PhD Studentship - Employment in the UK Care Sector

The ESRC Centre for Care is pleased to offer a PhD studentship based in the Department of Economics. 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.

The PhD will focus on employment in the UK care sector. Its applied research will draw on labour and health economics to explore topics relating to the care workforce. Topics could include occupational choice (i.e. choosing to work in the sector), job satisfaction and wellbeing among care workers, recruitment issues in the sector, and pay. It will use data sources such as Understanding Society and the Labour Force Survey. Its findings will provide policymakers and practitioners with evidence to better understand employment in the sector.

The successful student will be supervised by Professor Karl Taylor and Dr Daniel Gray. The supervisory team also includes Tom Hunt (SPERI and Centre for Care). Interested candidates should contact Professor Taylor (k.b.taylor@sheffield.ac.uk).

How to apply

Please apply through the University of Sheffield Postgraduate Application System; select CFC003 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 thesis proposal. Details of what the proposal should contain can be found here.
• Supporting statement/cover letter
• Transcripts (previous qualifications)
• Two academic references
• CV
• Example of your written work

The deadline for applications is 6^th March 2023.

The studentship is offered as a 3.5 year award (commencing September 2023), on a full-time or part-time basis. A strong economics background is essential. Applicants should have, or expect to obtain a Masters degree with Merit (or international equivalent) and have a 2:1 or 1st class honours degree in an appropriate subject.

All applicants must have competent spoken and written English. Applicants whose first language is not English and who do not hold a degree from an English-speaking university will need to take an English language test. The scores currently required are: 6.5 in IELTS with at least 6 in each component and 90 in the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT).

The studentship covers:

• Full tuition fees at the Home rate (minimum £4,596 per year)
• 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), pro rata for a part-time student

A Research and Training Support Grant worth £750 per year.

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