PhD Studentship: Economics: ESRC Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS)

In the current times of global challenges, high-quality research in Economics is more important than ever. The pathway brings together the distinctive expertise and track record of research excellence in three institutions – Cardiff, Bangor and Swansea. While producing outstanding research in all fields of Economics, the Department of Economics at Swansea has a particularly strong research record in macroeconomics, applied microeconomics, energy economics and regional economics, and serves as a key partner in the pan-institutional Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD). Furthermore, the department is home to the Centre for Research in Macroeconomics and Macro-Finance (CReMMF) and the Centre for Applied Microeconomics (CAM), which bring together leading academics in these fields from across the UK and beyond. 

The pathway offers a rich research environment for its students across the locations, including: presentations at PhD seminars; attendance of/presentations at regular faculty research workshops; frequent external speaker seminars; access to research events; Wales-wide research colloquia held at the University of Wales conference centre in mid-Wales; major international conferences. For instance, in addition to a weekly external research seminar in Economics at Swansea, CReMMF hosts an online seminar series in Macroeconomics as a forum for discussions with external academics affiliated with the Centre. 

In the wider pathway beyond Swansea, Bangor sponsors the International Accounting and Finance Doctoral Symposium (together with the Universities of Leeds, Bradford, Strathclyde, Queensland, Salamanca, and Bologna), and Cardiff hosts the annual Welsh Postgraduate Research Conference in Business/Management and Economics, providing research students and early career researchers the opportunity to present their work to leading international academics in a supportive yet demanding environment. 

We will encourage and facilitate joint supervision across institutions where appropriate. Cohort-building is supported via an annual student-led doctoral conference. This includes the full cohort of Economics DTP students plus those funded by other internal and external means.

Funding Details

The studentship funded by the ESRC covers tuition fees and an annual tax-free living stipend in line with UKRI minimum rates (currently £21,805 for 2026/27).

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