ESRC Wales Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) PhD Scholarship in the Social Policy/Social Care pathway

Swansea University, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Wales Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) invites applications for PhD study in Social Policy, Social Care and Social Work, with the possibility of being awarded a fully funded ESRC WGSSS studentship, available to start in October 2025.

The ESRC has for many years, supported postgraduate research at Swansea University by awarding applicants funded studentships through its annual competition. Applicants will be supported by a dedicated team of postgraduate research professionals and supervised by highly experienced academics in either Social Policy, Social Care or Social Work.

Social Policy sits within the School of Social Sciences, and the Department of Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy. The Department is also home to the Centre for Social Change, which hosts regular seminars by Swansea academics, collaborators and other academics across the globe. Swansea University hosts the ESRC Administrative Data Research Centre (Wales), which facilitates access to linked, de-identified administrative data in a secure environment.

Social Care and Social Work sits within the School of Health and Social Care, and is home to the award-winning DEEP initiative, devoted to devising new forms of participatory evidence-gathering, in ways suited to informing policy.

The Social Policy and Social Work teams are interested in supervising PhD work across the domains of the subjects. Particular areas of research expertise include:

• inequalities and social justice
• poverty
• the politics of social welfare
• relations between the state and civil society
• advocacy
• ageing
• disability studies
• devolution
• ethical issues in social policy
• children and children’s right
• the family
• communities and social care
• the social policy roles of the third sector
• co-production · service outcomes for children, young people and families
• the rights of excluded groups (e.g. asylum seekers, Romani and Traveller families)
• inclusive practices in social care research
• experiences of the care system
• experiences of care-leavers
• sexuality and social care
• safeguarding and child protection
• older people

Students following a ‘1+3’ route will undertake the MSc Social Research Methods course that develops a breadth of methodological capacity as well as having specialist modules and a supervised dissertation that is more subject-specific. Students will predominately be based at Swansea University, although will be invited to attend Wales DTP events at other locations in Wales. Throughout the PhD, all Wales DTP students come together for joint workshops, residential courses, and annual conferences. In these, and other events, students may work and present alongside established researchers.

Duration of study: The duration of study is dependent on prior research experience and training needs which will be assessed by completing an Initial Development Needs Analysis (Initial DNA) at the application stage and a Full DNA prior to award if successful.

Duration of study may vary from 3.5-4.5 years, full-time (or part-time equivalent) dependent on your prior research experience. Swansea University, in conjunction with colleagues in the WGSS, will undertake an assessment of the successful applicant’s training needs and work with them to tailor the training they are offered to meet their research needs. This might take the form of a full master’s course or might be comprised of individual courses designed to enhance skills required for their chosen area of study.

Research in practice placement: All WGSSS funded students are required to complete a funded Research in Practice placement of 3-months in total (or part-time equivalent). All students will have the opportunity to complete a placement in academia, policy, business or civil society organisations.