WGSSS awards over 70 ESRC studentships annually across 15 accredited pathways based in 7 collaborating universities.
A masters degree is not a prerequisite for studying in the WGSSS. A range of training programmes are provided by WGSSS university partners, as well as our external partners, to allow students to meet the training requirements for social science PGRs set out by ESRC. Required and recommended training is based on an individual Development Needs Analysis (DNA) which is an assessment of the applicant’s prior experience and training needs., matched to available training within WGSSS. All studentships are offered on a full or part-time basis.
There are two competitions for WGSSS studentships; the General Competition, and the Collaborative Competition.
General Competition
The General Competition is applicant generated; you must propose your own PhD project.
Collaborative Competition
The Collaborative Competition is supervisor generated; you choose from an existing catalogue of projects.
Funding
WGSSS studentships cover tuition fees, an annual tax-free living stipend in line with UKRI minimum rates (currently £19,237) and includes access to a Research Training Support Grant.
Click here for more funding information
WGSSS is committed to widening access and to promoting inclusivity. Any student who, because of a disability or a long-term health condition, is obliged to incur additional expenditures in connection with their studies, may be eligible for grants through the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) .
The DSA can cover costs such as daily expenses and equipment and for non-medical helpers such as support workers, specialist tutors, library assistance and note-takers (photocopying and consumables are to be claimed through your Research Training Support Grant). The amount of each allowance is not fixed and is determined according to the individual needs of each student.
On being awarded a WGSSS studentship we strongly recommend you discuss additional support needs with your home institution, letting the relevant Disability Officer know that you are ESRC funded.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
WGSSS is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all. We welcome applications from all members of the global community irrespective of age, disability, sex, gender identity, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. In line with our commitment to supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, and to increase recruitment of currently underrepresented groups, applications from Black British, Asian British, minority ethnicity and mixed-race British, care leavers and candidates living with disabilities are particularly encouraged and welcomed. We are working to remove obstacles to study for all and as part of our recruitment process review your application as a whole. We value students of all backgrounds and life experiences.
Click here for more EDI information
Historical structural inequalities and discriminatory practices in education have resulted in under-representation of specific communities in academia. WGSSS is committed to identifying and addressing the effects of this disparity on its own processes and awards. Measures consistent with the Equality Act 2010 include an initiative allowing pathways to put forward an additional studentship nomination in its general studentship competition, provided that at least one of those applicants is of Black British, Asian British, British mixed-race or British minority ethnic background. All applicants are invited to state the ways in which their life experience and the challenges they have faced equip them to make a positive contribution to the WGSSS community.
Further information about the WGSSS’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy is available on our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion page.
Eligibility
ESRC studentships are available to students who show through their academic qualifications and other achievements that they are well qualified to undertake doctoral research. A good undergraduate degree (First or Upper Second Class or equivalent) in a relevant discipline is important. Valuing excellence, we are striving to widen participation and welcome applications from students who have attended universities outside as well as within the ‘Russell Group’.
Click here for more eligibility information
Please note that full-time ESRC studentship award holders cannot hold either a full-time job, permanent part-time job or temporary role for an extended period of time, during the period of their award. Part-time ESRC studentship award holders cannot hold a full-time job.
WGSSS studentships are available to both home and international (including EU and EEA) students for entry from October 2023 onwards. All applicants will be eligible for a full award consisting of a maintenance stipend and payment of tuition fees at the UK research organisation rate. Applicants must satisfy new UKRI studentship eligibility requirements. For further details see the UKRI web site.
Home students
applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or
- Have settled status, or
- Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
- Have indefinite leave to remain or enter
If an applicant does not meet any of the criteria above, they will be classed as an international student. For further details, see the updated UKRI guidance on EU and international eligibility.
International students
Up to 30% of fully funded WGSSS studentships are available to international students per cohort. Successful applicants will receive a fully-funded WGSSS studentship and will not be charged the fees difference between the UK and international rate.
WGSSS ESRC awards do not cover visa, international health surcharges (IHS), nor travel costs for international students.
