SWDTP Social Policy studentship

Applications close on 9 January 2026 (12:00 noon UK time) and the studentship will start on 1 October 2026

Apply 

To apply for the SWDTP Social Policy pathway studentship simply select the ‘online application’ link below for PhD Social Policy :
Within the Research section of the application form, in the following fields, please add:
  • Proposed project title/studentship title: add your project title
  • Proposed supervisor: add the potential supervisor’s name 
  • Studentship code: add SWDTP 26-10 Social Policy
When the application asks for a research proposal, please just upload the SWDTP Studentship Application Form 2026 Entry (Annex A)

Application guidance

It is important that you follow the instructions above or your application for this studentship may be missed and therefore will not be considered.
Before applying, please ensure you have read the Doctoral College’s general information on applying for a research degree .
For more information on the admissions process, please contact research.degree.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
Social Policy
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business 
The Â鶹´«Ã½ has a long and distinguished track-record of internationally leading research in the social policy field. In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 86% of our social policy research was classified as ‘world-leading’ or 'internationally excellent' and we are ranked 8th in the country for research impact. We have collective strengths in: health policy; media and communications; gender; sustainability; offender rehabilitation; climate change; nationalism and methodological innovations. Our postgraduates have won a number of awards for their internationally leading research.
The breadth of interdisciplinary expertise at Â鶹´«Ã½ enables us to bring multiple approaches and methods to addressing urgent social policy issues in health, global instability and society, and the environmental crisis. This has enabled us to deliver applied and theoretically informed world class research to a wide range of groups including national and local government, healthcare providers, NGOs, social enterprises, patient groups and offender communities.
Our research is conducted within a vibrant interdisciplinary environment which supports the research activities of over 200 academics and a large international body of PGR students. Innovative cross-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary collaborations between SHAPE and STEM researchers are fostered through working closely with the Sustainable Earth Institute and the  Community and Primary Care Research Group . As a successful PGR student, you would be joining this dynamic research environment which nurtures talent and drives research excellence and impact by supporting and promoting strategic external partnerships, collaborations and networks, and sponsoring cross-university research initiatives which align with the ESRC’s priorities.
Collaborating with the researchers in the social policy field will connect you with our research and thought leadership, which is at the cutting edge of the field. You will be working with outstanding academics of global standing who have extensive and active networks with universities and industries across the globe, and we are committed to ensuring our students have opportunities to explore the latest developments across a variety of areas.
Successful applicants will be part of a large, vibrant, highly collaborative community of PhD students with excellent interdisciplinary links, providing opportunities for research, training and collaboration.
For details of all our staff research interests, please see our staff research web pages . Specifically, the following staff welcome contact for research related to the following areas in this SWDTP round: 
  • Health and well-being of health and social professionals (e.g. social workers, nurses, law enforcement)
  • Coping behaviours in response to occupational stress
  • Experiences of online micro-aggressions among LGBTQ+ youth
  • Discourses of regulation and professionalism in health policy
  • Health policy reform
  • Health policy formation
  • International trade policy and politics
  • EU policy
  • Development policy 
  • Iranian foreign policy and politics, including nationalism and the role of political identity
  • Political change and transformation in the MENA region
  • Populism in the Global South
  • World order and the Global South
  • Social prescribing
  • Nature-health interactions, health services and mental health
  • Systematic reviews and health policy
  • Links between health inequalities and criminal justice
  • The lived experience of dis/ability for those caught up in the criminal justice system
  • The role of food in criminal justice settings

Initial enquiries

If you would like advice on potential supervisors, please contact  Dr Shabnam Holliday .

How to apply

The ESRC SWDTP encourages collaboration across the universities of the partnership and with external organisations.
Closing date: 9 January 2026 (12:00 noon UK time)
Start date: 1 October 2026 
The studentship is supported for three to four years depending upon the pathway and includes full home tuition fees plus a stipend which is currently £20,780 per annum 2025/2026 rate (2026/27 rate TBC). There are a limited number of places for international students.

Eligibility 

Information on the eligibility criteria for full awards can be found on the .

Application process

You will need to discuss your proposed research topic with an academic staff member in your field. More specifically, the staff listed above welcome contact for research related to the areas mentioned above in this SWDTP round. You can also explore the member lists of Â鶹´«Ã½'s research groups and centres or search staff profiles using subject-area search terms (e.g. citizenship) or an individual's name.
You will need to submit the following documentation in order for us to consider your application:
  • Completed Â鶹´«Ã½ online application form, accessible via the link at the top of the page in the ‘Apply’ box. 
  • Completed  
  • Completed
  • Completed SWDTP EDI survey – a link to the online form will be sent to you on submission of your funding application documents.
  • Copies of your academic qualifications (both certificates and transcripts of module/course marks).
  • Please include a CV with your application.
  • If applicable, appropriate proof of English proficiency.
Documents not included in the online application form can be emailed to research.degree.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk by the application deadline.
Your application will only be considered if it contains the above and you have met our . If we need further details or additional documentation, we will contact you.
For full details on the studentship process, please see the South West Doctoral Training Partnership and pages.

SWDTP Equal Opportunities Student Data Form 2026 Entry

Why do you collect data about people’s personal characteristics?
Across UK Higher Education it is generally suspected that access to postgraduate study is neither as open nor as inclusive as it should be and that more needs to be done to widen participation and equality of opportunity. However, the data needed to help make the system be more equitable is not as complete or as reliable as it needs to be to most effectively support change.  
Providing EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) and equal opportunity data helps to better understand issues of selection and under-representation in postgraduate study. Such data are held confidentially and separately from the rest of your application. They are used only in aggregated and anonymised forms for internal monitoring purposes and as part of our required reporting to our funder, the ESRC – for example, as counts or percentages of the numbers in each category. We ask all applicants to complete the monitoring form. A link to the online form will be sent to you on submission of your funding application documents.