Economics: Fully funded ESRC Wales Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) PhD Scholars[...]

Swansea University; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent UK university is offering a full-time PhD studentship in Economics starting from 1 October 2026. This position provides an excellent research environment, access to workshops, and funding covering tuition fees and a stipend of £20,780. It is open to both home and international students, fostering diverse academic backgrounds. The successful candidate will engage with leading academics and contribute to impactful research in Economics.

Benefits

Tuition fees coverage

Annual tax-free living stipend

Research Training Support Grant

Qualifications

• Qualifications or experience equal to an honours degree at a first or upper second-class level.
• Non-traditional academic backgrounds welcome.

Responsibilities

• Engage in high-quality research in various fields of Economics.
• Participate in PhD seminars and workshops.
• Collaborate with leading academics.

Skills

Research skills

Economic analysis

Presentation skills

Ability to work independently

Education

Honours degree or master's from a UK academic research organisation

Job description

Organisation/Company: Swansea University Department, Central Research Field: Economics, Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1), Positions: PhD Positions, Country: United Kingdom, Application Deadline: 11 Dec 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/London), Type of Contract: Temporary, Job Status: Full-time, Hours Per Week: 35, Offer Starting Date: 1 Oct 2026.

Offer Description

In the current times of global challenges, high-quality research in Economics is more important than ever. The pathway brings together the distinctive expertise and track record of research excellence in three institutions – Cardiff, Bangor and Swansea. While producing outstanding research in all fields of Economics, the Department of Economics at Swansea has a particularly strong research record in macroeconomics, applied microeconomics, energy economics and regional economics, and serves as a key partner in the pan-institutional Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD). Furthermore, the department is home to the Centre for Research in Macroeconomics and Macro-Finance (CReMMF) and the Centre for Applied Microeconomics (CAM), which bring together leading academics in these fields from across the UK and beyond.

The pathway offers a rich research environment for its students across the locations, including presentations at PhD seminars, attendance of/presentations at regular faculty research workshops, frequent external speaker seminars, access to research events, Wales-wide research colloquia held at the University of Wales conference centre in mid-Wales, and major international conferences.

CReMMF hosts an online seminar series in Macroeconomics as a forum for discussions with external academics affiliated with the Centre. In addition, Bangor sponsors the International Accounting and Finance Doctoral Symposium, and Cardiff hosts the annual Welsh Postgraduate Research Conference in Business/Management and Economics, providing research students and early career researchers the opportunity to present their work to leading international academics in a supportive yet demanding environment.

Eligibility and Funding

To receive WGSSS studentship funding, you must have qualifications or experience equal to an honours degree at a first or upper second-class level, or a masters from a UK academic research organisation. Students with non-traditional academic backgrounds are also welcome to apply.

WGSSS studentships are available to home and international students. Up to 30% of our cohort can comprise international students. International students will not be charged the fee difference between the UK and international rate. Applicants should satisfy the UKRI eligibility requirements.

Note for international and European applicants: details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.

Additional Information

The studentship funded by the ESRC covers tuition fees and an annual tax-free living stipend in line with UKRI minimum rates (currently £20,780 for 2025/26). Students also have access to a Research Training Support Grant.

Please see our website for further information on the selection process.