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Six PhD studentships are available across the departments of Sociology and Criminology, International Politics and, Economics.

Closing application date: Friday 31 January 2025 (17:00 GMT)

City’s founding principles – to promote the education, wellbeing, and employability of students from all backgrounds - remain core to our new School of Policy & Global Affairs (SPGA).

SPGA at City is a cosmopolitan, outward-looking, internationally excellent centre of education and research. We pride ourselves on our links with business and the professions, as well as the wider communities in which we live and work.

SPGA brings together world renowned social scientists working in three departments:

and nine centres (some affiliated):

The school is a dynamic community, home to an inclusive mix of students both local and global. It includes around 2000 students (140 postgraduate) and around 100 staff.

We would love to welcome you into our community. City, University of London is a cosmopolitan, industry-focused, socially engaged and politically conscious centre of educational excellence and world-changing interdisciplinary research which shapes and influences professional practice.

In the last Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), 86 per cent of City’s research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

We are particularly interested in research proposals which engage with professional practice, or which have the capacity to generate impact on public policy.

Areas of Study

A total of 6 studentships can be made available.

Three of these relate to the main theme Violence (theme A) and one each to the other 3 themes listed below (themes B, C and D).

Workplace and Organisational Violence (Theme A)

Violence has far reaching and devastating consequences for victims, communities, the economy and society. From interpersonal violence to the destruction caused by political conflicts, violence in all its forms prompts a need for rigorous, evidence-based, interdisciplinary and policy-focused investigation.

We are proposing a bold and ambitious investment in ‘The Violence and Conflict Reduction Research Programme’ (VCRRP). This framing provides a School-wide unifying narrative and captures an interdisciplinary priority theme. It draws upon existing expertise within the School of Policy and Global Affairs, but resonates across all areas of City, University of London (particularly CLS, SHPS, and SCC).

Our overarching strategy is to invest in the next generation of scholars, policymakers and practitioners to drive effective societal change in this area of global importance.

Recognising the multifaceted nature of the causes, characteristics, dynamics and consequences of violence and conflict, we propose three subthemes at the scale of the interpersonal, the organisational, and national/international:

This theme focuses on Workplace and Organisational Violence. We are looking for proposals which conduct research to explore contextual sites of workplace or occupational violence.

We are interested in proposals that explore violence committed by employees in private and public sector organisations, as well as proposals exploring violence towards employees working in various private and public sectors (e.g. NHS staff, hospitality, retail) ranging from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults.

This research stream includes a focus on those occupations authorised to use violence in the course of their work (e.g. the police).

Inequalities, behaviour and economic activity (Theme B)

The Department of Economics is seeking outstanding candidates for a fully funded PhD studentship.

We invite applications from highly motivated and talented individuals who are interested in pursuing research broadly in the field of inequalities, behaviour and economic activity. Applications should highlight how their proposal and methodology align with current state-of-the-art practise in economics and with the research interests of the department.

Our research covers a broad range of topics, including macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics, finance, international trade, health economics, labour economics, and development economics.

The Department is a leading centre for research and teaching in economics and offers a unique opportunity to pursue a research degree in economics in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment. We have a vibrant research community, with a team of internationally renowned academics who are active in publishing research in top economics journals.

Our PhD students are an integral part of our research community and are encouraged to engage in cutting-edge research that has the potential to make a significant contribution to the field of economics. The Department actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and we particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian or other minority ethnic backgrounds.

Find out more about the Department of Economics

Political conflict and public policy (Theme C)

The Department of International Politics is seeking outstanding candidates for a fully funded PhD studentship. We invite applications from highly motivated and talented individuals who are interested in pursuing research in the field of International Politics, broadly understood.

Our department has strengths in the areas of International Relations, International Political Economy, Comparative Politics, and Modern History.

Candidates should highlight to which sub-field(s) their dissertation would contribute. We also invite candidates to mention potential supervisors from our department that share substantive interests with the candidate and his/her dissertation project.

Find out more about the Department of International Politics

Social Inequalities and Social (in)Justice (Theme D)

The Department of Sociology and Criminology invites applications for a full-time PhD studentship on the theme of Social Inequalities and Social (in)Justice.

