ESRC Co-funded Studentships

Co-funded Studentships are doctoral projects which are jointly run by both academic and non-academic organisations.

What's on offer?

Co-funded Studentships are doctoral projects which are jointly run by both academic and non-academic organisations. The awarded teams then get to recruit a student to work on the project, who receives an ESRC Studentship.
In collaboration with non-academic partners, projects address a research topics of both theoretical and practical importance, providing opportunities for the selected student candidate to gain first-hand experience of work outside an academic environment.
Academic colleagues in UBEL have submitted bids for Co-funded studentships and now students can apply for one of the successful proposals and the accompanying studentship.
Co-funded Studentships can be held on a full-time or part-time basis and within a 1+3, 4-year (Integrated PhD) or +3 programme, where an individual pathway allows for these structures. Projects must fit with an UBEL Groups and Pathway.
UBEL requires match funding for the co-funded scheme, calculated as 50% of the total fees and subsistence. Partners are expected to fund 50% of the studentship cost over a three-year period.
UBEL DTP co-funded studentships cover tuition fees at the UKRI rate and an annual maintenance stipend. Stipend and fee levels for academic year 2025/2026: a minimum stipend of £22,780 (including London Weighting Allowance) and support for home tuition fees at £5,006.
Supervisors from UBEL partnered institutions should contact institutional lead prior to making an application.

Deadlines for 2026 Entry

15 September 2025	Survey Monkey Apply opens for Staff application
5 December 2025	Deadline for Staff applications at 23:59
16 January 2025	DTP informs Staff of application outcome
30 January 2025	Full application form available to Student
16 March 2026	Deadline for Student applications at 23:59
w/c 20 April 2026	DTP Board confirms studentship awards for 2026 entry

PLEASE NOTE: The following projects have now recruited students for 2023 entry.

Jonathan Bartlett with Roche Products Ltd.: Methods for deterministic treatment effect estimates for clinical trials with missing data
Adam Dennett with Transport East: Pathways to socially equitable net-zero cities and regions
Nicola White with Rescape Innovation Ltd: Exploring the therapeutic benefits of virtual reality for people living with an incurable illness
James Cheshire with Movement Strategies, a GHD Company: What makes a place busy? Characterising the spatio-temporal elements of the ambient population using a range of data sources
Justin van Dijk with PDV: Lifestyles and geodemographic behaviours in inter-generational context
Emma Howarth with Newham Learning: Exploring the use and impact of outdoor environments in East London Pupil Referral Units
Gill Wyness with Education Policy Institute: The changing Level 3 qualifications market Assessing socio-spatial and economic impacts of large transport infrastructure
Dr Jens Kandt with UK Department for Transport (DfT): Assessing socio-spatial and economic impacts of large transport infrastructure

Useful documents

Contact us

Get in touch with the team.
Email: Ubel-dtp@ucl.ac.uk

Click here to see co-funded projects from the 2024 recruitment cycle.

Click here to see co-funded projects from the 2023 recruitment cycle.

The ESRC has introduced a new PhD model from 2024/25. The new standard model for an ESRC studentship is 3.5 years.

Instead of the traditional three years of funding for a full-time PhD, ESRC studentships will include an extra three months of time (and stipend) to allow extra time for training throughout the PhD.

In addition, it is expected that ESRC studentship holders should have the opportunity to
complete a high-quality placement in academia, policy, business or civil society organisations as
part of their training. Students who participate in a placement will receive an extra three months of time (and stipend). This extra funded time would be in addition to the time periods indicated below and apply to all routes (i.e. 1+3, +3, 2+3 and +4, 3.5 and 3.25)