Coming soon: Funding opportunity for ADR UK PhD Studentships

ADR UK will soon launch an exciting new funding opportunity for Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) to host a cohort of PhD studentships using ADR UK linked administrative data.

This opportunity is aimed at supporting the next generation of researchers to work confidently and safely with public sector data for the public good. It will build on our current community of doctoral students funded in 2023, contributing to the growing movement of administrative data researchers across the UK.

This funding opportunity for PhD supervisors will open in April 2026. The successful studentships will be announced in January 2027, and following recruitment, the PhD students will start in October 2027.

An applicant webinar on 12 May 2026 will provide more information about the opportunity, along with the chance to ask questions:

Register for the applicant webinar

What the opportunity will offer

• Funding for up to 30 PhD studentships (1+3.5, 3.5, or 4.5-year structures depending on pathway).
• The chance to address priority policy questions using ADR UK’s growing portfolio of flagship datasets spanning education, justice, employment, health, and more.
• Participation in ADR UK’s established PhD programme, including community activities and priority access to training, resources and support.  

How to apply

Supervisors from institutions who are a part of existing ESRC Doctoral Training Partnerships will be invited to submit applications to their DTP Directors. Individual supervisors may lead multiple proposed studentships, provided each proposal addresses a distinct research topic or question.

Further information:

• Each ESRC DTP can apply for up to five supervisor‑led studentship opportunities. 
• Studentship projects must use at least one ADR UK flagship dataset.
• Interdisciplinary applications are welcome, incorporating at least 50% social science.

How to stay updated

The full funding opportunity details — including eligibility, assessment criteria, and application forms — along with the full range of ADR UK flagship datasets in scope, will be published on 28 April 2026.

To learn more about administrative data, visit our Learning Hub to see what additional resources are available.

If you are a supervisor who is considering applying, we encourage you to:

• Register for our applicant webinar on 12 May
• Sign up to our mailing list to get updates about new and emerging datasets, research findings, funding opportunities, and more.

Please contact ADRStudentships@esrc.ukri.org for any queries or to request a meeting to introduce you to ADR UK.