ESRC Quota Awards for 2008-09
In 2007-08 Goldsmiths Sociology received 6 quota awards for the next three years from the ESRC. This means that this year we will be offering 2 awards for 2008-09.
We welcome applications from well qualified students for either the +3 (MPhil/PhD, 3 years) or 1+3 (MA in Social Research plus MPhil/Phd ) check the ESRC website esrc.ac.uk full details of the different schemes).
Goldsmiths CSISP Centre may have one postgraduate award (details on Sociology website and from m.rosengarten).
(The AHRC will announce its MA/PhD funding early in Feb 2009.)
Quota awards are processed and awarded from the Department. The following procedures will apply:
The final date for Departmental Applications is 1 Feb 2009. The interview for shortlisted candidates will be week beginning 16 Feb 2008.
If you are interested in applying to the department there are 2 different routes:
- 1+3 (for four years research funding in order to complete research training, the MA in Social Research, then 3 years on MPhil/PhD)
- Or if you have already completed a RECOGNISED (by the ESRC) MA research training course, you can apply for +3 (3 years research funding). (Use the ESRC website to check if your MA is recognised – if not you will have to take the MASR). In exceptional circumstances other research training is allowed (but check ESRC regulations).
You must have submitted a Goldsmiths MPhil/PhD application form to proceed to ESRC application stage (see below).
The department works to ESRC criteria, which includes:
- good first degree ( high 2:1 or 1st)
- good second degree (distinction at MA)
- good supervisor/s match with research topic
- good match to research groupings within the department
- proposal (max 2 page)
- personal statement (1 page)
- good references (neither from the proposed supervisor)
The following guidelines outline the procedure and it is best to collate all relevant information and work on proposal outline and personal statement as soon as possible.
- You must have applied and been accepted by the Department before your application for funding can be considered (application forms downloadable (UNDER ‘HOW TO APPLY’ PhD) or available from Postgraduate office or Bridget Ward, Postgraduate Research Administrator in the Department).
- You need to locate a supervisor/s with whose work you are familiar, whose ideas you respect and from whom you are prepared to take direction. The departmental website and the Postgraduate Tutor (Monica Greco) can help with this. If possible it is best to arrange a meeting with prospective supervisor/s to see if supervision is a possibility. Some staff may already have a full complement of PhD students. Supervisors have to provide a letter of support so it makes sense if they are familiar with your proposal.
- Draft a proposal to present to the prospective supervisor so that you have the basis for a discussion and they can see your background in the area proposed. This proposal can be worked on with the supervisor if agreement over supervision is reached. A proposal should include at least: background to area, research question/s to be investigated, methodological outline of how research question/s will be investigated, and bibliography.
(The Goldsmiths application form requests a proposal and personal statement outline, you can submit a draft version on the form and hand in the final version to replace this on Feb 1)
- Draft a personal statement about why you want to do the research
- Make sure your referees are prepared to write you a good reference
- Collect any transcripts that are required
If you have any queries that cannot be answered by the ESRC website please contact Bev Skeggs (b.skeggs), or Monica Greco (m.greco) office hours 11-12 on Tuesday or by appointment; for administrative matters at department level, Bridget Ward (b.ward). For University level postgraduate administrative matters, e.g. funding, contact Padraig O’Connor (p.oconnor). For international student queries contact International Office.