SeNSS: South East Network for Social Sciences

Regardless of whether you are a "home" applicant or an "international" applicant, you can apply for a studentship. However, there is a cap on numbers, as only up to 30% of studentship awards can be made to international applicants. 

To be classed as a home student, you must meet the following criteria: 

• be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or 
• have settled status, or
• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• have indefinite leave to remain or enter

If you do not meet the criteria above, you are classed as an international student. Please note that, due to the cap, SeNSS is limited by the ESRC to awarding approximately 10-12 studentships to international applicants each year.

Further guidance on residential eligibility is provided in Annex B of the UKRI guidance.

SeNSS has produced an informative FAQs document.

For Masters and PhD funding (1+3, or +4 award structures): qualifications or experience equal to a first (1) or upper second (2.1) class honours degree, or an equivalent combination of qualifications and/or experience are required.

For PhD (+3) funding: qualifications or experience equal to a Masters degree with distinction or merit, or an equivalent combination of qualifications and/or experience are required. Your Masters degree must be in a relevant discipline, and include significant research methods training.

 The SeNSS 2023 studentship competition will be opening very soon so please continue to check these pages for updates, as well as the SeNSS DTP Funding Opportunities webpage.

 The deadline for you to have applied for a place on your course at Essex in order to be considered for a SeNSS application is 12pm (GMT) (midday) onMonday 9 January 2023.

In addition to your SeNSS Studentship application, you must also apply for your place on the relevant course at Essex, using the online application form.The deadline for you to have applied for a place on your course at Essex in order to be considered for a SeNSS application is 12pm (GMT) on Monday 9 January 2023

You can apply for a studentship in one of the following Pathways:

• Business and Management Studies
• Economics (via either the Department of Economics or ISER)
• Linguistics
• Politics and International Relations
• Psychology
• Socio-Legal Studies (via either the Department of Sociology or Essex Law School)
• Sociology (via either the Department of Sociology or ISER
  
  

We strongly encourage you to contact the School or Department you wish to apply to at the earliest opportunity in order to discuss your research proposal and potential supervision arrangements. This is particularly important in order to give supervisors enough time to assist in the development of your application to ensure the best chance of success. 

Please note that you will need to discuss your application with the department to which you are applying for a place of study. 

You can already start thinking about and drafting the key aspects of your application; you can outline your research proposal, plans and timeline for completion. Your supervisor will be able to offer you advice about how best to do this. 

You can also start on your personal statement, which should address the following key questions; why are you applying for this studentship; why are you the best person for this research project; how are you and your proposed supervisors the best fit; why SeNSS and how will the SeNSS studentship enable you to achieve what you are proposing? 

SeNSS also encourages applications that are AQM-based (which use advanced quantitative methods, and/or large datasets, and/or big data methods and associated innovative analytical methods -more than one may apply). If your application is AQM-based, please ensure you highlight this in your application. For further information on what constitutes an AQM-based application, please click here.

The deadline for submission of your online applications for a SeNSS Studentship is 12pm (GMT) (midday) on Friday 20 January 2023.

The deadline for you to have applied for a place on your course at Essex in order to be considered for a SeNSS application is 12pm (GMT) (midday) onMonday 9 January 2023.  

If you are applying for a 1+3 (Masters and PhD) studentship, you will need to make an application for the PhD programme and add a note that you are applying for a SeNSS 1+3 studentship and are seeking admission to the Masters and PhD. In the text field in which you are asked to provide your ‘proposed research topic of area of research’, we advised you to put the following statement; ‘I am applying for a linked admission for a Masters plus PhD, as I am applying for a 1+3 SeNSS studentship.  Please consider my application as a 1+3 applicant.

To further support applications for SeNSS studentships, we are offering the opportunity for Essex applicants to submit a draft application for “first-look-feedback”. The draft application will need to be submitted to Laura Ruddick (Senior Postgraduate Education Manager) by midday on Friday 10 December.  Feedback will be provided within 10 days of the deadline. 

