JIC Davies Doctoral Studentship in English

An award is available within the Department of English for a Global Majority candidate wishing to undertake PhD research in English Literature, English Language, Creative Writing or TESOL. The award covers fees at the home rate and maintenance.

Recognising that our PGR cohort does not reflect the diversity of the UK population, the JIC Davies Doctoral Studentship in English is designed to provide assistance with fees and maintenance for a Global Majority PhD candidate. The successful candidate will be based full time in the Department of English in the field of English Language, English Literature, or Creative Writing, for up to 36 months. The successful applicant should be eligible for Home fees, have a proven track record of academic excellence, and already show the potential to be an outstanding academic researcher. Applicants should also have clear ideas about how their work might be brought to audiences within the discipline, in other cognate disciplines, and outside the academy. Eligibility for the award is dependent on having been accepted on to a PhD programme in English or Creative Writing at the University of Liverpool by the closing date, with a programme start date of October 2025. Applications to the PhD programme should be submitted at least a fortnight before the studentship deadline i.e. 8 April 2025, and applicants are encouraged to speak to potential supervisors about their proposed projects. For further information regarding our PhD programmes, see https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/english/study/postgraduate-research/. This 3-year JIC Davies Doctoral Studentship cannot be held in conjunction with any other funding from the AHRC, the ESRC, or any other external funding body. Funding will not be extended beyond 36 months.

The Department of English recognises that UK ethnic minority communities are currently under-represented on its programmes, and this PhD studentship is one of the initiatives through which the department is seeking to diversify its student body. This is in alignment with the University’s commitment to diversity and equality, including signing up to Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter. Applicants should be British citizens (or hold permanent resident status in the UK) and be a Global Majority candidate.

 The studentship comes with an expected commitment of up to 3 hours a week of teaching for which payment will be made in addition to the stipend. The holder must be available to attend teacher training dates in early September if they wish to take up the opportunity to teach in the first year of their studentship. The studentship also offers the opportunity to contribute to activities such as Widening Participation. The PGR student will be provided with a departmental mentor to guide these activities, and the student will also benefit from the department’s Graduate Teaching Assistant training programme. Applicants should expect to be called for interview as part of the application process; interviews are expected to take place in the week commencing 12 May 2025.

Funding

Home Tuition Fees paid, plus a living allowance at the UK Research and Innovation Council rate (£19,237 in 2024-25)

We understand that budgeting during your research is important, and we want to make sure you understand any project-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery. Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this project.

Who is this degree for?

Applicants will be Global Majority candidates holding British Citizenship or permanent resident status. They will be expected to have been awarded a good Honours degree (First Class or Upper Second Class) and a Masters degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject. Alternative qualifications and/or relevant experience may also be considered.

Enquiries

Enquiries regarding our PhD programmes and the admissions process to: Professor Sarah Peverley (S.Peverley@liverpool.ac.uk) for English Literature and Creative Writing; and Dr Emma Moreton for English Language and TESOL (Emma.Moreton@liverpool.ac.uk). Informal enquiries regarding the studentship to: Professor Greg Lynall (gjlynall@liverpool.ac.uk)

How to Apply

Prepare your application documents 

To support your application, you will need to submit the following to the application portal:

• BA & MA award certificates (or evidence of equivalent professional experience)
• BA & MA transcripts
• (If applicable) English language certificate (IELTS minimum overall 7.0, no component below 7.0) or accepted equivalent
• Two references (ideally both should be academic references)
• CV
• Passport details
• 1,500-word research proposal

In addition, you will need to email pgarts@liverpool.ac.uk with the following:

• 500-word description of previous research training/experience and envisaged training needs

Please put ‘JIC Davies Studentship Supporting Documents’ in the title of your email to pgarts@liverpool.ac.uk

Please contact pgarts@liverpool.ac.uk for any issues relating to the application portal.

Apply

Finally, register and apply online. You’ll receive an email acknowledgment once you’ve submitted your application. We’ll be in touch with further details about what happens next.

Applications to the PhD programme in the Department of English should be submitted by 8 April 2025. Please apply via https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/

All supporting documents required for the studentship application will then need to be received by 22 April 2025.