A consortium involving Brunel University London has won over £18 million in expanded funding for doctoral and masters-to-doctoral studentships in the social sciences.
The award includes new support for an innovative programme of training and external engagement that aims to equip students to become 21st century leaders in transformative social science research with social and economic impact.
The funding, awarded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), will support 31 studentships a year for five years through the recommissioned Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), involving Brunel, the Open University in partnership with the University of Oxford as the lead.
Thanks to additional funding provided by the three universities and Oxford Colleges, the total number of studentships offered by the Grand Union DTP from October 2024 is likely to increase to around 45 per year.
Doctoral Training Partnerships bring together consortia of research organisations to offer focussed support for students who want to pursue doctoral research within interdisciplinary or specified subject areas or ‘pathways’.
The latest award to the Grand Union DTP includes additional funding to support a new package of innovative tailored training in interdisciplinary social science methods, theory and skills. It will include training in areas such as behavioural science; data skills; big data, machine learning and AI. It also features training in transferrable professional development skills, such as project management, leadership, communication, innovation, and enterprise. Once piloted and developed through the DTP, it is intended that the courses will be made more widely available to other graduate research students.
The funding also supports a new 'research-in-practice' element, which enables DTP students to put their skills into practice with external academic and non-academic partners. All students will undertake a placement or internship in academia, policy, business or civil society organisations as part of their studentships, which will now be funded for 3.5 years.
Prof Louise Mansfield, Vice-Dean of Research for Brunel’s College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, and Associate Director of the Grand Union DTP at Brunel, said: “We are delighted to be able to continue and develop our partnership with Oxford and the OU to provide world-leading and innovative doctoral training for outstanding social science researchers seeking to make a real-world difference through their work.”
Prof Rebecca Surender, Associate Head of Oxford’s Social Sciences Division and Director of the Grand Union DTP, said: “This is a fabulous result for Oxford and its DTP partners – Brunel and the Open University. It will enable us to continue to offer world-leading doctoral training and begin pioneering a range of new and innovative initiatives including enhanced methods training, external internships, and widening participation. I am delighted to have such a strong foundation on which to build this new phase of our ESRC DTP and look forward to helping to advance the next generation of social science leaders.”
Stian Westlake, ESRC Executive Chair, said: "Our vision for postgraduate training is that it will develop globally competitive social science researchers who can operate in interdisciplinary, collaborative, and challenge-led environments across a range of sectors and who have a diversity of backgrounds and experiences.
"This redesigned and expanded doctoral training opportunity will enhance the experience for PhD students and boost the UK’s capability."
Find out more about the Grand Union DTP.
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