Overview
The Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with ForcesWatch invites applications for this fully-funded ESRC CASE PhD Studentship from the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP). This will commence October 2025.
About this opportunity
This CASE project investigates the involvement of non-governmental military entities – advocating on behalf of the British defence estate – within UK Parliament. Framed by the sociological theorising of C.Wright Mills, modelled on NCRM Investigative Methods, and building on research by the collaborative partner to this CASE application (ForcesWatch), this project will: (i) assemble open source ‘trace data’ to pursue an investigative analysis of non-governmental military entities; (ii) connect found ‘trace data’ to ‘evidentiary evidence’ scrutinising their obscure involvement in UK Parliament; (iii) realise and reveal – for the first time – the impacts and influences of non-governmental military entities on political advocacy and policy support for the UK Armed Forces and defence estate; (iv) share its findings as a unique investigative ‘intervention’ into the role of ‘military elites’ in British democracy; and (v) contribute new and impactful knowledge to make an original contribution to ESRC strategy and priorities.
Who is this opportunity for?
As per the ESRC CASE Studentship guidelines, we welcome applications from candidates who have a First Class or upper 2:1 undergraduate degree and a postgraduate degree awarded with a Distinction or Merit in social science (i.e. sociology, social policy, or criminology) or cognate discipline (i.e. politics, critical military studies, international relations). In line with core skills training requirements of the ESRC Postgraduate Training and Development Guidelines we are seeking to appoint a candidate with a strong profile of relevant qualitative research interests and training (i.e. preferably relating to elements of investigative methods), ideally with some quantitative and/or data visualisation skills (but not essential). The candidate should also have interests and/or expertise in the project’s subject matter (i.e. military elites, military power, UK Armed Forces, critical military studies, lobbying, defence spending, etc.). This PhD studentship is only available to UK/Home students.