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ESRC NINE DTP

We enjoy continuing high levels of ESRC funding success through five pathways within the school: Human Geography, Sociology and Children, Youth & Families, Conflict, Security & Justice and Politics & International Studies.

The ERSC NINE DTP studentship competition for entry 2024 is now closed. Details of the subsequent competitions will be published here in due course. 

Human geography

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 often has research-user impact and the pathway offers opportunities to develop a collaborative PhD with appropriate non-academic organisations.

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 4.5 year basis receive Masters-level research training via the MA Human Geography (Research). This programme combines core geography research training with more generic training in research skills, methodologies and theories. Students awarded 4.5 funding can then proceed to their PhD here at Newcastle in Geography.

Students who already have advanced training in geography research at MA level, and those with some Masters-level research training, are eligible to apply for funding on a 3.5 or 4 year basis. For these applicants, further research training is available and is undertaken in conjunction with primary research on their PhD topic.

Pathway contact – Dr Matthew Benwell (matthew.benwell@ncl.ac.uk)

Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work

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 research clusters: Imagining Pasts and Futures; Identities, Embodiments and Selves; and a new emergent cluster on Health and Society that is launching this year.

In addition to our research clusters, colleagues in Sociology work across a range of research areas including: race and ethnicity; gender; the environment; migration; ageing and society; urbanisation; drugs; crime and policing.

Students applying to this pathway on a 4.5 year 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 4.5 year funding can then proceed to their PhD here in Sociology.

Students who already have extensive advanced sociological research training at MA level, 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 3.5 year or 4 year 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 Ruth Graham

How to apply

The ERSC NINE DTP studentship competition for entry 2024 is now closed. Details of the subsequent competitions will be published here in due course. 

Further information

Full details of eligibility criteria can be found on the NINE DTP website.

Contact: PGR Administrator Ruby Mar via gps.pgr@ncl.ac.uk