Training Requirements

In addition to developing expertise in your subject specialism, the ESRC requires that funded students receive well-rounded research skills training that extends beyond the specific research methods that are central to your specialist doctoral project.

We use a specially developed Development Needs Analysis, which will help you identify the training you need in conversation with your supervisors. Both the 1+3.5 and +3.5 Studentship application forms will ask you to outline your existing and proposed research skills training, and students successfully recruited to CASE Studentships will also have their training backgrounds and development needs assessed.

Research Skills Training falls under four headings:

1. Conceptual – includes research design, interdisciplinary research, research methods (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods), open science principles, among other things.

2. General Research Skills – includes, among other things, project management, EDI principles, literature review and language skills.

3. Specialist – includes knowledge of and expertise in applying relevant qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research methods

4. Research in Practice – includes, among other things, entrepreneurship and leadership, communicating to non-academic audiences, and developing networks.

If you are successful in your application for a 1+3.5 studentship, LISS DTP will work with you to ensure that you receive adequate core research skills training required by the ESRC. Further information on the ESRC’s postgraduate training and development requirements can be found here.

If you are successful in your application for a +3.5 studentship, and have already undertaken a Masters degree, but do not have core level training to ESRC standards, LISS DTP will work with you to arrange any necessary training. Most of this training will happen during the first year of doctoral study (or second year if you are part-time). You will have access to a range of Masters level programmes run at our three institutions and to LISS DTP’s own doctoral level training programme to cover your additional training needs.

If you have not already taken a Masters by the time you start your PhD, you will normally be expected to apply for a 1+3.5 studentship and undertake a Masters as part of this.

If you have taken a Masters that you and your proposed supervisors do not think supports the doctoral research you propose to undertake, you may also apply for a 1+3.5 studentship.

We assess each application on its individual merits and based on the information provided in the application. If, after reviewing the information provided here and the ESRC Postgraduate Training and Development Guidelines, you have any questions about this, please contact the LISS DTP Deputy Director for Training and Cohort Development, Professor Lasse Thomassen at lasse.thomassen@kcl.ac.uk.