ESRC-Funded PhD Studentships in Economics

Department of Economics, Lancaster University Management School

The Department invites applications for two ESRC-funded PhD studentships. The post-holders will engage in 3 year, full-time, Economics PhD training from October 1, 2023. The successful candidates will need to have a familiarity with causal estimation methods and will be expected to develop skills and experience in research that uses large and complex administrative datasets – for example in machine learning methods.

The Economics PhD programme at Lancaster is aimed at high-calibre students who wish to pursue a research career in academia, government, research organisations, international and third sector organisations, or in consultancy/business. Applicants should normally have, or be on track to obtain, an MSc degree in Economics - but candidates from wider quantitative medical of social science backgrounds could be considered.

The Department is an independent self-contained department within LUMS, and LUMS is a world-ranked management school that has a reputation for outstanding research. In the UK’s latest Research Excellence Framework, REF 2021, 90% of our research was rated world leading or internationally excellent and we were rated as first for Research Power – recognising the breadth and depth of our work.

The quality of our PhD programme is high - our PhD graduates obtain skills and research experience that reflect, and demonstrate, our commitment to high-quality research. Many former students have published their research in the most prestigious journals, and they can be found in professional economist roles in quality institutions around the globe – the majority in academic positions.

As our PhD student, you will have access to advanced research training courses offered by the Department and by the ESRC-funded North-West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP). You will enjoy close supervision by a group of well-established and highly qualified faculty members. Specialist training will be sources externally where appropriate.

Furthermore, you will be expected to participate in many departmental activities such as our internal/external/PhD seminar series, subject-specific reading groups and departmental workshops and conferences. There will be opportunities to present your own work within the research group, and the departmental internal workshops. We strongly encourage, and fully fund, presentations at national and international levels. Thera are opportunities to gain training in teaching and teaching experience.

Successful applicants will acquire knowledge and skills in economics, through initial coursework and continuing training, and a mix of single and co-authored research papers - so as to be able to launch a career, academic or otherwise, in the fields of health economics or family economics.

The two ESRC studentships are outlined below. While the two projects each have broad objectives, there is flexibility for the student to diversify the portfolio of activity around these objectives We aim to co-design the details of the project with the successful candidates. 

1. Project Title: Early Maternal Health Behaviours and Later Child Outcomes

Primary Supervisor:                  Professor Ian Walker

Secondary Supervisor:             DrMaria Navarro Paniagua

This project is concerned with the (causal) effect of early maternal health behaviours on long term educational outcomes. We are contemplating work on drinking/smoking while pregnant, breastfeeding, and Muslim mothers experiencing Ramadan while pregnant. The project could, depending on supervision arrangements, be based in the Division of Health Research in the Faculty of Health and Medicine if the successful candidate desires.

2. Project Title: The Long Term Outcomes of Children in Care

Primary Supervisor:                  Professor Ian Walker

Secondary Supervisor:             Dr Maria Navarro Paniagua

This project is concerned with the (causal) effect of being a “looked after child” on long term outcomes. The work will also involve collaboration with Dr Charlotte Edney at the Nuffield Observatory for Family Justice in London – and the successful might wish to be based in London for part of the period of study. The NOFJ is a new interdisciplinary research centre and there would be an expectation of engagement with researchers in other disciplines apart from Economics. 

How to apply?

Informal enquiries can be addressed to [email protected]

Applications should be made only through the Economics Department PhD application portal - https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/postgraduate-courses/economics-phd/  

Applicants should provide a Personal Statement, which outlines your background, suitability and  motivation - and mentions that you are applying for one/both of these ESRC-funded post(s).

If only applying for one of the positions, please specify the project that you are interested in.

In addition, please submit a ResearchStatement which outlines your research interests - including any ideas that YOU have that may be a good fit for the project. Tell us about any research projects that you might have participated in. In the application portal, please submit this Research Statement in lieu of a Research Proposal.

Applicants must also submit:  a CV, Academic transcripts (bachelors and masters), 2 academic references, and evidence of English language proficiency (if necessary).

The Application deadline is February 28, 2023. 

Not your fields?

For information about our standard LUMS PhD scholarships, please visit Funding for PhD | Lancaster University