PhD Studentship: Governance and Accountability Research Group

College of Business and Law at the University of the West of England in Bristol invites applications for a fully funded PhD studentship with Governance and Accountability Research Group

Start date: 1  April 2026

Governance and Accountability Research Group (GARG) invites applications for a PhD studentship. Proposed projects should examine innovation signalling and its influence on equity crowdfunding campaigns amongst British SMEs.

Equity crowdfunding is an increasingly important source of entrepreneurial finance, yet how investors interpret innovation signals, their quality, and credibility remains unclear. Proposed project may focus on investigating financial indicators, narrative framing, visual cues, such as R&D activity, patent disclosures, and campaign storytelling in relation to investor decisions.

The study will be set within the post-2016 regulatory framework shaped by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which strengthened disclosure and investor protection in the UK crowdfunding market. Project proposals should assume utilisation of data from Crowdcube, Seedrs, and firm-level sources such as Companies House and Beauhurst, and consider use of natural language processing, computer vision, and explainable machine learning to analyse campaign text, imagery, and investment outcomes. While experience in analytics or programming is desirable, training and supervision will be provided. Applicants should demonstrate strong analytical skills and motivation to develop quantitative and computational expertise.

For general enquiries about the project proposal contact Dr Yan Zen (yan.zeng@uwe.ac.uk)

Students at the College benefit from comprehensive support and guidance from the Doctoral Academy, including extensive professional development programme and research skills training. Find out more at www.uwe.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-study/about-the-graduate-school

Funding details

The studentship is available from 1^st April 2026 for 3 years, subject to satisfactory progress, and includes a tax-exempt stipend of £20780 per annum, and full-time home/international fees.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must have at least 2.1 degree in accounting, finance, economics or a cognate discipline; demonstrable strong analytical and writing skills, and preferably Masters degree (with average programme mark of no less than 65%, UK grading scale/international equivalent).

A recognised English language qualification is required. IELTS score of 7.0 overall, or equivalent.

Application

1. Prepare your research proposal – maximum 5 pages all-inclusive; font size 11, 1.5-spacing, 2-inch margins. Indicative contents: research context/rationale, literature review, research focus/objectives/research questions, proposed methodology, expected contribution of the project. Development of research proposal should happen in consultation with the potential supervisor. You should contact potential supervisor with an advanced draft of the proposal to confirm they are willing to support your application.
2. Submit your application online

Documentation: you will need to upload your research proposal, degree certificates and transcripts and proof of English language proficiency as attachments to your application.

References: you will need to provide details of two referees as part of your application. At least one referee must be an academic from the institution that conferred your highest degree. Please ensure your nominated referees are able to provide references within 14 days of your application. 

Closing date

Closing date for applications: 18 January 2026; 6pm (UK)

Further information

Interviews will take place online in February. If you have not heard from us by 28 February 2026 – thank you for your application but on this occasion you have not been successful.

Queries about the studentship - please contact Paweł Capik; pawel.capik@uwe.ac.uk  

Queries about project proposal – please contact Yan Zen; yan.zeng@uwe.ac.uk

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