[UK] Fully Funded PhD Studentships 2009 in Bristol Business School

The Bristol Business School is one of the largest business schools in the UK. In its most recent review, the Higher Education Quality Assurance Agency rated the Bristol Business School as excellent. We have AMBA accreditation, CIPD and CIMA centre of excellence status and ESRC recognition for our doctoral programmes. The Bristol Business School has, and will continue to maintain, a strong research record as well as an excellent reputation for teaching. Bristol Business School performed well in the 2008 RAE. In Accounting and Finance 40% of its research was rated as either world leading or internationally excellent and 80% was rated as at least internationally recognized. In Business and Management 30% of its research was rated internationally excellent and 85% was rated as at least internationally recognized. Combined outcomes for Accounting and Finance and Business and Management place BBS as the leading post 92 university business school in the UK.

Bristol Business School is seeking to attract high calibre, highly motivated people who wish to develop careers as university academics. The Research Studentship offers the opportunity to undertake advanced research training, doctoral studies and to develop skills for roles in academia. As part of the centrally funded research studentship scheme, the Bristol Business School is offering 3 new fully-funded PhD studentships. The duration of the studentship will normally be 3 years for candidates with a suitable research-oriented masters or equivalent research experience, but can be up to 4 years for candidates without such a background. Studentships will commence in October 2009.

Applications are invited in the following areas:

• Accounting & Finance
• Applied Economics
• Human Resource Management and Employment Studies
• Social Marketing
• Organisation Studies
• Leadership and Organizational Ethics
• Strategic Management & International Business
• Operations Management

Projects should involve a collaborative element, which need not necessarily involve co-funding, co-supervision or other formalised relationship but evidence of a mutually beneficial interaction in the conduct of the research. Projects should also have a clear outcome in terms of impact in society, whether this be social, economic or cultural. To this end, it is expected that projects will involve a clear dissemination/engagement strategy to ensure that outcomes lead to visible changes outside the discipline.

The successful candidates will have a good undergraduate degree and possibly a Masters degree. They will demonstrate the potential to undertake doctoral studies and an enthusiasm for both research and academia. Candidates from the UK, Europe and overseas are eligible to apply. Successful applicants are required to register as full-time students for a postgraduate research degree and engage in postgraduate research studies for 35 hours a week. These studies include attendance on the MA Applied Social Research (Business and Management) award during the first year. Research supervision will be provided by an agreed supervisory team comprised of a Director of Studies and at least one other supervisor.

The University offers a non-taxable research bursary of £13,200. This bursary is paid in 3 instalments at the beginning of October, February and June. In addition, full tuition fees and support for dissemination will be covered by the University for a period of four years.

There may also be some opportunities to undertake hourly paid teaching to complement research work. This would not exceed 1.5 days a week and will be at the discretion of Heads of Department or Centre Directors.

Payment of the bursary is subject to satisfactory attendance at the University and the extension of the studentship after the first year is subject to satisfactory progress in research studies. For visa, taxation and council tax purposes holders are treated as full-time students on a scholarship.
The PhD application process

A formal application is made by completing and submitting the RD1 form (referring to the Notes for Guidance), together with a Research Proposal. The RD1 form and further details are available via the BBS website: http://www.uwe.ac.uk/bbs/future/research/phd.shtml

Your Research Proposal should be around 4,000 words long and include the following: Background & rationale; Research questions; Theoretical framework/methodology; Methods; Ethical considerations; Time scales; and Dissemination. Guidance on how to write a research proposal is given on http://www.uwe.ac.uk/bbs/future/research/proposal.shtml

Please indicate clearly which research area you are applying for.

Please also attach a copy of your full Curriculum Vitae, references, transcripts and English language certificates (where applicable), together with a covering letter indicating how your project meets the requirements of the scheme.

The closing date for applications is: Friday 31st July 2009.

Please submit your application and relevant documents to:
Fiona Watt, Research, Consultancy & Executive Development Manager, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY or via email: Fiona.watt@uwe.ac.uk, stating “RBI/BBS Research Studentship Application” clearly in the subject heading.

Interested applicants who would like to discuss their research proposal informally should contact: Professor Mairi Maclean via email: Mairi.maclean@uwe.ac.uk or telephone: 0117 32 83460. If you have any general queries, please contact Fiona Watt, on telephone: 0117 32 81374; email: Fiona.watt@uwe.ac.uk

Further details:
http://www.uwe.ac.uk/bbs/future/research/studentships.shtml