4 year Economics PhD studentships

Reference number: PHD-GTF-ULMS-2025

Description

4-year Graduate Teaching Fellowships for Economics PhD students

Are you planning to start an Economics PhD in September 2025? Do not miss the opportunity to apply for one of the University of Liverpool Management School’s (ULMS) 4 year Graduate Teaching Fellowships (GTF).

Receiving an ULMS GTF gives you the funds to launch your academic career, while you gain valuable teaching training and experience to become a rounded scholar:

  • £19,237 annual maintenance grant*
  • Full coverage of PhD programme fees
  • Higher education teacher training and practice.

What is a Graduate Teaching Fellowship?

A GTF is a studentship for full-time Economics PhD students which provides substantial financial support and an opportunity to gain experience as a higher education (HE) teacher.

This means that as well as pursuing your PhD research, you will also be involved in a fixed number of teaching hours during your time with us.

What financial support will I receive?

As a Management School Graduate Teaching Fellow you will receive an annual £19,237 maintenance grant* and full coverage of your programme fees for four years.

GTFs are compatible with external bursaries, as well as other PGR funds for postgraduate research students offered by the Management School, including a £700 per year GTF allowance (available from Year 2) and the Conference Support Scheme.

Please, be aware our GTFs are not compatible with other studentships, such as those offered by the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership and the China Scholarship Council.

What does the GTF training consist of?

In year one, alongside your specific PhD research modules, you will also complete a short teacher training programme by the University of Liverpool.

As well as gaining a formal HE teaching qualification, you will learn key pedagogical skills for the academic job market, primarily through shadowing mentored classroom involvement.

During the remainder of your PhD, you will have the opportunity to put your research skills into practice while you complete your doctoral research thesis.

Who are GTFs for?

If you have a relevant master’s degree and are planning to start your PhD studies in the academic year 2025/26, our GTFs are the ideal funding opportunity for you. We welcome applications from those with an Upper Second Class or a First-Class Honours master’s degree in economics, however we also consider students from related and relevant disciplines.

You will also need to submit a strong research proposal in areas including, but not limited to:

  • Micro theory (mechanism design, matching)
  • Applied micro (discrimination, labour, health)
  • Macroeconomics (macro policy, macro-finance, international trade)
  • Econometrics and financial econometrics
  • Political economy
  • Industrial organisation
  • Sports economics.

When we evaluate your application, we will also consider how your research idea fits with our current themes and our academics' areas of specialisation, and your teaching potential.

How to apply for a GTF

If you would like to start your Economics PhD with us in October 2025, you can apply for a GTF in one of the two funding calls available.

Online applications for round one are now open. All you need to do is complete all sections of the University Postgraduate Study Application Form before Monday 6 January 2025 at 12:00 UK time, and make sure you follow the steps below:

  • Select the ‘Management Studies’ option as your programme of study
  • In the ‘Finance’ section, select funding source ‘Sponsor’ and insert ‘PHD-GTF-ULMS-2025 studentship’ in the box below
  • Also include ‘PHD-GTF-ULMS-2025 studentship’ as the first line of your Personal Statement.

Once we have reviewed your application, we will get in touch to let you know whether you have the potential to become one our graduate teaching fellows.

If you do, we will invite you for an interview and communicate a final decision on your application before the second funding call starts in the springtime.

*Stipend amount of £19,237 for 2025/26 is for guidance purposes only and is subject to change.