You are here

  1. Home
  2. OU offers PhD studentships in Development Policy and Practice

OU offers PhD studentships in Development Policy and Practice

2 December 2019

Photo of two women looking at laptop, one indicating something on screen with her hand

The Open University is inviting applications for fully-funded PhD research studentships in Development Policy and Practice, under a doctoral training partnership which links the OU, Brunel University London and the University of Oxford.

The research students, who can be full- or part-time, will be based at the OU but can benefit from the research training, expertise and networks of all three partner universities.

Part of the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership, the studentship scheme is funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to widen access to postgraduate research and excellent doctoral training. 

Applicants for studentships must either be UK residents, who will receive full funding for tuition and maintenance; or residents of another EU country, who will receive funding for tuition fees only (see here for information).

Wide range of backgrounds welcome

The studentships are highly competitive, but applicants from a wide range of backgrounds are welcomed, says Professor Hazel Johnson from the OU’s Development Policy and Practice group.

“We are looking for excellence in the applicant’s research proposal, and for a good narrative about why they want to do it.

“Academic background is important, of course, but at The Open University we have many students who have been working outside academia. So we are also interested in an applicant’s life experience, what they bring to their topic, and their reasons for wanting to do it.” 

How to apply

For general information about Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnerships at The Open University see here. For details about the Development Policy and Practice studentships, and how to apply, see here. To hear current students’ experiences and tips on putting together an application, see here.

The deadline for applications is 8 January 2020.

Development Policy and Practice at The Open University

The OU is a centre of research excellence in Development Policy and Practice, which is part of the Strategic Area in International Development and Inclusive Innovation, and the Innovation, Knowledge and Development centre. Supervision possibilities for 2020 include:

  • theory and politics of development
  • political dimensions of development
  • participatory development
  • conflict, security and development
  • innovation in the life sciences and development
  • global value chains, industrial policy and innovation
  • inclusive innovation (especially grassroots, frugal and other bottom-up innovation movements)
  • social justice and innovation
  • role of the state  
  • social development, gender, feminist economics
  • labour, migration 
  • multilateralism, inter-organisational relationships and collaboration
  • food security

Share this page:

Contact us

To find out more about our work, or to discuss a potential project, please contact:

International Development Research Office
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
United Kingdom

T: +44 (0)1908 858502
E: international-development-research@open.ac.uk