ESRC White Rose DTP Collaborative Studentship – Joined-up Approaches to Local Emergency Planning, Preparedness, Response and Recovery

University of Leeds - School of Law

Session 2026/27 – Closing Date 17:00 (UK time) 11th March 2026

The online application form can be found at: ESRC White Rose DTP Collaborative Studentships 2026

The maintenance rate of £20,780 is the full-time rate, part-time will be pro-rata.

This fully funded project is a collaboration between the University of Leeds (Dr Ali Malik) and the London Resilience Unit, Greater London Authority.

This PhD examines governance and local multiagency partnership working in emergency planning, response and recovery. Its aim is to identify gaps in current practices and develop practical frameworks to strengthen governance and improve coordination and collaboration in emergency management and crisis response.

The research will generate actionable insights to inform national policy and guidance for Local Resilience Forums, addressing the following questions:

• How do statutory duties, governance and accountability structures, and partnership dynamics shape emergency planning, response and recovery?
• What institutional, cultural, and resource factors constrain or enable effective multiagency collaboration?
• What mechanisms can strengthen shared understanding of risk and roles, and embed organisational learning from previous emergencies into future preparedness?
• How can diverse forms of knowledge be integrated into formal emergency planning and response structures?

The LRU is uniquely positioned to collaborate on this PhD. As the coordinating body for one of the most complex and high-risk urban environments, it works with over 180 organisations across London to prepare for emergencies and is responsible for implementing lessons from inquiries such as Grenfell. With continued government interest in English devolution, this collaboration offers an ideal opportunity to learn from London’s model of devolved powers and inform future policy development on emergency planning, response and recovery.

For further information about the application process, please contact the Admissions Team

For further information about the project, please contact Ali Malik