London Business School ESRC Doctoral Training Centre DTG 2011

This grant funds doctoral training places at the London Business School, not a specific research project. The award is part of the ESRC’s Doctoral Training Partnerships, which support postgraduate students in the social sciences. The problem it addresses is the need for a pipeline of highly skilled researchers who can tackle complex economic, social, and business questions. Without sustained funding for doctoral training, the UK risks losing the capacity to produce the next generation of academics, policy analysts, and data-literate professionals who underpin evidence-based decision-making. If this training succeeds, it will produce PhD graduates equipped to work in universities, government, think tanks, and industry. These individuals may go on to shape economic policy, improve business practices, or inform public services. The impact is indirect but structural: a stronger research workforce means better analysis of everything from labour markets to consumer behaviour. This is not curiosity-driven science in the traditional sense, but rather an investment in the people who will conduct that science. The abstract provides no figures on student numbers or costs; the value lies in maintaining the UK’s research capacity over the long term.