Postgraduate Research Scholarships

NINE DTP runs a combined annual studentship competition to recruit and select postgraduate researchers of the very highest calibre to study at seven UK Universities, including Newcastle University Business School.

This is an open competition, which is centred on the quality of candidates and their proposed research.

Eligibility

Open to all UK and international applicants who

• have a research proposal falling within the nominated subject areas
• meet the ESRC’s eligibility criteria; and
• meet the entry requirements of the relevant Masters and/or PhD programme(s)
• have secured the support of a supervisory team with expertise in their subject area 

Application closing date

20 January 2025

All candidate applications must be submitted to Departments in advance of this date to be considered for ESRC DTP funding.

How to apply

For full eligibility and application deadlines, and instructions on how to apply, please visit the main NINE DTP page.

Contact

If you have any queries and would like to speak to the University directly, please email nubsphdadmin@newcastle.ac.uk

Newcastle University is a member of the Northern Bridge Consortium which offers 67 fully funded studentships per year to outstanding postgraduate researchers across the full range of Arts and Humanities subjects.

Contact

Jonathan Sapsed is the Business School's pathway leader. For further information, please contact him at jonathan.sapsed@ncl.ac.uk

This scholarship was established in 2010 by economics alumnus, Peter Lomas (MA Economics, 1949) who donated £1.6 million to fund PhD scholarships in Economics.

Newcastle University Business School invites applications for two PhD studentships for students undertaking a full-time PhD in Economics or Economic History, starting their studies in September 2025.

Overview

The studentships provide funding for three years. The school particularly welcomes applications that are theoretical and/or quantitative, and align with one or more of the following key research themes in economics:

• economics of safety, health, environment, and risk
• behavioural and experimental economics
• labour, education, and health economics
• macroeconomics, policies, and institutions in open economic systems
• spatial, urban, regional, international, and industrial economics
• applied time series econometrics
• finance, financial economics, and financial econometrics

Value of the award and eligibility

The studentship will cover full PhD fees (home and international). As such, they are aimed at exceptional PhD candidates (we reserve the right to make no awards).

The studentship provides an annual stipend equal to that provided by UKRI studentships for living costs. The amount provided for 2025/26 has not yet been announced, but for reference it was £19,237 in 2024/25. It is paid to students in regular instalments. Fee increases over the years will also be covered by the studentship.

There may also be teaching opportunities in the School. These are paid at standard hourly rate, based on qualifications and experience.

Economics at Newcastle is a thriving research community. There are regular seminars from internal and external speakers, and a dedicated PhD seminar series. PhD students are expected to engage fully in the research community.

Applicant specification

The award is available to home and international candidates.

Applicants should hold:

• a good Honours degree (first-class or upper-second-class Honours) in a relevant subject area such as Economics, Statistics, Maths, etc
• a Master’s-level qualification (or equivalent) with merit or above in a relevant subject area.For applicants currently studying a Master’s, any offer would be conditional on achieving a merit average in the taught component before starting their studies in September 2025

The successful candidate will be expected to actively participate in the intellectual life of the Economics Subject Group. This includes:

• participating in internal and external research seminars provided by the group
• engaging with training opportunities offered by the Economics Subject Group, the Business School, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Northern Advanced Research Training Initiative network

If English is not the candidate’s first language, the candidate must also provide evidence of IELTS 7.0 (with minimum of 6.5 in writing, and 6.0 in all sub-skills).

How to apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal.

Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’. 

Then, in the ‘Course choice’ tab:   

• select ‘Postgraduate Research’ in the 'Type of Study' field
• select ‘Full Time’ in the ‘Mode of Study’ field
• select ‘2025’ in the ‘Year of Entry’ field
• enter programme code 8240F  in the ‘Course Title’ field
• select Economics in the ‘Research Area’ field
• press ‘Search’
• Select ‘PhD Newcastle University Business School (full time)'
• Save selection   

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:

• a ‘Personal Statement’ (this is a mandatory field) - upload a document or write a statement directly in to the application form. This should be around 500 words and should set out your reasons for applying
• the studentship code LOMAS25 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field
• a Research Proposal (maximum 500 words) – upload a document or write your proposal directly into the application form

In the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section:

• attach a full and detailed CV

You also need to submit your degree transcripts and certificates, in addition to two letters of reference to support your academic credentials. Students who do not provide two letters of reference by the closing date will not be considered for the award.  

You are encouraged to approach a member of staff whose research interests align with your research area to discuss their availability to supervise you and champion your application.

Access the application portal >