Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) via IAPETUS Doctoral Training Partnership
There are also instances of interdisciplinary research studentships from more than one research council. Allocation of all these studentships are competitive.
Other research council studentships
At times, the School offers additional research council studentships, sometimes associated with particular projects or in collaboration with non-academic partners (ESRC-collaborative studentships).
These may be linked to the AHRC, ESRC or the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Collaborative awards that are available will be advertised in the press and on this website.
The ESRC also occasionally offers collaborative studentships linked to a government department (such as the Department for Transport or the Scottish Government).
Information about these awards will be posted in the ESRC's website and available awards will be advertised here and in the press in the early summer.
Newcastle University research institutes may also advertise specific bursaries and scholarship funding opportunities.
We enjoy continuing high levels of ESRC funding success through four pathways within the school: Human Geography, Sociology and Children, Youth & Families and Conflict, Security & Justice.
The ESRC NINE DTP competition for entry 2020 is now closed.
The Human Geography training pathway is offered at Newcastle University via the School of Geography, Politics & Sociology.
Students following the Human Geography pathway engage with research which is conceptually rooted, theoretically innovative and empirically rigorous. Our research has research-user impacts, and we have significant global academic impact as well. Opportunities exist for PhD research training and to conduct research across a wide range of human geography fields, including political, economic, social and cultural geography.
Students applying to this pathway on a 1+3 basis receive Masters-level research training via the MA Human Geography (Research) or the MA Local and Regional Development (Research). These programmes combine core geography or local and regional development-specific research training with more generic training in research skills, methodologies and theories. Students awarded 1+3 funding can then proceed to their PhD here at Newcastle in Geography.
Students already holding a recognised geography research training qualification at MA level, and those with some Masters-level research training, are eligible to apply for funding on a +3 or +3.5 basis. For these applicants, further research training is available and is undertaken in conjunction with their primary research on their PhD topic.
A full list of potential supervisors and the areas in which they can offer supervision is available here
The Sociology training pathway is offered at Newcastle University via the School of Geography, Politics & Sociology.
Students in the Sociology pathway engage with research which is theoretically innovative and empirically rigorous. Opportunities exist for PhD research training and to conduct research across a range of fields in sociology. You can get a sense of our key research interests by exploring the work of our three research clusters: Imagining Pasts and Futures; Identities, Embodiments and Selves; and Power, Inequality and Citizenship, as well as looking at the work of the Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences research centre.
Students applying to this pathway on a 1+3 basis receive Masters-level research training via the MA Sociology and Social Research. This programme combines provision of advanced-level grounding in key sociological theories, perspectives and concepts with the opportunity to engage in more generic training in research skills, methodologies and theories provided by the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences faculty. Students awarded 1+3 funding can then proceed to their PhD here in Sociology.
Students already holding a recognised sociology research training qualification at MA level, and those with some Masters-level research training, are eligible to apply for funding on a +3 or +3.5 basis. For these applicants, further research training is available and is undertaken in conjunction with their primary research on their PhD topic.
Find out more about our research community, expertise and facilities here – or look at the individual profiles of potential academic supervisors in Sociology. Pathway contact – Dr Lisa Garforth
The Children, Youth and Families pathway of NINEDTP is available to prospective students through the school of Geography, Politics and Sociology (GPS).
The pathway is open across four of the NINEDTP institutions:
Newcastle
Durham
Teesside
Queen’s University Belfast
Choosing to base your studies with us at Newcastle in the school of GPS however will give you access to specialist research expertise from our staff in the following areas:
Specialisms within our human geography staff include: participatory and collaborative research with children and youth; geographies of religion, faith and spirituality among young people; cooperative living and family life; ethnographies and infranstructures of everyday life; marriage, ender and family; masculinities and gender-based violence; geographies of gender and generation; health and inequalities; children, young people and critical geopolitics; domestic divisions of labour
Specialisms within our politics staff include: political representations in children’s literature; social movements and adolescent gender roles; social capital and political representation
Specialisms within our sociology staff include: identities, embodiments and selves; imagining pasts and futures; power, inequalities and citizenship; young people, everyday life and friendships; childhood disability; medicine, community and family
Prospective PhD applications should not be limited to the topics listed above and interdisciplinary and inter – as well as intra – institutional applications are also encouraged.
Current director of the Children, Youth and Families pathway is Dr Sarah Winkler-Reid, Sarah is happy to speak with potential candidates and to help facilitate student/supervisory connections.
The Conflict, Security and Justice thematic pathway is offered at Newcastle University through four key disciplines; Environmental Planning, Human Geography, Law and Sociology. It is a collaborative pathway which offers students the opportunity to pursue cutting-edge interdisciplinary research supported by scholars working across a range of areas. Within these subject areas we have particular strengths in military, war and security related research, as well as in human rights and social justice scholarship. The establishment of secure, peaceful, and just societies requires insight and innovation from all disciplines, and as an inter-disciplinary pathway, Conflict, Security and Justice provides crucial opportunities to support and encourage cross-cutting research that addresses global challenges in novel ways.
The Conflict, Security and Justice pathway offers funding for 1+3 (MA + PhD), +3.5 (PhD with additional research training, or required language training) and +3 (PhD). Students will be based in Newcastle but may have supervisors based in Durham or one of the two Belfast universities within the partnership.
A list of potential supervisors at Newcastle can be found by following the links to the four subject areas;
have settled status in the UK, meaning there are no restrictions on how long you can stay.
have been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK for three years prior to the start of the studentship grant. This means you must have been normally residing in the UK (apart from temporary or occasional absences).
not have been residing in the UK wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education. This does not apply to UK and EU nationals.
Economics and Finance studentships are open to all students regardless of their nationality.
To be eligible for a fees only award:
you must be ordinarily resident in an EU member state, in the same way as UK students must be ordinarily resident in the UK
NINE DTP will seek where possible to provide a maintenance grant from institutional funds.
The School of Geography, Politics and Sociology is a partner of the IAPETUS North East and Scotland multi-disciplinary Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).
IAPETUS2 is only able to consider applications from Home/European Union candidates. International candidates are not eligible to be considered and where a candidate from another EU country has not been resident in the UK for three years or more prior to the commencement of their studies with IAPETUS2, they will only be eligible for a fees only studentship.
The School of Geography, Politics and Sociology is a partner of the ONE Planet cohort-based Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) across both Newcastle and Northumbria Universities.
The internationally-recognised research excellence spans the NERC science remit, including:
Climate and Climate Change
Earth System Processes
Anthropocene
Environmental Informatics
Each studentship award includes 3.5 years of fees (Home/EU), an annual living allowance (£15,009) and a Research Training Support Grant (for travel, consumables, as required).
Awards include: Full UK/EU fees, annual living allowance and a Research Training award fund.
Usually applicants are expected to have a first or 2:1 undergraduate degree - exceptions are possible, but these should be strongly motivated. In addition, candidates may also hold or be completing a Masters degree in a relevant subject discipline.
Following UKRI eligibility criteria and residential guidelines for research council studenthships, ONEPlanet can only consider applications from Home/EU candidates. International applications are not eligible. Please note that EU students without residence requirements (e.g. minimum of 3 years residency) are only eligible for a fees-only studentship. For more information see:https://www.ukri.org/files/legacy/publications/rcuk-training-grant-guide-pdf/
