ESRC South West Doctoral Training Partnership funding

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) studentships are available for discipline-specific study or interdisciplinary study that will involve collaboration with a partner institution.

ESRC SWDTP funding is available to all students (Home and International).

Find out more about funding from the ESRC SWDTP.

How to apply

If you wish to apply for ESRC SWDTP funding, you must submit a complete online University of Bath application. In the funding section of your application form, you must select 'ESRC' from the drop-down menu. If you wish to also be considered for an URSA studentship, you must also select 'URSA' from the second drop-down menu.

If you do not follow these steps then your application will not be considered.

Applications close on 12 January 2027 at 12:00 Noon GMT. Please note that late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

1. Contact a supervisor

You must contact a potential supervisor to discuss your own research ideas. They will let you know if you can apply. You cannot put your application forward for funding if you have not identified and contacted a supervisor.

You must make initial contact with a prospective supervisor by 16 November 2026. This is to ensure that your prospective supervisor has sufficient time to consider your research proposal and conduct an interview with you, and for you both to complete all relevant paperwork before the application deadline.

2. Check entry requirements

Make sure you meet the entry requirements for a PhD in the relevant department or interdisciplinary stream.

3. Complete the application forms

Complete the application form to study for the relevant department or interdisciplinary stream. You must include all the necessary supporting information as listed on how to apply for doctoral study.

In addition to the application for study, you must also:

• upload with your application a completed Student Statement Form (Annex A), available from the SWDTP website(www.swdtp.ac.uk/prospective-students-and-fellows/applying-for-a-studentship/). It is important to recognise that studentships are an extremely competitive process and so, when completing Annex A, you must carefully read and complete each section. You may wish to seek advice from your prospective supervisor(s).
• gain the support of a prospective PhD supervisor for your proposal, who needs to complete the Supervisor Supporting Statement (Annex B), also available on the SWDTP website(https://www.swdtp.ac.uk/prospective-students-and-fellows/applying-for-a-studentship/)

Equal opportunities

As part of your application you can complete the optional SWDTP Equal Opportunities Student Data Form. Information will be held confidentially and reported anonymously to the ESRC.

Please do not upload a copy of this data form to your application form.

Interviews and shortlisting

If your supervisor wishes to support your application, you will be invited for an online interview. Depending on when you apply, interviews will take place between October 2026 and early December 2026.

Once the application deadline has passed, applications will be shortlisted. If successful, you will be notified by mid-March 2027. You will be expected to commence your studies on 04 October 2027.