Funded PhD: Investigating the role of employee ethnicity as a risk factor for exploitative labour practices in the UK adult social care industry: a focus on London and the South East

Project outline

The University of Brighton Business School, in collaboration with the University of Southampton, is recruiting one fully-funded, full-time, three year PhD studentship, starting in October 2023. The studentship aims to support a promising researcher in the field of business, law and workplace relations, who will develop expertise in a highly sought-after field. The project examines whether ethnicity represents a risk factor in exposure to labour standards violations in social care. The PhD candidate will conduct qualitative research into the working conditions of ethnic minority and foreign born care workers. It would be an advantage if the researcher was living close to diverse neighbourhoods, given the likely preference for in-person interviews for low-income, time-poor research participants.

This project call welcomes and encourages applicants from under-represented backgrounds, i.e. applicants from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, especially groups experiencing educational disadvantage/under-achievement; disabled students; students from poorer/less educationally advantaged backgrounds, or combinations of the above.

Applicants must contact the lead supervisor, Dr Anne Daguerre, for further project details and for advice on how to work on a research proposal that develops their response to the project. This will accompany the application. (For supervisor contact details, click on their profile below.) Speculative applications will not be accepted.

Please ensure your application includes the full project title and name of the lead supervisor (section 8 of the application form).

Key facts

Themes employee ethnicity, employment rights, adult social care

Research and Enterprise Group

Law, Society and Justice

Deadline Wednesday 04 January 2023, 16.00hr

Interviews 24 January-08 February 2023

Find out how to apply

Project supervisors at University of Brighton

Dr Anne Daguerre

An experienced PhD supervisor, Anne welcomes PhD applications in the field of Human Resource Management, welfare reform and active labour market policies, social security, social rights, decent work and economic growth (Sustainable Development Goal 8). She is particularly interested in interdisciplinary approaches that combine public policy analysis with a socio-legal perspective. She is also keen to supervise PhDs that analyse policy reforms in the Global South (especially Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa).

Dr Adaeze Okoye

She is currently supervising three PhD students.

She would like to hear from potential postgraduate students interested in legal corporate accountability, corporate social responsibility, dispute resolution systems and sustainable development areas.

Other supervisors

Dr Jane Parry, University of Southampton

Entry requirements

Academic entry requirements

We fund students undertaking Masters+PhD programmes (1+3 funding) and stand-alone PhD programmes (+3 funding).

1+3 funding

Applicants must have or expect to gain:

a good honours degree at first or upper second-class level, from a UK academic higher education institution, or a combination of qualifications and/or experience that is equivalent to a relevant UK degree.

Applicants are also required to submit a research proposal of up to 750 words.

+3 PhD funding

Applicants must have:

a good honours degree at first or upper second-class level, from a UK academic higher education institution, or a combination of qualifications and/or experience that is equivalent to a relevant UK degree.

And have or expect to gain:

a level of research training that would allow them to proceed directly to PhD. This is usually through the attainment of a previous masters qualification in the social sciences with a Merit grade.

Applicants are also required to submit a research proposal of up to 1500 words.

English language entry requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English and/or who are not resident in exempt countries must have successfully completed a Secure English language Test (SELT) in the last two years. Applicants who have obtained a UK degree in the last three years or who are currently studying for a UK degree may apply without a SELT. However, the university may request a SELT is taken as part of any award made. See UK Government guidance for full details.

English language IELTS requirements should be 7.0 overall, 7 for writing, and none below 6.0.

Residential eligibility

Applications from Home and non-UK resident students can be accepted. There will be a recruitment cap of 30% on non-UK resident studentships awarded across the consortium. The management of this cap will be through the selection process. Successful candidates will receive a full stipend and fees at the UKRI rate.

The ESRC guidelines for funding stipulate that if successful, students must live in the UK and within reasonable access to the Institution they are registered at.

Further information on residential eligibility is here.

Funding

UK residents

ESRC through the South Coast DTP provides a tax-free stipend at UKRI rates (£17,668 per year in 2022-23) and covers fees for the duration of the studentship (four years for 1+3 and three years for +3) for home (UK) residents.

South Coast DTP PhD students will also have access to a Research Training Support Grant for activities such as carrying out fieldwork within the UK, purchasing essential equipment and attending relevant conferences.

There are also funds available for students to carry out overseas institutional visits and internships. Further details of these can be found on the South Coast DTP website.

EU and International applicants

See residential eligibility above.

How to apply

Before you apply

Applicants must submit:

An institutional (University of Brighton) research degree application (deadline 04 January 2023).
A consortium (South Coast DTP) funding application. (We will support you in completing your funding application after the University of Brighton's 04 January deadline prior to the South Coast DTP deadline of 23 January 2023.)

Please make sure that you meet the entry requirements before making your application, and have read all of our advice about writing your research proposal and making an application on the above tabs.

Research proposal

Please ensure your application includes the full project title and name of the lead supervisor (section 8 of the application form).

Speculative applications will not be accepted.

Apply online (all applicants)

To complete the application you'll need to upload the following:

copies of your bachelors and masters certificates (if applicable), including transcripts
copy of your IELTS (or equivalent) certificate (if applicable)
copy of your passport
two references uploaded or requested – one must be an academic reference from your most recent period of study, both must have been written within the last year
copy of your research proposal.

To make your application, follow the following steps.

Click on the ‘apply online now’ button on the right.
Select 'create a new account' to register and start a new application.
Once you are logged on, select 'apply to a new course'.
Select the type of course 'research degree'.
Select mode of study 'full-time' or 'part-time'.
Select 'Doctoral College'.
Select the course 'South Coast DTP (ESRC)' (full-time or part-time).
Click 'apply'.

You will now be able to complete the online application form.

Apply online now

Contact us

If you have any questions about this studentship, your research proposal or application, contact the Doctoral College at DoctoralCollege@brighton.ac.uk and we will be happy to help.