North West is largest centre for social science PhD training

The largest centre in England for social science postgraduate training has been established at the Universities of Manchester, Lancaster and Liverpool. The North West Doctoral Training Centre (NWDTC) is one of 21 in the UK, created by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and will provide PhD students with access to quality research training in social science disciplines. The Universities are now guaranteed a total of 63 new postgraduate studentships per year to support research and training at doctoral level. This will amount to more than £15 million of investment over the next five years. Studentships will be available across the full range of social science disciplines, including areas such as Geography, Economics and Psychology. The ESRC has also identified particular areas of study that would benefit from further development across the UK including subjects such as Language Based Area Studies, Economics, and Management and Business Studies. A number of studentships will be set aside for these particular areas to help ensure that social sciences continue to contribute to the development of society and the economy.