University of Cambridge ESRC Doctoral Training Centre DTG 2011

This grant funds doctoral training, not a specific research project—it supports the next generation of social scientists through structured PhD programmes at the University of Cambridge. The problem it addresses is a national skills gap. The UK needs researchers trained to tackle complex social and economic challenges—from inequality to digital transformation—but high-quality doctoral training requires sustained investment and coordination. Without dedicated funding streams, individual universities struggle to provide the breadth of expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional development that modern social science demands. If successful, this training partnership will produce dozens of PhD graduates equipped with advanced analytical skills, policy-relevant knowledge, and experience working across disciplines. These researchers will go on to work in universities, government departments, think tanks, and the private sector. Their work could shape how public services are designed, how economic policy is evaluated, or how communities adapt to technological change. This is primarily a capacity-building investment rather than a single discovery-driven project. But the fundamental science of human behaviour, institutions, and societies that these students will pursue has a long track record of informing everything from tax policy to school reform to urban planning.