CAM-Doctoral Training Partnership Opportunities

CAM-Doctoral Training Partnership is offering opportunities for ESRC-funded PhD studentships at Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge starting in October 2025.

CAM Doctoral Training Partnership (CAM-DTP) is an Economic and Social Research Council funded (ESRC) consortium between Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge.

Our collective environment of excellent research and impact is an ideal complement for the interdisciplinary training of diverse social scientists. CAM-DTP PhD students will join a hub for regional change addressing key societal challenges; to fulfil that mission, we are keen to attract talented doctoral researchers from a wide range of backgrounds. We particularly encourage high-potential applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds or educational disadvantage.

About the studentship

An ESRC-funded PhD studentship through CAM-DTP supports 3.5 - 4.5 years of full-time study. We particularly encourage applications from students wishing to study on a part-time basis (minimum 50% of full-time).

The studentship provides:

• Tuition fees up to the value of the national UKRI rate for Home students; international students are welcome to apply but will need additional scholarships, from alternative sources, to fund the remainder of their fees and any immigration costs;
• An annual tax-free stipend at the UKRI rate (£19,237 in 24/25 for full time students), and a contribution towards research and training costs;
• A personalised training programme, to develop research, communication, employability and personal skills;
• Support to carry out a required three-month placement, known as an Innovation Fellowship, with an academic or non-academic partner during the course of the studentship.

Successful candidates will be required to submit their PhD within the duration of the studentship award.

Studentships will start in October 2025 for both full-time and part-time applicants.

Routes to funding

CAM-DTP offers two studentship routes. The first is within one of the twenty advertised topics below:

1. Farming for biodiversity
2. Applying OneWelfare to assistance dog retirement
3. UPF Overconsumption and Interoceptive Awareness
4. Female veterans: disability and parenthood
5. Minority Faith Group/LGBT+ Refugees in the UK
6. Understanding frequent callers to NHS crisis lines
7. Circular economy digitalization & community access
8. Mental health & diabetes self-management behaviour
9. A place-based, intersectoral approach for Net Zero
10. Public pedagogies and environmental justice
11. Individualised second language learning
12. Analysing Music Therapy with Autistic Children
13. Male stress responses to infant crying
14. Outcome after stroke: survivors and their carers
15. AI and the free will debate
16. Intercultural communication in NHS nursing
17. Advancing flood loss assessment economics
18. Developing graduates’ labour market resilience
19. Young adults - intergenerational care and education
20. Biodiversity finance for sustainable outcomes

More information about each topic is available on our website.

If you are interested in one of these topics, please contact the supervisory team directly to find out more and discuss a project proposal before making an application to the lead university. You should indicate clearly on your application which project or projects you are interested in.

If you are made an offer of admission, your Department will decide whether to nominate you for CAM-DTP funding.

The second route is via departmental nomination. You will need to apply for a PhD place at your preferred CAM-DTP university and indicate that you wish to be considered for ESRC funding. If you are made an offer of admission, your department will decide whether to nominate you for CAM-DTP funding.

Please note there is no direct application to the CAM-DTP in either route; you should follow the standard application process for ARU or UoC.

You can find out more about research degrees at ARU and UoC by following the links below.

Further information

• For further information about the projects and application process, please visit: PhD Funding Opportunities
• For more information about doing a research degree at UoC, please visit: Postgraduate Study
• For more information about doing a research degree at ARU, please visit: Why do a research degree at ARU?
• You may find it helpful to watch our support video from 2023 before applying: 2024 CAM-DTP webinar for prospective students & supervisors on Vimeo
• You can read more at CAM-DTP and can contact us at cam-dtp@admin.cam.ac.uk.