We are looking for a new pathway lead in Sociotechnical Futures & Digital Methods to support the work of the South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) at UWE Bristol.
Experienced in doctoral supervision? Research active in the ESRC space? Interested in supporting doctoral and researcher development at UWE Bristol? Ready to represent the University externally?
Please submit an expression of interest by Friday, 3 July 2026 midday.
SWDTP is an ESRC-funded doctoral training partnership. It brings together 8 universities from the South West to award studentships and post-doctoral fellowships in 18 pathways (for more information on SWDTP click here).
UWE Bristol is involved in 6 pathways — 3 disciplinary and 3 interdisciplinary pathways. Sociotechnical Futures & Digital Methods is an interdisciplinary pathway (for a description of this pathway click here) offering the potential for it to be led by an academic from a wide variety of disciplinary interests associated to the pathway theme.
The lead is essential for the running of the pathway at UWE Bristol as well as working with the broader consortium. For a full description of the role see this document on the SWDTP webpage. The role receives 20 WLBs and will continue until at least the end of the 2027/2028 academic year, with potential to extend beyond that if the SWDTP continues to be funded by the ESRC after the current period.
To make an EoI, please provide a statement (max 500 words) outlining the following:
- Your experience of supporting doctoral study. This could include experience beyond being a supervisor or involved in reviewing/progression and include how you have supported the PGR process as well as research culture more widely. It is helpful to highlight if you have any previous experience supporting admissions, at PGR or other levels.
- How your research and academic experience demonstrates that you are active in the ESRC space and can represent Sociotechnical Futures & Digital Methods. As SFDM is interdisciplinary, there is a wider range of ESRC disciplines that are relevant here. It’s about having a strong base from which to grasp the complexities and opportunities of the pathways and an openness to different types of research.
- Your experience in representing your discipline/research and/or UWE (or a previous institution) internally and/or externally.
Please submit your EoI as a Word document attachment by Friday 3 July 2026 midday to philippa.shelton@uwe.ac.uk We may request additional information after the EOI stage and may have informal conversations on Friday, 17 July in the morning as part of the selection process. The Pathway lead would start in September 2026, in readiness for the next recruitment period, and should be in a position to accommodate the role in their workload.
If you have questions about this opportunity, you can email the current pathway lead, Professor Clare Wilkinson, and/or the SW Institutional Academic Lead for UWE Bristol, Dr Bernhard Gross.