October:  

November:  

December: 

January: 

After the SeNSS studentship submission deadline (12pm (GMT) (midday) on Friday 20 January 2023) applications pass through an internal University selection process, before a decision is made whether to nominate particular applications to SeNSS, for consideration at the relevant SeNSS Pathway Panel. We are able to nominate 3 high-quality applications per pathway (at least one of which must be 1+3/+4).  Applications put forward to these panels are considered alongside applications from other SeNSS partner institutions. 

The final selection phase, conducted by the SeNSS Management Board, will be held in late March, and you will be notified by mid-April whether you have been awarded a SeNSS student-led studentship.

The selection criteria used to assess applications across all pathways, degree types and at all levels of the selection process is:

Evidence of the quality and feasibility of the proposal (40%) 

This will be based on your outline of your proposed research project, your reasons for pursuing it, and its wider significance. It will also be based on the information supplied by your proposed primary supervisor. SeNSS assessors will be looking for evidence of your ability to design and conduct a strong research project, a coherent and well thought-out research plan, a strong awareness of the place of your research within the current field, and potential impact. Reference will be made to your personal statement, as contained in your application, as well as your supervisor’s supporting statement.  

Evidence that you are well-prepared for your proposed research and future career (40%) 

This will be based on your description of how your previous experience (academic and/or professional) has prepared you for postgraduate study and research, your referees’ evaluation of your suitability for such research based on 

• a) your performance at undergraduate and postgraduate level (if relevant);
• b) your relevant professional experience (if relevant); and
• c) your description of how the programme will contribute to your long-term career aims.

Reference will be made to the degree transcripts and module marks you have provided. Reference will also be made to both your supervisor’s and referees’ supporting statements.

Evidence of the suitability of the proposed supervision and training (20%)

This will be based on your proposed supervisors’ research areas, knowledge and expertise in relation to your proposed project, the individual roles of the proposed supervisory team, your identified training needs and suggested ways of meeting those training needs. Reference will primarily be made to the information provided by your proposed primary supervisor which should, in turn, reflect on the expertise brought to your project by your second supervisor.  

Please note that all 4-year award applications (1+3, 2+2 and +4) will be assessed in a way that recognises that applicants are likely to have had less training and fewer opportunities to develop a detailed proposed research project than an applicant for a +3 studentship.  

 

• Assess how exploration behaviour changes in collaborative vs. competitive situations;
• How it is affected by an out-group “threat”; and,
• How it is affected by navigational aids.

The core objective is therefore to build knowledge of human behaviour during spatial exploration, and particularly how it is affected by common real-world factors. Dr Clarke and Dr Hughes have developed the foraging models that will form the basis of the computational work carried out in the project, whilst Dr Touryan and Dr Cohen Hoffing will provide support with running the experiments in ARL’s naturalistic virtual environment.

A comprehensive package of training will be agreed in consultation with the supervisors. Amongst other things, the successful candidate will:

• Receive all the training they require for carrying out the experiments and modelling from visiting ARL, working with the supervisory team, and attending courses;
• Be able to attend the University of Essex IADS Summer School;
• Attend the PS947 (Advanced Statistics for Psychology Research) module - this will be part of the Masters degree that a 1+3 student would take, but a student taking a +3 PhD will be able to audit this module;
• Be able to attend Proficio Courses on R, Bayesian Modelling, etc; and,
• Join one or more of the online reading/study groups that we recommend.

The successful candidate will have a good degree in either:

• Psychology, cognitive science, or a closely related discipline, with an interest in computational modelling; or,
• Computer sciences, mathematics, or a closely related discipline, with an interest in psychology.

Ideally, they will also have some background in statistical programming (e.g. R), and a willingness to learn advanced statistics and modelling skills. Finally, they will have good interpersonal skills and will be excited to work as part of a multidisciplinary team. It would be desirable for candidates to be in a position to obtain a visa to visit the US.

This studentship may be taken as either a 1+3 year award (a one-year Masters followed by a three-year PhD) or a +3 award (a three-year PhD), which may be taken full-time or part-time. If you are applying for the 1+3, you will take the MSc Research Methods in Psychology (code m0121), and will need to note this on your SeNSS HEIapply application.

If you are applying for a 1+3 (Masters and PhD) studentship, you will need to make an application for the Masters programme and add a note that you are applying for a SeNSS 1+3 studentship and are seeking admission to the Masters and PhD.

