Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (SGSSS-DTP)

The Scottish Graduate School of Social Science is training the next generation of doctoral researchers across multiple universities in Scotland, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. This matters because the UK needs a steady pipeline of skilled social scientists who can tackle complex societal challenges—from economic inequality and public health to climate adaptation and digital governance. Without coordinated training infrastructure, individual universities struggle to offer the breadth of expertise, placements, and interdisciplinary collaboration that modern social science demands. The programme fills a gap by pooling resources across institutions, giving students access to specialist supervisors, methodological training, and partnerships with government, business, and third-sector organisations. If this succeeds, the UK gains a cohort of researchers equipped to produce evidence that shapes policy and practice. Their work could influence how public services are delivered, how communities respond to demographic change, or how businesses adapt to shifting labour markets. The impact is indirect but systemic: stronger social science capacity means better-informed decisions in areas people rarely think about, such as welfare system design, regional economic development, or the regulation of digital platforms. This is primarily a training investment, not a single research project, but the long-term payoff is a more resilient evidence base for public policy.