Sussex - ESRC Standard Research Transition Standard Quota DTG

This grant funds doctoral training partnerships, not a specific research project. The money supports postgraduate students across a range of topics in education and skills, rather than answering a single scientific question. The problem it addresses is the need for a skilled research workforce. Without sustained funding for PhD training, the UK risks losing the next generation of social scientists who will study how people learn, how schools operate, and how skills shape the economy. The grant provides the infrastructure—supervision, courses, and networks—that turns graduates into independent researchers. If the training succeeds, the impact will be felt indirectly but persistently. Better understanding of education and skills can improve how teachers teach, how employers train staff, and how policymakers design qualifications. It may also strengthen the evidence base for decisions about school funding, apprenticeships, or lifelong learning. This is primarily a capacity-building investment rather than a curiosity-driven project. The fundamental value lies in creating the people who will do the research, not in any single discovery. Similar training programmes have produced researchers whose work later shaped classroom practice, exam reform, and adult retraining schemes—but those outcomes depend on the students, not on a predetermined plan.