The South and East Network for Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (SENSS) has opened its Collaborative Supervisor-led Competition, inviting eligible academic supervisors to develop research proposals with external partners for funded doctoral studentships beginning in October 2027.
The competition offers up to eight ring-fenced collaborative studentships. Supervisors are expected to work with a non-Higher Education Institution partner, such as a business, government organisation or third-sector organisation, to develop a research project that will be undertaken by a doctoral researcher.
The opportunity is particularly relevant to academics working across social science disciplines and the six interdisciplinary SENSS themes.
What Is the SENSS Collaborative Supervisor-Led Competition?
The competition is designed for primary supervisors who have a research question or project idea that can be developed jointly with an external collaborative partner.
Under the scheme, the supervisor develops a research proposal together with the partner and submits it to SENSS for consideration. If selected, the project will subsequently be used to recruit a doctoral student who will undertake the research as part of a funded studentship.
SENSS states that the annual supervisor-led collaborative competition will reopen in mid-August for studentships starting in October 2027.
Who Can Be a Collaborative Partner?
The collaborative partner must be a non-Higher Education Institution (non-HEI). Eligible partners can include:
- Businesses and private-sector organisations
- Government organisations
- Non-governmental and third-sector organisations
- Other relevant organisations outside higher education
The external partner must make either a financial or in-kind contribution to the studentship. SENSS particularly encourages supervisors to seek a financial contribution, with contributions of up to 50% potentially strengthening the competition entry.
This collaborative model allows doctoral research to connect academic expertise with organisations that can provide practical knowledge, research access, data, networks or other forms of support.
Research Themes and Areas
Proposed projects must be based primarily within one of the six SENSS interdisciplinary themes. The themes include:
- Advanced Methods for Social and Economic Research
- Digital Social Sciences
- Health, Wellbeing and Social Care
- Justice, Institutions and Social Change
- Resolving Uncertainty and Addressing Crises
- Sustainability and Climate Emergency
The supplied SENSS information also highlights a broad range of ESRC-supported social science disciplines, including economics, education, environmental planning, human geography, management and business studies, politics and international studies, psychology, social policy, sociology, social statistics and methods, social work, and science and technology studies.
For ESRC proposals, the social sciences must account for more than 50% of the overall research focus and effort, even where a project incorporates other disciplines.
What Will SENSS Assess?
Applications are assessed according to several core considerations. These include the quality of the research proposal and collaboration, the suitability of the project for doctoral studentship training, and the quality of the training that will be provided to the successful doctoral researcher.
Supervisors should therefore demonstrate not only a strong research question but also how collaboration with the external organisation will contribute meaningfully to the doctoral project and researcher development.
Application Requirements
Applicants should prepare their proposal through the SENSS online application process. The competition information indicates that supervisors will need to provide supporting material as part of the submission.
This includes a letter of support from the collaborative partner. Supervisors must also upload a draft student advert and marketing plan. SENSS provides templates and guidance for these documents and will work with successful applicants to finalise recruitment materials.
Potential applicants can also access guidance documents, previous successful applications, a competition policy document, application-flow information and webinar resources through the SENSS competition page.
Who Can Apply?
The opportunity is intended for primary supervisors at SENSS partner universities who are eligible to submit projects within the relevant SENSS theme.
SENSS partner universities include:
- City St George’s, University of London
- Cranfield University
- University of East Anglia
- University of Essex
- Goldsmiths, University of London
- University of Lincoln
- Middlesex University
- University of Roehampton
Supervisors must ensure that their home university is a member of the SENSS theme under which the proposed project is being submitted.
Important Dates
The current supervisor-led collaborative competition is intended to support a doctoral studentship commencing in October 2027. SENSS indicates that the annual competition reopens in mid-August.
The organisation has also scheduled information webinars to help supervisors understand the application process and proposal requirements. The competition page lists webinars held on 11 August 2026 and 16 September 2026, with relevant recordings and registration information available through SENSS.
Supervisors considering an application should consult the official competition guidance for the latest submission deadline and requirements before preparing their proposal.
How to Apply
Interested supervisors should first identify an appropriate research question and non-HEI collaborative partner. The supervisor and partner should then develop the research proposal, establish the proposed contribution of the partner and prepare the required supporting documents.
Applications are submitted through the SENSS online application system. The official competition page provides the application route, guidance for supervisors, templates, previous successful applications and additional information.
Supervisors with questions that are not answered in the guidance can contact the SENSS Director, Professor Fragkiskos Filippaios, at the contact address provided on the competition page.
Why This Opportunity Matters for Supervisors
The collaborative studentship model provides a structured route for academics to develop doctoral research with organisations outside higher education. Successful projects can bring together academic research, external-sector expertise and doctoral training around a clearly defined social science research challenge.
Supervisors interested in developing a project for an October 2027 funded PhD studentship should begin discussions with potential collaborative partners and review the SENSS requirements before submitting their proposal.
Official application and full competition guidance: SENSS Collaborative Supervisor-led Competition
