Studentships

The Grand Union DTP offers at least 35 studentships each year, across 23 training pathways (or subject areas). In addition to receiving funding for fees and living costs (depending on eligibility), DTP students benefit from being able to access a variety of other pots of funding and a wide range of training available at the three partner universities.

The Grand Union DTP also offers various funded collaborative projects for which incoming students may apply. Details on the collaborative project studentships to be offered for 2022 entry will be published in late December 2021, and examples of the projects offered for 2021 entry can be found here

Award Structure  

The DTP offers a variety of award structures and lengths, depending on prior training and course arrangements. A Masters qualification is not a prerequisite for studying with the Grand Union DTP, all pathways have options for students without a Masters, with training designed for individuals based on an assessment of their prior learning and training needs.

An explanation of award structures is listed below, with full details of the models selected by different disciplines available on the individual Pathway pages. Award length is based on full-time study. 

  • +3: three years of funding for a PhD (assumes that a student has already met the majority of the core training requirements or that the PhD focus is largely on more advanced training)
  • 1+3: four years of funding for a one-year integrated Master’s programme followed by a PhD. Three years of the PhD will be funded.
  • 2+2: four years of funding for a two-year Master’s programme followed by a PhD. Two years of the PhD will be funded.
  • +4: four years of funding for a PhD, where the core and advanced training requirements will be met during the course of the programme.

The DTP may also offer awards of 3.25 or 3.5 years in length where a student will need to undertake some additional training during the PhD to meet the ESRC training requirements. 

Please note that the ESRC does not fund standalone Masters programmes, students must be intending to carry out doctoral research. 

Part-time Study

ESRC funding covers both full and part-time study, and there is part-time provision available on all Grand Union DTP pathways. To discuss part-time study options, please contact either the admissions office for your chosen pathway, or the relevant DTP Manager for your institution (details on our contacts page).

Award Type

The award type that is offered to a student is determined by how they meet the ESRC's residential edibility criteria. See the Eligibility page for more details. 

Funding is adjusted on a pro-rata basis for part-time students.

Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) Awards

The Grand Union DTP will offer at least 4 awards to students using advanced quantitative methods or data skills in their research. The awards are available across all pathways, and the expectation is that the research design and analysis will deploy methods or data skills that extend beyond the standard expectations in your field.

Aspects of proposed AQM may include the following, depending upon the subject area and proposed research:

  • Advanced methods of data collection and data analysis techniques
  • Use of large and complex data sets (admin data, digital data, census data)
  • Specific experimental, quasi-experimental or evaluation methods
  • Advanced use of data and programming skills (including AI and e-Research tools)

Applicants will be asked to consider how their research will use quantitative approaches, statistical skills, or methods that are regarded as advanced, as well as the advanced methods training that would be undertaken at a level over and above the usual subject-specific methods requirements.