The studentship award covers university fees, and provides the student with a stipend of £17,668 per year. They will also be able to apply for additional funding for training via the SeNSS Research Training Support Grant.

Whether the applicant is a home or international student, they are eligible for a fully-funded award (tuition fees will be paid, and the student will receive a stipend/salary).

You will need to make an application to SeNSS for this collaborative studentship. Please read the collaborative studentship application guidance notes before completing our online application form via the HEIapply platform. The deadline for submitting an application on HEIapply is 12.00pm GMT on Monday 27 February 2023. No extensions to this deadline will be permitted.

Following the application closing date on 12pm (midday) GMT on 27 February 2023, shortlisting will take place and shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview with at least one week’s notice. Interviews are likely to take place during w/c 13th March, 2023.

For further enquiries

For academic enquiries related to the studentship project applicants should email Dr Alasdair Clarke

For enquiries related to your eligibility for this studentship, and the application process, please email: Laura Ruddick

1) completed their PhD at a research organisation that is part of a current ESRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). View a list of DTPs here; AND,

2) been awarded their PhD or have passed their viva voce (or passed with minor corrections) by the application deadline of 4.00pm GMT on 23 March 2023 AND and have been awarded their PhD by the Fellowship start date of 1 October 2023); AND,

3) no more than 12 months of active post-doctoral experience since passing their viva (allowing for career breaks) by 23 March 2023.

Please note that who have passed their viva voce, but with major corrections, will be able to apply to the following year’s call when their PhD has been awarded. This is to ensure that all Fellows are able to commence their work by the annual start date of 1 October.

• Please read the ESRC’s documents (see below) carefully, and ensure you are eligible for a PDF.
• If you are eligible, start thinking about, and drafting, your topic and programme of work.
• At the same time, think about who would be best-suited to you during your PDF, and make contact with that senior academic, who will be your primary mentor. The ESRC requires fellows to have a mentor based at the research organisation where the fellowship is held, and states that “a secondary mentor is permitted”. Please note that SeNSS requires its Fellows to have two mentors during their fellowship: one based at the Fellow’s home institution, and one at another SeNSS institution. SeNSS has taken this position, which is endorsed by the ESRC, because we believe that having a second mentor from a different SeNSS university strengthens the Fellow’s research, exposes the Fellow to different institutional practices, and increases the Fellow’s access to professional academic and non-academic networks. Our current and former Fellows’ experience has borne this out. Therefore, applicants must name two mentors in their applications.
• Support for applications at Essex is available from colleagues in the Research and Enterprise Office. The key contacts are Gary Williams gcwill@essex.ac.uk and Richard Gunn richard.gunn@essex.ac.uk
• Submit your expression of interest (EoI) by 4.00pm GMT on Monday 16 January 2023 to Gary Williams gcwill@essex.ac.uk and Richard Gunn richard.gunn@essex.ac.uk. SeNSS requires you to submit an EoI by the deadline so that we can gauge demand and, most importantly, support you in your application, including working with you on your costings. You can obtain the expression of interest form here.
• SeNSS only accepts applications submitted via SeNSS’ online application portal, HEIapply. You can get further information and support for your application on the SeNSS PDF competition webpage

The deadline for submitting your application is 4.00pm on 23 March 2023.

ESRC Post-doctoral Fellowship application documents: 

• ESRC Call Specification - sets out what is included in a PDF awards, the eligibility criteria, what is required in the application etc.
• ESRC PDF FAQs - provides answers to questions about PDF awards
• ESRC PDF application form (docx) -please note that SeNSS will only accept online applications, via its online portal. The SeNSS application differs slightly from the ESRC template form in that it asks for some additional information. The ESRC template is only included here to give you an idea of what is required of you should you decided to submit a full application

Further guidance for applicants, Mentors and Referees can be found on the SeNSS PDF competition webpage.

SeNSS has an example of an excellent application, on their Post-Doctoral Fellowship FAQs.

Support for applications at Essex is available from colleagues in the Research and Enterprise Office. The key contacts are Gary Williams gcwill@essex.ac.uk and Richard Gunn richard.gunn@essex.ac.uk