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South Coast DTP fully funded Social Science PhD Studentships

South Coast DTP fully funded Social Science PhD Studentships - Apply Now

Deadline for Applications is 17:00 (GMT) on 17 January 2025

The South Coast DTP is an exciting collaboration between the Universities of Southampton, Brighton, Portsmouth and Chichester, funded by the Economic & Social Research Council.

The South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership is now accepting applications for fully funded studentships to commence in October 2025.

SCDTP provides funding across a wide range of disciplinary pathways for the following types of award:

  • 1+3.5 MSc + PhD, including a Research-in-Practice placement
  • +3.5 PhD, including a Research-in-Practice placement
  • +4.5 Interdisciplinary award, including a Research-in-Practice placement
  • +4.5 Integrated PhD (only in Economics, Education or Gerontology at Southampton) including a Research-in-Practice placement

Find out more

Funding Eligibility

Academic Qualifications

  • For all studentships, students must have qualifications of the standard of a good honours degree at first- or upper second-class level, from a UK academic higher education institution.
  • Degree qualifications gained from outside the UK, or a combination of qualifications and/or experience that is equivalent to a relevant UK degree, may be accepted.
  • +3.5 PhD Awards

The ESRC expects that applicants embarking on a +3.5 programme would have achieved a level of research training that would allow them to proceed directly to PhD; this is usually through the attainment of a previous Master’s qualification in the social sciences. In addition, +3.5 awards assume that the student will undertake a Research-in-Practice placement during their PhD. Where such placement has not taken place by the end of the third-year of studies, the SCDTP reserves the right to remove 0.25 of the +3.25 duration of funding. For more information on Research-in-Practice, please see the SCDTP website.

South Coast DTP fully funded Social Science PhD Studentships

Residential Eligibility

The South Coast DTP is able to accept applications from UK and International applicants to all of our accredited disciplines/pathways, however due to UKRI funding conditions, awards to non-UK residents are capped at 30% of our overall allocation.

To be classed as a home/UK student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements below), or
  • Have settled status, or
  • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements below), or
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student.

For further information about Residency requirements please see ‘Residency Requirements’ on the SCDTP website or the UKRI terms and conditions of training grants.

Find out more

Studentship

In addition to covering the cost of programme fees, those in receipt of a South Coast DTP studentship award will also receive a tax free annual maintenance grant of £19,237 (2024/25 UKRI rate).

As part of your award, you will have additional funding opportunities to support your research including:

  • Research Training Support Grant (RTSG)
  • Overseas Fieldwork (OSFW)
  • Overseas Institutional Visit (OIV)
  • and more...

How to Apply

The application procedure requires applicants to complete two forms.

  • One application form must be submitted to host institution for the programme of study under the Eligible Disciplinary Pathways:
    • Apply to University of Brighton
    • Apply to University of Chichester
    • Apply to University of Portsmouth
    • Apply to University of Southampton
  • One application form to the South Coast DTP for the studentship. Apply here.

It is very important that both forms must be submitted before the deadline 17:00 (GMT) 17 January 2025 for the application to be considered.

Full details on each application procedure can be found on the SCDTP website.