Gender Research Opportunity: LSE–Women’s Budget Group Collaborative Studentship 2026

The LSE–Women’s Budget Group Collaborative Studentship 2026 offers a unique opportunity for PhD research on care responsibilities and gender policy, funded by the ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership.

LSE–Women’s Budget Group Collaborative Studentship 2026: Exploring Gender, Care, and Policy

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), through its ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership, is offering a new Collaborative Studentship beginning in September 2026. This fully funded PhD opportunity, hosted by the Department of Gender Studies, is developed in partnership with the Women’s Budget Group (WBG) and led by Professor Wendy Sigle.

The project, titled Conceptualizing the Diversity of Care Responsibilities and Understanding the Gendered Policy Implications, invites doctoral candidates interested in addressing the intersection between gender, care work, and social policy. The studentship provides a rare opportunity to bridge academic research and practical policy analysis, contributing to debates on how labour market reforms affect carers and care recipients.

Research Context and Objectives

The project is set against the backdrop of the UK Labour Government’s ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate. While low unemployment is a policy goal, increasing employment participation among those currently inactive — including carers and people with disabilities — raises complex questions.

Government measures aimed at reducing the number of people outside paid work due to ill health or caring responsibilities risk overlooking the structural realities of caregiving. Many carers are themselves living with disabilities, and policies designed to push them into the workforce often fail to account for their dual roles and challenges.

This studentship will critically examine how gender and caregiving intersect within employment policy. It seeks to understand how different forms of care — such as childcare, eldercare, or disability care — affect families’ economic stability and social inclusion.

For further details on the LSE ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership, visit the LSE DTP page.

Aims of the PhD Research

The successful PhD candidate will be encouraged to:

• Develop a conceptual framework to analyse the diversity and intensity of care responsibilities.

• Investigate how caregiving roles shape the lived experiences of carers and recipients.

• Identify policy gaps that contribute to poverty among families with high care needs.

• Propose interventions to support economic mobility and equality.

While the project will primarily focus on the UK context, comparative research may be included depending on the candidate’s background, interests, and methodological strengths.

This collaboration with the Women’s Budget Group will offer the student the opportunity to engage with ongoing WBG initiatives aimed at promoting gender-responsive budgeting and economic justice. More about the WBG’s mission can be found on their official website.

Funding and Duration

The studentship will last 3.5 years, commencing in September 2026, and is fully funded by the LSE ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership. It covers tuition fees and provides a yearly stipend—for reference, the 2025/26 stipend rate is £22,780.

This funding ensures that candidates can fully dedicate themselves to research, data analysis, and academic development within one of the most prestigious gender research environments in the world.

Candidate Profile and Requirements

Applicants should already hold an MPhil or equivalent Master’s degree in a related discipline, such as Gender Studies, Sociology, or another social science field with a demonstrated focus on gender.

Essential qualifications include:

• Proven quantitative data analysis skills, gained through coursework or research experience.

• Strong motivation to contribute to interdisciplinary debates on gender, care, and economic inequality.

• Excellent written and analytical abilities.

For information on the Department of Gender Studies, visit the LSE Gender Department page.

How to Apply

Applications are open to candidates of all nationalities. Interested applicants should apply via the LSE MPhil/PhD in Gender programme.
In the “Statement of Academic Purpose”, candidates must explicitly reference the Collaborative Studentship project title and explain their suitability for the role, addressing the themes outlined above.

Please note that this constitutes an application specifically for the Collaborative Studentship. Those wishing also to be considered for general PhD admission at LSE must include a separate research proposal meeting standard departmental criteria.

📅 Deadline for applications: 10 December 2025
📩 Contact for enquiries: Pam Rolfe, Deputy Head of Scholarships and Financial Support ([email protected])

For official application guidelines, visit the LSE Graduate Admissions page.

Conclusion

The LSE–Women’s Budget Group Collaborative Studentship 2026 represents a significant academic opportunity for emerging researchers dedicated to advancing the understanding of gender, care work, and policy innovation. By combining academic theory with applied social research, this initiative will contribute to the design of fairer and more inclusive economic policies — ensuring that gender remains central to future labour market reforms.

For more global opportunities and fellowships, visit Opportunities For Youth.

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