Fully Funded PhD within the School of Law and Social Sciences

The School of Law and Social Sciences at Aston University invites applications for a fully funded PhD studentship starting in October 2026. The studentship provides a full tuition fee waiver and a stipend at the standard UKRI rate for three years. The School of Law and Social Sciences strives to be a vibrant, inclusive and collaborative community which produces rigorous, world-leading research in applied social sciences, law, English language and literature, and history. Our research shapes academic thinking, influences policies, contributes to solving societal problems and informs our teaching. It is connected to our region even as it influences national and international debate, and builds capacity through knowledge exchange in public and third sector organisations. We welcome applications from outstanding candidates proposing original, innovative and methodologically rigorous research projects that align with the School’s areas of research excellence. Proposals may be situated within, or across, any of the disciplines represented in the School, including Criminology, English, History, International Relations, Law, Politics, and/or Sociology. Applicants are particularly encouraged to develop projects that connect with the School’s vibrant research environment and its specialist research centres, including the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics, the Aston Centre for Europe, the Centre for Health and Society, the Centre for Migration and Forced Displacement, the Research Centre for the Humanities, and the Research Centre on Radicalisation, Inclusion and Social Equity.

International applicants are welcome to apply for this position.

This project covers all tuition fees and includes an annual stipend.

Please note that the successful candidate will be responsible for any costs relating to moving to Birmingham and/or visiting the Aston campus. International students must meet the financial requirements for the visa, flights, and NHS Surcharge. Applicants should be confident that they can meet these costs before applying.

Further information can be found by visiting our Financial Requirements page.

The successful applicant should hold, or expect to achieve:

A First or Upper Second Class Honours undergraduate degree, and a Masters degree with Merit or Distinction, both in relevant subjects.

Qualifications from overseas institutions will be considered, but performance must be equivalent to that described above, and the University reserves the right to ascertain this equivalence according to its own criteria.

We can only consider applications that are complete and have all supporting documents. Applications that do not provide all the relevant documents will be automatically rejected. Your application must include:

1. English language copies of the transcripts and certificates for all your higher education degrees, including any Bachelor degrees.
2. A Research Statement detailing your understanding of the research area, how you would approach the project, and a brief review of relevant literature. Be sure to use the title of the research project you are applying for. There is no set format or word count.
3. A personal statement which outlines any further information which you think is relevant to your application, such as your personal suitability for research, career aspirations, possible future research interests, and further description of relevant employment experience.
4. A Curriculum Vitae (Resume) which details your education and work history.
5. Two academic referees who can discuss your suitability for independent research. References must be on headed paper, signed and dated no more than 2 years old. At least one reference should be from your most recent University. You can submit your references at a later date if necessary.
6. Evidence that you meet the English Language requirements. If you do not currently meet the language requirements, you can submit this at a later stage.
7. A copy of your passport. Where relevant, include evidence of settled or pre-settled status.

Please contact Dr Katie Tonkiss, k.tonkiss@aston.ac.uk, for more information or for an informal discussion

This position will be based on the Aston Campus in Birmingham, UK. The successful candidate will need to be located within a reasonable distance of the campus, and will be expected to visit in person regularly.

Interviews will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. If you are shortlisted, you will be contacted directly with details of the interview.

Apply for this position

Alternatively, apply here

If you require further information about the application process, please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team.