ESRC-funded PhD studentships offered jointly by SENSS and CAM Doctoral Training Partnerships

University of Cambridge – SENSS DTP

South and East Network for Social Sciences (SENSS) and CAM-DTP are pleased to announce a call for two ESRC-funded studentships.

The purpose of this joint scheme is to promote collaboration between our two DTPs. The supervisory teams include a supervisor from each DTP and the topics offer students a genuine cross-DTP and cross-disciplinary approach.

Studentships are available within the following topics:

1. Healthy learning in a digital age: the role of educational media in early development
Dr Carina De Klerk, University of Essex

2. Integration of GAs-splitting hydrogen production pathway into the UK economy: cross-sectoral view encompassing the solid carbon co-product
Prof Nazmiye Ozkan, Cranfield University

3. Co-developing the Approaches to Picking Packed Lunches (APPLe) toolkit with parents and carers
Dr Suzanna Forwood, Anglia Ruskin University

4. Beyond nature vs. nurture: a sociogenomic analysis of life outcomes
Dr Weilong Zhang, University of Cambridge

If you are interested in one of these topics, please contact the supervisory team directly to find out more and discuss a project proposal before making an application.

More details about the projects are available via the 'Apply' button above and www.senss.ac.uk/senss-cam-studentship-competition

About the studentship

An ESRC-funded PhD studentship with SENSS and CAM-DTP provides:

• Tuition fees up to the value of the home fee rate for all students; international students are welcome to apply and will not be expected to use their own resources to pay tuition fees at the international rate; precise arrangements for this will be advised to the successful candidates
• An annual tax-free stipend (salary) at the UKRI rate (£20,780 in 2025-26 for full time students), and a contribution towards research and training costs;
• A personalised training programme, to develop research, communication, employability and personal skills;
• Support to carry out a required three-month placement with an academic or non-academic partner during the course of the studentship.
• Successful candidates will be required to submit their PhD within the duration of the studentship award.

The studentship award will be a minimum of 3.5 years up to a maximum of 4.5 years. The length of the award will depend on whether the successful applicant has appropriate skills for the project, as well as general social science research methods training as set out in the ESRC Postgraduate Training Guidelines.

ESRC’s academic and residential eligibility requirements will apply for this scheme.

How to apply

To be considered for a SENSS-CAM studentship, candidates should apply via HEIApply by 09:00 GMT on 7 January 2026. No extensions to this deadline will be permitted.

• For a studentship within a CAM-DTP institution, candidates will also need to have applied for a place to study at the host university by the same deadline, in order to be eligible for consideration of funding.
• For a studentship within a SENSS institution, candidates whose application is successful will need to make a separate application for a place to study at the host institution.

Please read the SENSS-CAM Studentship Application Guidance before completing the HEIApply application form.

The guidance and link to HEIApply are both available on our websites and the Apply button above

About SENSS DTP

The South and East Network for Social Sciences (SENSS) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) is a consortium of eight leading universities across the south and east of the UK promoting inventive and inclusive social science research training and collaboration.

SENSS builds on three pillars: interdisciplinary research that can address the grand challenges humanity is facing; equality, diversity and inclusivity to bring innovation to thinking through differences; and, finally, engagement that leads to impact in the world of practice.

SENSS DTP universities are

• City St George’s, University of London
• Cranfield University
• University of East Anglia
• University of Essex (the co-ordinating institution)
• Goldsmiths, University of London
• University of Lincoln
• Middlesex University
• University of Roehampton

https://www.senss.ac.uk/

About CAM-DTP

The CAM Doctoral Training Partnership [DTP] is a consortium between Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), the University of Bedfordshire (UoB) and the University of Cambridge (UoC).

Its collective environment of excellent research and impact is an ideal complement for the interdisciplinary training of diverse social scientists. CAM-DTP PhD students will join a hub for regional change addressing key societal challenges and the DTP is keen to attract talented doctoral researchers from a wide range of backgrounds.

www.cam-dtp.ac.uk