Please contact the Admissions team at the institution to which you wish to apply if you are uncertain of your status.
Types of Studentship
The duration of study is dependent on prior research experience and training needs which will be assessed by completing an Initial Development Needs Analysis (DNA) at the application stage and a Full DNA prior to award if successful. Based on this the duration of an award may vary from 3.5 to 4.5 years full time (or part–time equivalent). Training needs are identified and met on a flexible, bespoke basis through the DNA, which is followed up in each year of study. A masters level qualification is not normally included in the award, though may be offered where indicated by the level of previous training, and to ensure the accessibility of WGSSS awards.
Award Lengths
3.5 YEARS
3 years PhD
3 months placement
+3 months additional training time
3.75 YEARS
3 years PhD
3 months placement
+6 months additional training time
4.0 YEARS
3 years PhD
3 months placement
+9 months additional training time
4.5 YEARS
1 year Masters Degree
3 years PhD
3 months placement
+3 months additional training time
Development Needs Analysis (DNA)
Development needs analysis (DNA) is the process that the Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) uses to determine the training needs of its scholarship recipients. This process helps us to plan our training provision and helps us to determine the length of the award that we might make to scholarship recipients, according to the training needs we identify.
An ESRC PhD scholarship is about more than just delivering a great research project. It’s important to see it as a high-level training programme that results in well-rounded Social Scientists, capable of pursuing a range of careers. The DNA process will help you to think more broadly about your personal and professional development, not just about the needs of the specific research project that you’ll be working on. This is perhaps, a slightly different way of looking at a PhD than has traditionally been the case, and it might require you to think a little differently too.
Our aim is to support you and your academic supervisor(s) to devise a training plan that is tailored to your specific needs, that is flexible, and which meets the full range of skills that a social scientist graduating from a doctoral training programme should possess. We map this to the ESRC Postgraduate Development Guidelines, and it is cross-referenced to the Vitae Researcher Development Framework. Training needs may be met by a combination of courses held at your home institution and wider training opportunities provided by our network of collaborators which are either online, or occasionally, in person.
There are two stages to our DNA process. The initial DNA (iDNA) and the Full DNA.
Initial DNA (iDNA)
Full DNA
The full DNA is a more detailed online form. It will take around an hour to complete. It is the second stage of the DNA process and is only completed by WGSSS scholars who have accepted an Award in Principle and are preparing for their first year of study.
Click here to find out more about the Full DNA
We recommend that the full DNA is completed by the prospective scholar, alone. This is not to say that you cannot confer with your supervisor (of course, you can) but we want this to be an opportunity for an open and honest discussion of your needs and expectations. There is no penalty for having greater training needs than another scholar. We cannot help to meet needs that we don’t know about!
The output from the Full DNA will be shared with your supervisor(s) for their comments, recommendations, and adjustments, which will be discussed with you before your training plan is finalised. If necessary, you may be invited to a discussion between you, your academic supervisor(s) and the WGSSS Training Lead regarding your training plan for the year ahead.
The full DNA will also help us to confirm length of the award that you will need. We come to this decision collaboratively, considering the views of you, your supervisor and the WGSSS Training Lead. Ultimately, the recommended awards are reviewed and ratified by our management team who have the final say. As the award length can vary according to the students’ needs, we need this step to ensure that the total number of awards in each length category are affordable for the WGSSS.
We repeat the full DNA on an annual basis, usually as part of the progress review process in each university, so that you can tell us about new/different training needs that arise as your programme progresses.
If you have any questions, you can contact the WGSSS Training Lead directly.
Interviews
All students applying for a WGSSS studentship, if shortlisted, will be interviewed by a panel of academics within the pathway they have applied to study in. Interviews can be held online or in person. We are keen to support participation from all students, please don’t hesitate to let the admissions team know if you have any reasonable adjustments.
‘How to...’ Webinars
In November 2023, WGSSS held webinars for interested students and prospective applicants on ‘How to apply’ and ‘How to write a research proposal’.
Below are recordings of these webinar sessions: