Northern Ireland and North East Doctoral Training Partnership

The UK Research Councils are funding a new network of universities in Northern Ireland and North East England to train the next generation of doctoral researchers in social sciences. This matters because high-quality postgraduate training is the backbone of the UK's research capacity. Without dedicated funding and structured support, talented early-career researchers may lack the supervision, resources, and collaborative environment needed to tackle complex social and economic questions. The Doctoral Training Partnership model addresses this gap by pooling expertise across institutions, allowing students to access a wider range of supervisors, training workshops, and interdisciplinary opportunities than any single university could provide alone. If this succeeds, the UK will gain a cohort of skilled social scientists equipped to analyse pressing issues—from regional economic inequality to public health policy, from educational attainment gaps to the social impacts of automation. These researchers will go on to work in universities, government, think tanks, and the private sector, strengthening the evidence base for decisions that affect millions of people. The partnership also helps sustain the research infrastructure in regions that have historically received less investment, ensuring that talent is developed across the country, not just in a handful of elite institutions.