University of Essex ESRC Doctoral Training Centre DTG 2011

The UK Research Councils are funding a network of Doctoral Training Partnerships to train the next generation of social scientists. These partnerships—between universities, businesses, and public sector organisations—address a critical gap: the need for skilled researchers who can tackle complex societal challenges. Without sustained investment in doctoral training, the UK risks losing its capacity to produce evidence-based policy, understand social change, and innovate in areas like education, economic development, and public health. If successful, this programme will create a pipeline of researchers equipped with both deep disciplinary knowledge and practical skills. The impact is not immediate or tangible—it is about building the human infrastructure that underpins everything from government policy evaluations to charity programme design. Over time, these trained researchers will enter universities, think tanks, government departments, and industry, quietly shaping how society understands itself and makes decisions. This is primarily a capacity-building investment in fundamental social science training. While no single breakthrough will emerge, the long-term effect is a more informed, evidence-driven society—one where decisions about schools, welfare, and communities are grounded in rigorous research rather than intuition.