PhD opportunity: Democratic finance, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland

Regional Studies Association; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 17,000; Full time

Job summary

The Regional Studies Association is offering a PhD studentship at Glasgow Caledonian University, funded through the ESRC. This research opportunity focuses on the transformative potential of democratic finance, aiming to understand its implications for local communities and the wider financial landscape, starting in the academic year 2025/26.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on democratic finance in Scotland.
• Explore community bonds and shares and their impact on local challenges.

Education

Master’s degree (optional)

Job description

Location Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland

A studentship funded by the ESRC through the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) is open for applications.

The exciting PhD opportunity will explore the transformative potential of democratic finance – Community Bonds and Community Shares – in Scotland. This new form of finance creates citizen investors by harnessing and investing the financial resources of local communities into democratically governed social and/or community enterprises to address local challenges. However, it is not known how different stakeholders conceptualise this new economic space and whether and how it could bring positive change within communities and the broader financial sector.

This PhD will identify the diversity of democratic finance in Scotland. In doing so, it will gain insight into the reality of the social, political and economic context in which these alternative economic spaces exist that may facilitate or hinder their transformative potential.

The studentship offers applicants the opportunity to undertake a supervisor-led pre-designed PhD research project, starting in the academic year 2025/26. It is open to those with and without a Master’s degree.

The award is subject to the successful candidate securing admission to a PhD programme at Glasgow Caledonian University.

The application deadline is 5pm on June 24th.