.’ Please note that projects must be completed, and your thesis submitted, by the end of your ESRC funding period.

Part-time studentships will be offered pro rata to their full-time equivalents.

Appropriate master’s level training

Defined as an ESRC-accredited or equivalent research master's with a significant social sciences research design and quantitative and qualitative research methods elements, with average grades of at least Merit (60%) in both the taught units/modules AND the dissertation component.

For further information please see A guide to applying to the South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) for 2025 entry

If successful, you will benefit from:

• 3.5 to 4.5 years' tuition fee funding (note: 3 months of this includes a placement)
• an annual Research Training Support Grant (RTSG)
• a maintenance stipend of £19,237 each year (2024/25 rate)

This award is open to all applicants (Home and International); however, in line with guidance from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the number of awards available to International students will be limited to 30% of the total.

Find out more about your tuition fee status.

Studentships available: Approximately 35 across the partnership.

Scheme opens

Applications are accepted from October each year.

Application deadline

Applications close on 14 January 2025 at 12:00 Noon GMT.

The application process is competitive. Due to the number of applications likely to be received, only complete applications will be considered. We can't guarantee that all applicants will be successful.