Collaborative Doctoral Awards

Collaborative Doctoral Awards provide funding for a postgraduate researcher to complete a PhD project in arts and humanities as a partnership between a Higher Education Institution and a partner organisation.

The awards are intended to encourage and develop collaboration and partnerships, providing opportunities for doctoral researchers to develop research with direct impact onto an industry organisation and the wider community, while enhancing their professional profile. The projects also encourage and establish networks and connections that can have long-term benefits for all collaborating partners, providing access to resources and materials, knowledge and expertise that may not otherwise have been available.

The funding is awarded to the host University and the postgraduate researcher receives a stipend for the duration of the PhD. The project is co-produced and supervised in collaboration with the organisation (nine awarded each year).

Read our presentation for more details about the CDA scheme here.

Partners with a potential PhD research idea can submit a 500 words proposal via our online CDA Expression of Interest Form. This will be circulated to our academics in the Consortium, who will then contact you directly to discuss a possible collaboration and potentially move forward to submit a joint application. 

NWCDTP particularly welcomes applications for projects likely to attract applicants from under-represented communities.

Find below links to CDA guidance documents and other information on how to apply: 

Full joint applications will need to be submitted by 13 October 2023. Please apply using our updated form here and submit to NWCDTP@manchester.ac.uk.

For more information, you can contact the NWCDTP office (NWCDTP@manchester.ac.uk).