Economic and Social Research Council - ESRC Grand Union DTP - Digital Social Science Pathway

What the studentship gives you

You get a living-cost grant of about 24,900 EUR per year (20,780 GBP for 2025/26), paid tax-free, plus your full tuition fees for the whole funding period. The money comes from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) through the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership, a joint scheme of the University of Oxford, Brunel University London and the Open University. This Digital Social Science pathway sits at Oxford's Internet Institute and funds PhD research on the internet, AI, big data, online behaviour and social data science. The award runs for 3.5 years if you go straight into the doctorate, or 4.5 years if you first do a one-year MSc and then move on to the PhD. You can also draw on extra pots for fieldwork, conference trips and a required 3-month work placement.

Who can apply

• Degree: You have at least a good UK bachelor's honours degree (First or Upper Second Class), or an equivalent qualification from another country.
• Master's: Not required. If you already hold a social sciences master's, you apply straight for the doctoral route. If not, the funded MSc year is included.
• Field: Your research fits digital social science, for example internet technologies, AI, big data, online behaviour or social data science.
• Where you study: You do the PhD in the UK, at Oxford's Internet Institute. Short research trips or conferences abroad are fine.
• Nationality: UK and international applicants can both apply. At most 30% of places each year go to international students, so those spots are more contested.
• Study mode: Full-time, or part-time at least half-time with funding adjusted. Part-time is generally only for students who do not need a visa.

How to apply

You apply to the University of Oxford for a matching PhD (or MSc) programme and name "ESRC Grand Union DTP Studentships in Social Sciences" in the funding section. Attach the Grand Union application form and your CV, all by the funding deadline of your chosen programme. The pathway then nominates its strongest candidates to a partnership-wide panel. The panel scores four things equally: your academic and work background, your suitability and potential, your research proposal, and your plan for real-world impact. Decisions usually start from late March, with most offers in April.

How realistic are your chances?

The partnership awards about 35 studentships a year across more than 20 pathways, so a single pathway takes only a small share and the competition is real. A sharp research proposal on a clearly digital-social-science topic, backed by relevant experience, is what carries you through the panel. If you are an international applicant, the 30% cap makes those places noticeably harder to win.