An ESRC NWSSDTP CASE Studentship Information Event was held recently for academic colleagues across the four Schools within Humanities planning to submit a proposal for CASE studentships for this studentship round.

This session provided competition information, tips on applications and to support academic colleagues in understanding the changes and facilitating submissions for the 2025 entry. Additionally, a successful CASE applicant delivered a short presentation, sharing their experiences and offering valuable insights.

You can view the slides from the ESRC NWSSDTP CASE Information Session and the presentation delivered by a successful CASE applicant.

A recording of the session is also available below:

The Humanities Doctoral Academy will support applicants with their CASE Studentship Application Form ahead of the deadline for this first stage. To facilitate the first stage and to ensure Manchester submits high-quality and strong CASE applications the Humanities Doctoral Academy requires applicants to submit an Expression of Interest Form (EOI) (slimmed-down application form without partner input at this stage) to gauge initial interest and feasibility of the project. Deadline for applicants to submit an EOI is Friday 2 August 2024.

A Doctoral Academy CASE panel will review the EOIs and decide which projects progress to the full application stage, providing constructive comments and feedback. Applicants whose EOIs are selected will then work with their non-HEI Partner to complete the full CASE Application Form and submit it by 4 October 2024 for further review by the Doctoral Academy CASE panel before the formal submission deadline.

• Expression of Interest Form
• Manchester Additional Guidance to support completion of the EOI and Full CASE Application

For CASE applicants who were unsuccessful in the awards offered for the 2024 entry and are considering reapplying, you are only required to submit a revised full CASE Application Form by 4 October 2024. An Expression of Interest (EOI) will not be necessary for reapplication.

Given the participation of five institutions, it is crucial to acknowledge that most pathways will only provide one funded CASE studentship. Therefore, the CASE panel will prioritise applications that exhibit the highest quality, featuring clear and well-defined proposals, to ensure the selection of the strongest applications.

• Tuition fees at (Home) UKRI approved rate
• An annual stipend at the standard UKRI rate (or pro rata if part-time)
• Access to a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) for reimbursement of research-related expenses including - but not limited to - conference attendance, training courses and payment of participants.
• Opportunity to apply for additional funding towards:
  • Fieldwork costs (usually only permitted when the need for fieldwork is outlined at this initial application stage)
  • Overseas Institutional Visits
  • Internships with non-HEI Partners

All queries should be directed to Tasleem Hanif, PGR Recruitment and Admissions Officer, HUMS Doctoral Academy or Dr Stuart Shields, the Deputy Associate Dean for PGR overseeing the scheme. 

To be eligible applicants are required to meet the entry requirements for their programme.

Applicants seeking to apply for ESRC NWSSDTP funding must submit their programme application by the school deadline:

• Alliance Manchester Business School: 1 December 2024
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures: 13 January 2025
• School of Education, Environment and Development: 20 January 2025
• School of Social Sciences: 1 December 2024

Applicants must also submit their NWSSDTP funding application by 5pm, Monday, 3 February 2025 to the Humanities Doctoral Academy at hums.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk.

Please note that the given deadlines are strict and late or incomplete applications will not be included in the competition.

The ESRC NWSSDTP competition is extremely competitive, and if you are liaising with a potential supervisee, it is likely you will be required to support the PGR and their application throughout the process, and to ensure the funding application is submitted by the deadline.

Please liaise with your supervisee to help them produce a 1500 word version of their research proposal and make sure the revised version of the proposal is forwarded to the Doctoral Academy Admissions team by the above deadlines.

Pathway leads also utilise the content of the interview form in their nominations, so please complete this form with as much detail as possible following the admissions interview to ensure a strong application.

1. Applicants submit their application by the relevant school deadline. Applications must indicate the intention to apply for ESRC NWSSDTP funding and contain all necessary supporting documents, including a 1500 word research proposal.
2. Applications are then circulated for review via the evaluation process. If you have a potential supervisee seeking ESRC NWSSDTP funding, please ensure to review their application in a timely manner. Candidates must hold an offer by 17 February 2025. If the research proposal is redrafted during the evaluation, make sure the revised version of the proposal is forwarded to the Doctoral Academy Admissions team no later than the NWSSDTP funding application deadline.
3. Applicants must submit a NWSSDTP funding application to the Humanities Doctoral Academy at hums.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk by 5pm, 3 February 2025.
4. Following the funding application deadline, the Doctoral Academy Admissions team compiles all eligible applicants, including an academic summary for each, into a candidate list per pathway. This candidate list and all application documents are provided to the Pathway Representatives by 7 February 2025.
5. Pathway Representatives then arrange the institutional pathway panel for review of funding applications and submit rankings to the Humanities Admissions Team and Pathway Lead on week commencing 17 February 2025.
6. Once pathway nominees are determined, Pathway Leads will arrange and hold the NWSSDTP Pathway Panel to review all pathway nominees (cross-institution) on week commencing 24 February 2025. The outcomes of each panel will be communicated to the Doctoral Academy Admissions team, to keep track of decisions.
7. Following these panels, Pathway Leads submit the top ranked applications to the NWSSDTP Allocation Committee, and notify the Doctoral Academy Admissions team of the nominations no later than 3 March 2025.
8. The Doctoral Academy Admissions team will contact candidates not nominated for the Allocation Committee and inform them of the unsuccessful outcome.
9. On week commmencing 20-21 March 2025, the NWSSDTP Allocation Committee will take place. This will be attended by the NWSSDTP team, Institutional Leads, and administrative support for each institution. In this committee, Pathway Representatives discuss their shortlist of candidates and the nomination process, and the studentships are allocated accordingly.
10. Applicants who are submitted to the NWSSDTP Allocation Committee will be notified of the outcome (successful, reserve or unsuccessful) by the NWSSDTP team by 24 March 2025.
11. The Doctoral Academy Admissions team issues funding letters to ESRC NWSSDTP studentship awardees.