Fully Funded PhD Opportunities: UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) ESRC Studentships for 2025

The UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) is offering fully funded ESRC studentships for the 2025 entry, covering tuition fees and an annual maintenance stipend. These studentships provide significant financial support for PhD students in the social sciences, enabling them to focus on their research without financial burdens.

What’s on Offer

• Tuition Fees: The studentship covers tuition fees at the UKRI rate, which is £4,786 for the 2024/25 academic year.
• Stipend: An annual maintenance stipend of at least £21,237 is offered. This includes the London Allowance to support living expenses for students studying in London.
• Study Pathways: UBEL DTP offers various disciplinary pathways across six London institutions, with options to pursue full-time or part-time study. Students can enroll in programs that provide different study routes such as:
  • +3.5 years (PhD)
  • 1+3.5 years (Master’s + PhD)
  • +4.5 years (Extended PhD) These routes are attached to MRes, MSc, and MA programs.

Eligibility Criteria

• Academic Qualifications: Applicants should typically have, or expect to achieve by 30 September 2025, either an upper second or first-class honours degree, or a Master’s degree from a recognized UK institution, or an equivalent international qualification.
• Eligibility for +3.5 Award: Candidates applying for a +3.5 route should have a Master’s degree that includes appropriate research training.
• Home and International Applicants: Both home and international students are eligible to apply. To be classified as a home student, candidates must meet specific UK residency requirements (UK National, settled status, pre-settled status, or indefinite leave to remain). International students are eligible for the studentship but must note that UBEL cannot cover visa costs. UBEL is allowed to allocate no more than 30% of the total studentships to international students.

Deadlines and Application Timeline for 2025 Entry

• 2 December 2024: Deadline for preliminary applications (23:59).
• 4 December 2024: Review of equal opportunities and additional information by the Widening Participation sub-panel, with recommendations forwarded to pathway teams.
• 20 December 2024: Pathways inform the DTP of successful applications moving to the second stage. Candidates are notified about the outcome.
• 31 January 2025: Deadline for full applications (23:59). Full applications must include a research proposal, training plan, references, supervisory arrangements, and details about whether the research aligns with ESRC steers.
• 5 February 2025: Full applications are reviewed by pathway teams and interdisciplinary groups.
• March 2025: Group panel meetings are held to assess and score applications based on the criteria outlined on the UBEL website.
• w/c 5 April 2025: DTP Board confirms the studentship awards for 2025 entry. The top candidates from each group will be awarded studentships, with a reserve list considered.

New ESRC PhD Funding Model

From 2024/25, the standard ESRC studentship will now last 3.5 years, offering students extra time (and stipend) to focus on training during their PhD. Additionally, studentship holders may also complete a high-quality placement in academia, policy, business, or civil society organizations. Those who participate in a placement will receive an extra three months of time and stipend, adding to the standard PhD duration.

Application Support Workshop

UBEL DTP will host an online guidance workshop for prospective applicants:

• Date: 17 October 2024
• Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (via Microsoft Teams). Join the meeting here
  This session will provide a detailed overview of the studentship opportunities and guidance on the application process.

Useful Resources

• Application Guide for 2025 Entry – Preliminary Application
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Scoring Criteria (PDF)
• Structure of ESRC funding available at UBEL DTP
• ESRC Postgraduate Training and Development Guidelines 

For more information, visit the official UBEL DTP website or contact the UBEL team at Ubel-dtp@ucl.ac.uk