Four year Graduate Teaching Fellowships - PhD studentships

Kickstart your academic career with full financial support for your PhD and gain expert skills in research and teaching with our graduate teaching fellowships (GTFs).

Don't miss the opportunity to apply for one of our GTFs to start your PhD in October 2026:

• Four year fully funded GTFs for Accounting and Finance PhD students
• Four year fully funded GTFs for Economics PhD students
• Four year fully funded GTFs for Management PhD students

Receiving one of our GTFs gives you the funds to launch your academic career, while you gain experience as a university lecturer to become a rounded scholar:

• £20,780 annual maintenance grant*
• Full coverage of PhD programme fees
• Higher education (HE) teacher training and practice

1^st funding call start: 1 October 2025

1^st funding call deadline: 2 January 2026

2^nd funding call: TBC

What is a GTF?

A GTF is a studentship for full-time PhD students which provides substantial financial support and an opportunity to gain experience as a HE teacher.

This means that as well as pursuing your PhD research, you'll also be involved in a fixed number of teaching hours during your time with us.

What financial support will I receive?

As a Management School Graduate Teaching Fellow, you'll receive an annual maintenance grant and full coverage of your programme fees for four years.

GTFs are compatible with external bursaries, as well as other PGR funds for postgraduate research students offered by the Management School, including a £700 per year GTF allowance (available from Year 2) and the Conference Support Scheme.

Please, be aware our GTFs aren't compatible with other studentships, such as those offered by the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership and the China Scholarship Council.

What does the GTF training consist of?

In year one, alongside your specific PhD research modules, you’ll complete a short teacher training programme by the University of Liverpool.

As well as gaining a formal HE teaching qualification, you'll learn key pedagogical skills for the academic job market, primarily through shadowing mentored classroom involvement.

During the remainder of your PhD, you’ll have the opportunity to put your research skills into practice while completing your doctoral research thesis.

Who are the GTFs for?

If you have a relevant master’s degree and are planning to start your PhD studies in the academic year 2026/27, our GTFs are the ideal funding opportunity for you.

You’ll need a UK master’s degree, or international equivalent, in a relevant area, preferably at merit or above. If you'd like to study an Accounting and Finance PhD or an Economics PhD with us, you must also demonstrate quantitative and programming skills.

You'll also need to submit a strong research proposal in areas including, but not limited to:

Find out how to get started with your PhD research proposal

How to apply for a GTF?

You can apply for our GTFs in one of the two funding calls available this academic year.

Online applications for round one are now open. Register and apply online before Friday 2 January 2026 at 5pm UK time, following the steps below:

• Select your programme of study
• In the ‘Finance’ section, select funding source ‘Sponsor’ and insert ‘ULMS-GTF-2026’ in the box below
• Also include ‘ULMS-GTF-2026’ as the first line of your personal statement.

When we evaluate your application, we’ll consider how your research idea fits with our current themes and our academics’ areas of specialisation, as well as your teaching potential.

We’ll then let you know whether we’d like you to progress on to the next stage of the application process, in which case we’ll invite you for an interview.

You’ll be informed of our final decision before the second funding call starts in the springtime.

*Stipend amount of £20,780 for 2025/26 is for guidance purposes only and is subject to change.