Apply to the SWDTP
Studentships at the University of Bristol
The South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP), part of the Economic and Social Research (ESRC), offers fourteen disciplinary pathways spanning the social sciences alongside four innovative interdisciplinary pathways.
Fully funded studentships are available at the University of Bristol.
Applicants may apply to one or more pathways but please note the ESRC's eligibility criteria for overseas and EU students.
Students applying for ESRC funded scholarships must speak to their chosen school prior to application in order to discuss their research ideas with a suitable supervisor.
Students are encouraged to look at ways of incorporating collaboration with external partners into their research proposal. Collaboration does not always have to be a financial arrangement and could take the form of a placement, voluntary work, data sharing or other payment in kind opportunities.
Students considering overseas fieldwork, overseas institutional visits or difficult language training should mention this in their application where possible.
Applicants should read the full T&Cs of the studentship prior to their application.
How to apply
You must hold an offer from the University of Bristol before applying for an ESRC studentship.
1. Apply to the University of Bristol
Before applying for an ESRC studentship, students must first apply to the University of Bristol for their desired programme using the University of Bristol's online portal.
The deadline for applications is 1st December 2026 12:00 noon.
In the university application, students need to indicate that they wish to be considered for the ESRC studentship in the "fees and funding" section.
2. Apply for the ESRC studentship
On receipt of an offer for your programme from the University of Bristol, students are required to complete the SWDTP application.
The full SWDTP application must be emailed to the PGR Admissions Team (uob-pgradmissions@bristol.ac.uk), including "SWDTP application" in the email subject.
The deadline for applications is 12th January 2027, 12:00 noon.
Contacts
Any general enquiries relating to the SWDTP or queries regarding your application should be directed to the PGR Admissions Team (uob-pgradmissions@bristol.ac.uk), including "SWDTP application" in the email subject.