The North East Doctoral Training Centre (NEDTC) is offering 40 fully-funded postgraduate studentships in the social sciences at either the universities of Durham or Newcastle in the 2016/17 academic year. Award-holders with a comprehensive and attractive package of financial support over the duration of their studies. The deadline for submitting your application and supporting documentation for NEDTC’s 2016/17 studentship competition is 5:00pm on Monday 1 February 2016.

Study Subject(s): Studentships are awarded in the following accredited Departments and Schools across 16 subject areas: Anthropology, Economic and Social History, Education, Environmental Planning, Finance and Economics, Human Geography, Linguistics, Iberian American Studies, Law, Management and Business Studies, Politics and International Relations, Psychology, Social Policy, Social Work, Social Sciences and Health and Sociology.
Course Level: Studentships are available for pursuing postgraduate studies at Durham University and Newcastle University.
Scholarship Provider: The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) North East Doctoral Training Centre
Scholarship can be taken at: UK

Eligibility: The NEDTC is seeking to recruit postgraduate students with outstanding academic backgrounds and research potential.
-Academic Qualifications and Experience: Applicants applying for a studentship must hold or be predicted a First or a good 2:1 undergraduate degree in the social sciences, or have relevant comparable experience. Additionally, if you are applying for a +3 award then you must also hold or be completing a Masters degree in the social sciences, which includes at least 60 credits of research methods training.
-Applicants must be a United Kingdom citizen or be a resident of another European Union country to hold an NEDTC studentship in all subject areas, except in Economics and Finance. European Union applicants who have not been resident in the UK for the last three (3) years before the start of their studentship are only eligible for a fees-only award; however, the NEDTC aims to offer EU applicants selected for awards maintenance grants from our own institutional funds. Economics and Finance studentships are open to all students regardless of their nationality. The NEDTC is able to offer fully-funded awards in all circumstances, which provide a maintenance grant, full payment of tuition fees (at either the Home/EU or International rates) and an annual Research Training Support Grant (RTSG).

Scholarship Open for International Students: Citizens for UK and EU can apply for these postgraduate studentships.

Scholarship Description: 2016/17 Studentships Competition the NEDTC has available over 40 fully-funded awards for students commencing their postgraduate studies in the social sciences at either the universities of Durham or Newcastle in the 2016/17 academic year.

Number of award(s): 40 fully-funded awards for students commencing their postgraduate studies.

Duration of award(s): Studentships are awarded for 48 Months, 36 Months, 42 Months and 60 Months. Part-time award-holders receive funding for up to nine (9) years, which breaks down as up to two (2) years for Masters training and a further seven (7) years for doctoral study. The actual duration of a part-time student’s award will be determined by the NEDTC based on the applicant’s circumstances.

What does it cover? Award-holders with a comprehensive and attractive package of financial support over the duration of their studies, which incorporates:
-A tax-free maintenance grant set at the UK Research Council’s national postgraduate rate, which is currently £14,057 per annum;
-Full payment of tuition fees during an award-holder’s period of supervised study; and
-An individual research training support grant (RTSG) of £750 per annum to fund domestic fieldwork, attendance at conferences/events and other research expenses (only provided during the period of doctoral study).
-Part-time award-holders receive a maintenance grant and RTSG at levels that are pro-rata to their time commitment, which is usually 50%.
-Award-holders who are undertaking research in Finance and Economics will receive a further £3,000 per annum enhancement to their maintenance grants during their doctoral studies. Additionally, students awarded collaborative studentships may receive additional funds from their collaborative partners.
-Award-holders are also able to apply for additional funding for international fieldwork, difficult language training and collaborative activities, depending on the nature of their research, once they have commenced their PhD. If you are intending to undertake international fieldwork and/or anticipate requiring further difficult language training please ensure that these plans are clearly detailed in your research project proposal.
-Furthermore, NEDTC award-holders are registered as visiting students at the partner institution where they are not studying. This provides all our students with full access to key study resources, such as library provision, offered by both Durham and Newcastle universities.

Selection criteria: All applications received are considered according to their academic merit.

Notification: The Studentships Committee will be considering applications in March 2016 and applicants will be notified whether they have been successful or not on Tuesday 22 March 2016.

How to Apply: –Students can apply to either Durham or Newcastle for an NEDTC studentship. The university to which you apply will be classified as your lead institution. Please note that only one application to either institution can be made for a studentship. If two applications are made we will only consider the first application made to either university.
-Our selection processes require you to apply through the online application form of the University at which you would like to study. You must include the code ESR16 on your application form to indicate that you wish to be considered for a North East DTC award:
-Applicants to Newcastle University should quote ESR16 under ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ and ‘Who is your sponsor/funding body?’
-Applicants to Durham University should insert ESR16 where asked on the form ‘How do you intend to finance your tuition fees’ and ‘living expenses?’
-In addition to completing either Durham’s or Newcastle’s postgraduate online application form, you will also need to provide the following documentation to your prospective Department/School: Current CV;  A research project proposal, which is no longer than 2,000 words in length (excluding bibliography); Two references; and Transcripts of your previous degree(s).
-If you have already submitted your online application form, but did not include that you want to be considered for a studentship, please contact your prospective Department/School to inform them that you wish to be considered for an NEDTC studentship and for information about how to submit your additional documentation.

Scholarship Application Deadline: The deadline for submitting your application and supporting documentation for NEDTC’s 2016/17 studentship competition is 5:00pm on Monday 1 February 2016.

Further Official Scholarship Information and Application