North West Social Science Doctoral Training PartnershipCynthia Keza Birikudavyi, Development & Humanitarianism, University of Manchester (2025 Cohort) When I began my PhD in fall 2025, one of the first pieces of advice I received from people who had already been through the process was to make…
About Us
Welcome to the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership! The NWSSDTP is a consortium of the Universities of Keele, Lancashire, Lancaster, Liverpool, and Manchester. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), we support postgraduate studentships and training in the social sciences in the North West of England.
How to Apply
The NWSSDTP holds an annual competition for postgraduate studentship funding. Candidates may apply for funding towards masters and doctoral study, or doctoral study only. Candidates can study on a full or part-time basis.
Applications are now invited for funding commencing October 2026!
Methods North West
Methods North West provides interdisciplinary and innovative methodological training for researchers across the North West and beyond. Methods North West highlights the range of methodological expertise in the region, bringing together methods training initiatives from Keele, Lancashire, Lancaster, Liverpool and Manchester.
News
Attending the Emotional Dimensions of Doctoral Writing Retreat, run by Dr Natalie Hammond.
Many PhD students find writing a difficult aspect of their PhD experience. Read Freddy Sperring’s blog which discusses some techniques to push through these barriers.
“I can’t get this feeling out of my head, I am the imposter”
Jessica Walsmsley, SSSTM, University of Manchester (2025 cohort) Louis Tomlinson’s music has never felt so relevant. Since the days of One Direction, I hadn’t paid much attention to the solo artist’s work, but hearing his recent song, “Imposter,” made me…
The NWSSDTP has joined Bluesky!
The NWSSDTP has switched to using Bluesky as our main social media platform! Find us there: https://bsky.app/profile/nwssdtp.bsky.social
£20m in ESRC-funding awarded to the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership
£20m in ESRC-funding has been awarded to the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership to support five more cohorts of postgrad students 2024 – 2029!
Bending Boundaries Podcast: PhDs that move beyond the rules of academia
Join Seren, Ebru and Meghan as they discuss their experiences of doing their PhDs, as people who are part of groups who often aren’t seen, heard and celebrated in academia. With monthly guests, they encourage visibility, and acceptance of the intersectional layers of our identities within academic research and the PhD process.
North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership 