White Rose Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (collaborative)
The White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership (WRDTP) is an established partnership of seven Universities including York, Bradford. Each year, WRDTP offers Collaborative Awards for cutting-edge research projects that are underpinned by strong links with a non-academic partner.
Applications for 2026/27 are open until Wednesday 11 March 2026, 4pm GMT
ESRC WRDTP Collaborative Award
Each year, WRDTP offers a range of social sciences PhD studentships including our Collaborative Awards. The WRDTP Collaborative Awards support the WRDTP’s strong commitment to collaborative research with partners in the private, public or third sectors by involving these partners in a programme of doctoral research.
About this Project
An ESRC WRDTP Collaborative Award is available within the School for Business and Society at the University of York.
Project title: Beyond Compliance: Exploring the Transformative Potential of Regulation on Institutionalised Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Issues in English Football
Principal academic supervisor: Anne-marie Greene
Pathway: Wellbeing, Health and Communities (WHC)
Collaborative partner: Kick It Out
The project, led by Professor Anne-marie Greene, Dr Kevin Tennent, and Dr Alex Gillett, is a direct collaboration with Kick It Out (KIO), the UK’s leading anti-discrimination charity. It arrives at a pivotal moment for the sport, following the government’s establishment of the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) in November 2025.
Addressing Structural Barriers
Despite high-profile campaigns, English professional football continues to face significant challenges regarding the representation of minority groups in leadership and coaching roles. This research aims to investigate why current EDI initiatives often result in ‘symbolic compliance’ rather than deep-rooted cultural shifts.
"This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to conduct research that has real-world impact," said Professor Anne-marie Greene, Professor of Work and Diversity at the University of York. "By working closely with Kick It Out, our doctoral researcher will be able to look behind the curtain of football governance to understand how the new Independent Regulator can be a catalyst for genuine social justice within the game."
About Kick It Out
Kick It Out is English football’s equality and inclusion organisation. Working throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change, Kick It Out is at the heart of the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination in our national game.
- Find out more about Kick it Out (kickitout.org)
A Unique Collaborative Model
Unlike traditional PhDs, this WRDTP Collaborative Award involves the partner organisation at every stage. The successful candidate will benefit from:
- Direct industry embedding: A three-month Research in Practice placement with Kick It Out.
- High-level access: Engagement with key stakeholders across the Premier League, the FA, and professional clubs.
- Policy impact: The findings will contribute directly to Kick It Out’s work to influence change and help shape the impact of the regulatory framework of the new IFR.
A compulsory 3-month Research in Practice placement will be provided by the collaborative partner Kick It Out. This ‘Research in Practice’ placement can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis.
White Rose Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (collaborative) contact details
Anne-marie Greene
anne-marie.greene@york.ac.uk
Eligibility
Open to International (including EU), International (non-EU) and UK (home) students.
Applicants and can be held full-time or part-time. This award is applicable to various programmes of study. Depending on their prior academic experience, applicants will normally select a programme as follows:
| Programme | Suitable for/prior experience | You’ll study | Funding Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| +3.5 | Social science Masters degree and with 60 or more credits (or equivalent) of M-level social science research training. | PhD only |
Full-time: 3.5 years Part-time: pro-rata |
| +3.75 | Social science Masters degree, but have not undertaken core research training. | Integrated PGCert/PhD |
Full-time: 3 years 9 months Part-time: pro-rata |
| 1+3.5 | No social science Masters degree. | Masters + PhD |
Full-time: 4.5 years Part-time: pro-rata |
This means the successful candidate will either undertake a:
- PhD in Management, or
- MA in Social Research followed by a PhD in Management
Please refer to the entry requirements for the course you will be applying for:
How to apply
Application deadline: Wednesday 11 March 2026, 4pm GMT
How to apply
Stage 1
You must complete the ESRC White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership (WRDTP) Collaborative Studentship Application Form (Google Forms) by Wednesday 11 March 2026, 4pm.
Before completing the form, you are strongly advised to read the Guidance for Student Applicants and Assessment Criteria, which provides further information about how to complete the form and how your application will be assessed.
Stage 2
After a School shortlisting process, applicants will be informed as to whether they will be invited to interview.
Shortlisting of applicants will take place by Friday 13 March 2026.
Stage 3
Selected applicants will be interviewed by the School. The interview panel will consist of project supervisory team members, the collaborative partner and one member of the School PhD team.
These interviews are scheduled to take place between Thursday 19 and Thursday 26 March 2026.
Interview outcomes will be notified w/c Monday 30 March 2026.
Stage 4
The successful applicant must apply for an appropriate academic programme as soon as possible after notification of success. This will either be the PhD in Management, or the MA in Social Research followed by a PhD in Management.
The PG Admissions team will be able to help you with this process, should you have any questions:
- Email: pg-admissions@york.ac.uk
- Call: +44 (0)1904 322142
Stage 5
The School nominates the successful applicant to WRDTP in early April 2026.
Please note that successful selection by the School constitutes a nomination for funding rather than a final offer. The White Rose Academic Quality Committee will review the nominations and decide on the final list of awards.
Stage 6
The final outcome is expected towards the end of April 2026. The successful candidate will be notified by the end of April, or as soon as possible thereafter, depending on the individual project’s timeline for student recruitment.
Timeline of process
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Application form deadline | Wednesday 11 March 2026, 4pm |
| Shortlisting of applicants | Friday 13 March 2026 |
| Interviewing applicants | Thursday 19 to Thursday 26 March 2026 |
| Interview outcome | W/C Monday 30 March 2026 |
| Successful applicant must apply for an appropriate academic programme | As soon as possible after notification of success |
| Final nomination of candidate by School to WRDTP | End of March/early April 2026 |
| Successful applicant notified | End of April 2026 or thereafter |
Terms and conditions
Terms and conditions
- Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of York whilst in receipt of this award.
- All WRDTP programmes include an integral 3-month ‘Research in Practice’ placement as standard.
- Applicants should read the ESRC Postgraduate Funding Guide and be willing to abide by the conditions and regulations therein.