Applications should also demonstrate how your proposal aligns with one or more of our core research strengths:

  • digital technologies
  • critical data and social change
  • social analysis and cultural transformations
  • social harm, crime and criminal justice
  • and/or socio-economic disparities and structural disadvantage.
  • We are also open to applications from a range of methodological approaches.

The Department actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and we particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian or other minority ethnic backgrounds.

You will be joining a vibrant Department that has a well-established reputation for  theoretical innovation,  methodological rigor and cutting edge analysis of social transformations.

We have been ranked 5th overall in the UK and 1st in London in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), with 88% of our overall research profile judged to be ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’.

Our impact driven research puts us in dialogue with multiple stakeholders, including academia, government, civic society, trade unions, business, local authorities and digital industries.

Our doctoral students are of critical importance to the Department’s’ overall research profile and culture. You will be supervised by field-leading academics in an exciting international environment in the heart of the City of London. Visit our staff profiles for details on individual staff and their research interests and publications.

Find out more about the Department of Sociology and Criminology

The proposed project should fit with one of the key themes of our research communities. We want to support PhD research that will make a positive difference in the world, pushing forward knowledge and/ or practice and are particularly interested in receiving proposals that are interdisciplinary and/ or engage with equality, diversity and inclusion.

Black British studentship

One studentship will be dedicated to a Black British candidate from UK-permanent residents (UK fee-paying students) from the following ethnic group: Black (Black or Black British African, Black or Black British Caribbean, Black or Black British other or Mixed Black or Black British).

The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of outstanding academic achievement and the potential to produce cutting edge-research. Applicants should have a track record of high academic achievement, demonstrated by a first degree with at least a second class (upper division) or equivalent, Applicants should demonstrate a suitable aptitude to undertake a course of independent research.

Applications on any topic related to any of the 4 themes are eligible.

What is included

Funding is available for UK, EU and international students.

The doctoral studentships will consist of:

  • an annual stipend (currently £21,237; will rise in line with UKRI guidelines) for three years full-time (pro-rata for part-time study), inclusive of London weighting
  • a full UK tuition fee waiver
  • and £1500 in research expenses/consumables over the course of the award

Eligibility

The studentships will be awarded on the basis of academic achievement, the quality and of their proposal and the relevance of the proposal and their prior studies to the theme specified. Projects demonstrating a commitment to interdisciplinarity, social change, and equality, diversity and inclusion are particularly encouraged.

Applicants must hold, or be on course to complete, at least a good Second-Class Honours degree and a Master’s degree in a relevant subject (or international equivalent), or provide equivalent qualifications or professional/ practice-based experience that evidences their preparedness for PhD study.

Applicants whose first language is not English and whose qualifications were not completed in a majority English-speaking country must achieve at least 7.0 in IELTS (6.5 for Economics) or a recognised equivalent. Please read information on entry requirements.

Applicants must not be currently registered as a doctoral student at City, University of London or any other academic institution.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

City, University of London is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in all its activities, processes, and culture, for our whole community, including staff, students, and visitors. As a global institution in the heart of London, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We actively embrace fairness and inclusivity and are dedicated to creating a place where everyone can thrive and belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are underrepresented in our workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people. We also welcome applications from people of different ages, marital and pregnancy status, nationalities, religions and beliefs, and socio-economic backgrounds, including those with caring responsibilities.

How to apply

To apply for studentship funding:

  1. Complete an application form by selecting ‘How to Apply’ and ‘Apply Now’ via the programme’s course page. You will be asked to register before you can complete your application. Please note that registering does not commit you to studying if you are not successful in gaining funding.
  2. Upload your transcripts, language test results (if applicable) and research proposal (max. 2000 words exclusive of bibliography). Read guidance on preparing a proposal.
  3. Upload a short cover letter of no more than two sides of A4, with your application requesting that your application be considered for PhD Studentship funding. Please indicate in this cover letter if your application should be considered for the thematic specific studentship along with the theme and how your proposal fits the theme or whether you should be considered for the Black British studentship.
  4. All applicants should identify potential supervisors (each candidate will have two supervisors) and contact them in advance to see fit and availability. When supervisors have agreed to supervise the student please indicate that in the cover letter.

Contact us

If you have any queries, please contact Dr Elinor Carmi.

School of Policy & Global Affairs