As part of the University of Westminster’s ongoing effort to ensure equal access to research opportunities, the School of Social Sciences is offering dedicated studentships for BME PhD applicants starting their studies in September 2021.
In response to the University’s statement on Black Lives Matter, the School of Social Sciences will fund three full PhD studentships for UK-permanent residents from underrepresented BME backgrounds who are joining the University in September.
The studentship will be open to students eligible for home fees, and consists of a fee waiver and annual stipend of £17,285 for three years. It will also include a comprehensive personal and professional development training and mentoring programme, provided through the University of Westminster Graduate School. The PhD student will also have the opportunity to join Westminster’s growing BME Network, and will join a School that is strongly committed to decolonising and diversifying policies, practices and cultures within and beyond higher education.
To be eligible for the award, the successful candidate will have exceptional research potential in one or more Social Science disciplines: Criminology, International Relations, Politics, Psychology and Sociology.
Talking about the new studentship, Professor Dibyesh Anand, Head of the School of Social Sciences, said: “In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, the University of Westminster made a clear commitment in 2020 to embed anti-racism in every aspect of University life. As part of this commitment, these School PhD scholarships are an important step in tackling under-representation of certain identity groups in doctoral research by providing funded opportunities to work with leading experts in different social science disciplines.”
Professor Graham Smith, the School’s Research Director, added: “We have known for a long time that certain social groups are underrepresented in doctoral research in all universities. These targeted PhD scholarships are an important initiative in beginning to rectify the situation.”
The deadline for applications for the BME PhD studentship is 7 May 2021.
Find out more about studentships in the School of Social Sciences at Westminster.
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