The University of Manchester, as part of The North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) consortium, receives Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) accreditation and funding for doctoral studentships and training.  

The NWSSDTP runs an annual collaborative studentship competition (CASE) where academics from the five NWSSDTP institutions can apply for funding towards postgraduate projects that will be co-supervised with a representative from a non-higher education institution (HEI) partner organisation. Successful applicants will then be invited to recruit a postgraduate candidate to undertake the project. 

NWSSDTP CASE studentships allow PhD students to gain first-hand experience of work outside an academic environment. The student works on a doctoral project supported by expert academic supervisors and a co-supervisor from a non-HEI partner organisation. 

The competition has two stages. The first is the proposal stage, where an academic and a non-HEI partner organisation collaborate to propose a CASE studentship. If the proposal is successful, the second stage requires the academic and the non-HEI partner organisation to select a suitable postgraduate candidate to undertake the project. 

To help provide guidance on the competition process, the Humanities Doctoral Academy is organising an information session to explain the changes implemented to the Manchester process for the ESRC NWSSDTP CASE competition in 2024. The session aims to ensure and support academic colleagues in understanding the changes and facilitating the submission for the 2025 entry. A successful CASE applicant will also deliver a short presentation, sharing their experiences and offering insights to consider.

ESRC NWSSDTP has confirmed that the CASE competition will return to a November submission for the first stage. Given the significance of these changes, it is recommended that applicants looking to apply would benefit from attending the information session to gain a better understanding.

The session will benefit those currently establishing a relationship with a CASE partner. Early engagement is crucial to facilitating collaboration and refining proposals for the entry. CASE studentships require a meaningful relationship with the partner organisation, and early engagement allows sufficient time to ensure that proposals are meticulously developed, aligned with all parties' expectations, and convincing for the ESRC. 

Due to technical difficulties, the information session previously held on 15 May has been rescheduled. Please register for the updated session below:

Format: Zoom meeting 

Date: Friday, 28 June 2024 

Time: 10:30-11:30 

Please complete the registration form to receive the link to attend. Once you register, you will receive a notification about the meeting through Zoom. Please note that this may take up to an hour to appear upon signing up. 

Following the session, the ESRC NWSSDTP CASE call will be circulated, and the Recruitment and Admissions section of Humanities StaffNet site will be updated.