Westminster School of Social Sciences offers nine MPhil/PhD studentships for 2023

The School is home to the Centre for Psychological Sciences, Centre for the Study of Democracy and the Centre for Social Justice Research. Research in the School across these fields has an international reputation for excellence, as confirmed by the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF), resulting in increased funding from Research England. Building on these successes, the School provides studentships to ensure the continuation of impactful research for the rest of the decade.

The MPhil/PhD Studentships: Building real-world impact in the School of Social Sciences, offers up to three studentships for prospective doctoral students, who will select one research project from a list provided by the three Research Centres. The studentships will include comprehensive personal and professional development training, and a mentoring programme, provided through the University of Westminster Graduate School. 

The MPhil/PhD Studentships, including specific ring-fenced ones for BME applicants, in the School of Social Sciences, offers up to six places for prospective PhD students. We expect up to three of these studentships to go to successful candidates who are BME from under-represented backgrounds. The students will contribute to at least one of the key areas of research within the Research Centres and will take part in the above mentioned personal and professional development training, and mentoring programme.

Each studentship consists of a fee waiver and an annual stipend of £19,668 (2022–23 rate) for three years. Candidates would normally have a minimum classification of 2.1 in their Bachelor’s degree or equivalent and preferably a Master's degree, and demonstrate evidence of appropriate English language proficiency when applicable.

Applications should be submitted by 5pm on 19 May 2023 along with a Fee Assessment Form.

Talking about the studentships, Dr Dan Greenwood, Reader in Politics and a PhD Coordinator for the School of Social Sciences, said: “These PhD studentships will enable our School to build further upon our strong achievements in the Research Excellence Framework 2021, especially in the promotion of diversity, inclusion and research that achieves real world impacts.”

Professor Dibyesh Anand, Head of the School of Social Sciences and a Co-Chair of University's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, added: “We are driven by the desire to decolonise and diversify academic knowledge production. Our multiple studentships will offer opportunity to researchers from different backgrounds to be part of a School and a University that believes in challenging social injustices and encouraging social mobility.”

Learn more about Studentships at the University of Westminster.