PhD Scholarship: Urban and Regional Economics, University of Manchester, UK

Applications are invited for a fully-funded four-year doctoral scholarship in the fields of urban and regional economics and economic geography, with a particular focus on understanding of the economic, social, and public policy challenges facing UK cities and regions, especially those which have faced longstanding adverse economic shocks.

The Sir Terry Leahy Doctoral Scholarship is offered by the Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, and is funded by the generous philanthropy of world-renowned business leader Sir Terry Leahy, whose financial gift to the University of Manchester is intended to spur research into the fortunes of UK cities and regions, and especially the UK’s economically weaker cities and regions which have suffered a lack of investment over decades.

The fully-funded PhD research will be undertaken under the guidance of Professor Philip McCann and Professor Raquel Ortega-Argilés, both award-winning scholars and international leaders in these fields. Research proposals from prospective candidates are invited. Any research topics under the broad area of urban and regional economics or economic geography will be considered, as long as they aim to provide a deeper understanding of the economic, social, and public policy challenges facing UK cities and regions, especially in the light of international comparative evidence from across the OECD and European economies.

Areas of interest might include topics such as regional finance and investment, human capital and skills-supply, infrastructure-provision, planning and land-use, real estate markets, heritage and the built environment, the geography of research and knowledge spillovers, creativity and entrepreneurship, innovation, health and public sector investment, urban retail and marketing, governance and devolution, sustainability and resilience, new technologies and job changes. The subject and topic areas listed here are intended for illustrative purposes only, and research proposals linking two or more of these types of issues will also be considered.

The Alliance Manchester Business School has a vibrant community of doctoral research scholars that the successful candidate will be part of. The first year of the doctoral programme involves participating in various compulsory research training courses along with research students from other AMBS doctoral programmes. At the same time, the candidate will undertake the first part of their literature review as well as developing the initial detailed outline of the subsequent research programme and research design, all of which will be further developed during the following three years of research.

The PhD research will be guided by Professor Philip McCann and Professor Raquel Ortega-Argilés via regular in-person meetings between the candidate and the supervisory team, and discussions with Sir Terry Leahy will also feature as part of the research process. The candidate will also be expected to interact with other research institutes and government bodies across the UK and internationally, as required on the basis of the research design.

Eligibility

Essential Criteria

• Bachelor’s (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
• Normally, a Master’s degree in a relevant cognate subject normally with an overall average of 65% or above (or overseas equivalent)

Desirable Criteria

• Quantitative skills will be regarded as being advantageous, and a mix of quantitative and qualitative skills will be highly valued.
• Experience of writing a dissertation will be also be advantageous, although the key issue for consideration will be how the candidate’s qualifications and subjects studied link to the ideas being proposed in the candidate’s research proposal.

Candidates currently in the university or research arena will be very welcome. In addition to an academic track-record, applications from candidates who have spent some time in a professional setting, such as in government, in commerce or industry, in think-tanks, or as university researchers, will also be welcome.

English language

All applicants must provide evidence of English language proficiency:

• IELTS test minimum scores – 7.0 overall, 6.5 other sections.
• TOEFL (internet based) test minimum scores – 100 overall, 25 in all sections.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) UKVI/SELT or PTE Academic minimum scores – 76 overall, 76 in writing, 70 in other sections.
• To demonstrate that you have taken an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a majority English speaking nation within the last 5 years.
• Other tests may be considered.

Application procedure

The application deadline will be Midnight (GMT) on 25/06/2025. Apply online for PhD Business and Management at the University of Manchester.

Under Section 6 Research Details select ‘Yes’ to Are you applying for an advertised project. Insert the project title as stated at the top of the advert. It is recommended when entering the name of the supervisor to simply enter this and not use the supervisor search function.

Please indicate in Section 9 Funding Sources your intention to apply for the Sir Terry Leahy Doctoral Scholarship.

Please ensure all required supporting documents are included at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered. Your application must include the following:

• A copy of your Bachelor’s academic transcript and certificate.
• A copy of your Master’s academic transcript and certificate. If your Master’s degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript.
• If you have completed more than one Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, please provide evidence for each. If your transcripts are in a language other than English, you must provide an official English translation. If your weighted average mark or GPA is not included on these documents, please also include an official document from your university verifying this information.
• An academic CV, summarising your academic record, employment history, publications and highlighting experience demonstrating your research potential.
• You must nominate two academic referees (including one from your most recent institution). Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following the submission of your application form. You may wish to contact your referees to request they submit your reference in a reasonable timeframe as this forms part of the review process.
• A PhD Research Proposal of 2500-3000 words (exclusive of references)

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact Prof Philip McCann (philip.mccann@manchester.ac.uk).

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Equality, diversity and inclusion statement.