̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥

Applications for this year have closed.

About Midlands Graduate School

DMU is a partner of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded Midlands Graduate School Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). Through this DTP, our vision is to ensure there is a talent pipeline of highly trained and globally competitive social science researchers.

First established in 2016 and re-accredited in 2023, the Midlands Graduate School (MGS) DTP is led by Warwick University and includes ̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ alongside Aston, Birmingham, Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Nottingham Trent Universities.

What is a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)?

Doctoral Training Partnerships offer high-quality and coherent postgraduate training covering the full range of the social sciences and areas of interdisciplinary research. The Midlands Graduate School DTP awards around 65 highly prestigious ESRC-funded doctoral scholarships to successful applicants annually.

About the funder

ESRC is one of a number of , each with a different range of research priorities. ESRC is committed to developing globally competitive social science researchers who are able to operate in interdisciplinary, collaborative and challenge-led environments across a range of sectors, and who are drawn from diverse backgrounds and experiences. The ESRC achieves this by enabling Doctoral Training Partnerships to allocate funding for doctoral study.

Specialist areas

Here at DMU we have a number of significant research strengths in the social sciences, with all of our MGS PGRs aligned to one main pathway from these five:

• Health and Wellbeing
• Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology
• Cross-disciplinary Methodologies and Advanced Data Analysis
• Sustainable Development, Net Zero and Climate Resilience
• Living in a Digital Society 

Enabling our postgraduate researchers to reach their full potential

DMU is committed to supporting all of our postgraduate researchers to reach their full potential. We really value the significant contribution that postgraduate researchers make to our University, both to the research culture and to the development of knowledge in our key areas of expertise. PhD students contribute to the span of research events we host and our range of publications.

Being part of the MGS DTP however opens up a wealth of training, development opportunities and networking opportunities across our university consortium partners, creating a truly vibrant research culture in which to flourish.

At DMU, our MGS PGRs are an integral part of the Research and Innovation Institute for the Social Sciences with numerous opportunities to join staff and other doctoral students in attending Research Institute events such as seminars and symposia. Being part of a DTP means being belonging to a large cohort of MGS funded PhD researchers across the consortium, with opportunities to attend events and meet fellow scholars at any of the eight participating universities. 

Training and Development

MGS PGRs have access to both DMU PGR and DTP-specific training, including

• DMU social science research methodology modules covering conceptual and general research skills

• DMU's Researcher Development Programme which entails research training workshops on general and conceptual research skills related to knowledge and understanding, engagement and impact, methodology, research integrity and personal and professional development

• MGS specialist training courses on a range of specialist topics, provided by any of the eight universities in the DTP

• MGS development workshops and training courses on a range of topic chosen by students and universities e.g. outreach and public engagement; media training (including social media) and podcasting; grant writing.

Other development opportunities include:

• 3 month placement to develop and broaden transferable skills by undertaking work unconnected with the PhD project as part of "Research in Practice"

• Participation in student-run networks such as the Gender Student Network, the Sensitive Research Network and the Mental Health Research Network, Sustainability Student Network and Parents and Carers Network

• Participation in student-run networks such as the Gender Student Network, the Sensitive Research Network and the Mental Health Research Network, Sustainability Student Network and Parents and Carers Network

• Participation, along with the full cohort of MGS funded students, in events organised by the MGS or ESRC such as the annual conference and residential event.

Funding and support

MGS scholarships provide funding to cover costs of fees, as well as an annual tax-free stipend, paid on a monthly basis to cover living expenses. As well as this, all of our PGRs receive a research training support grant to cover expenses associated with the research project. Our scholars also have access to a grant for overseas fieldwork, and for overseas institutional visits.

How to apply

• Our funded MGS opportunities are advertised annually in late summer/early autumn on our funded opportunities page.

• If you have any questions at all about this DTP, please contact Sally Ruane sruane@dmu.ac.uk