PhD Studentship: An Intersectional Analysis of Unpaid Care

The ESRC Centre for Care is pleased to offer a PhD studentship based in the Department of Sociological Studies. The Centre is led by investigators in five universities, three major charities and the Office for National Statistics, and works in close partnership with a large network of partners and leading international research teams, co-producing its research with people who need care, carers, care workers and others.

We believe that a diverse and supportive environment, bringing varied perspectives to our work and allowing people to blossom, is the best platform for excellent research. We actively encourage applications from those who share these values, and we especially welcome applications from disabled people and individuals with Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic and Refugee backgrounds.

This PhD will focus on the intersectionality of unpaid care, with scope to explore the profile of care and caring, wellbeing outcomes, and the impact of support; and how these vary over time and place. The research will be conducted using a range of advanced quantitative methods on large-scale nationally representative data that track individuals over time and capture changes in life circumstances, unpaid caregiving and wellbeing outcomes. This work will provide insights into important inequalities in care and caring trajectories according to these characteristics and establish an evidence base for support and interventions. The findings will provide policy makers and practitioners with evidence to better understand the implications of unpaid caring and care on inequalities.

The successful student will be supervised by Professor Matt Bennett and Dr. Andy Bell. Interested candidates should contact Prof Bennett (m.r.bennett@sheffield.ac.uk).

Please apply through the University of Sheffield Postgraduate Application System; select CFC002 as the programme for which you are applying. Your research proposal will not be considered if you do not apply for admission. For further information and resources on the application process and how to write a PhD application please click here. The research proposal is a section on the admissions system that can be completed at any point. However, we recommend that applicants submit their application to study with us as soon as possible.

Your application should include:

• 1,000 - 2,000-word research proposal
• Supporting statement / cover letter
• Transcripts (previous qualifications)
• Two academic references
• CV
• Example of your written work.

The deadline is 6 March 2023.

The studentship is offered as a 3.5 year award (commencing September 2023), on a full-time or part-time basis. Applicants should have a strong first degree (2:1) in a relevant social science discipline, experience of using quantitative research methods, and a Masters-level degree in a social sciences discipline with full social sciences research methods training (or equivalent professional training).

The studentship offers the following, for one home fee paying student:

• Full tuition fees at the Home rate (minimum £4,596 per year, pro rata for part-time students)
• An annual maintenance grant for 3.5 years, at the standard RCUK rate (minimum £17,668 per year for your living costs, paid in regular instalments, also pro rata for part-time students)
• A Research and Training Support Grant worth £750 per year.

Advert information