SGSSS Apply.
SGSSS Social.

Scottish Graduate School of Social Science

Sgoil Cheumnaichean Saidheans Sòisealta na h-Alba

Scottish Graduate School of Social Science

Sgoil Cheumnaichean Saidheans Sòisealta na h-Alba

Studentship opportunity

All Studentship Opportunities

Following the money: anti-trafficking funding, networks and commodity chains

This studentship is funded by the ESRC through the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS)

Institution
University of Dundee
Pathway
Securities: Justice, Economies and Conflict
Studentship
Open Collaborative
Mode of study

Full-time / Part-time

Application deadline
4pm, 14 April 2022
Applications are due 10 April, 5 pm BST and
References are due 16 April, 5 pm BST

Project details

Funding plays a crucial role in shaping both anti-trafficking efforts and the structure of the anti-trafficking sector. However, significant uncertainties remain regarding funding mechanisms within the sector (Sharapov, Hoff, and Mendel 2024) and the factors driving its evolution (Mendel and Sharapov 2021). This PhD project aims to address these gaps by examining how funding influences the development and operations of the anti-trafficking sector. By ‘following the money,’ the research will uncover the realities and future directions shaped by financial flows within the industry. The impact of recent cuts to overseas development aid and their effect on measures to mitigate vulnerability to violence, abuse, and exploitation will also be examined.
This project makes a novel contribution by adopting an agnotological approach, investigating the role of ignorance and why certain knowledge gaps persist. In parallel, it will explore ethical responsiveness to the needs of vulnerable populations, providing a more nuanced understanding of the ethical dimensions of funding. Additionally, the research will apply a commodity chain lens to analyse the anti-trafficking sector as a multinational enterprise—an approach largely unexplored in existing scholarship.
The project will be conducted in collaboration with La Strada International, a human rights-focused NGO platform against human trafficking, which unites 33 member organisations across 24 European countries. This partnership will offer a critical transnational perspective on the sector’s funding structures and operational dynamics.
Methodologically, the research will combine a desk-based analysis of funding documents and Freedom of Information requests with interviews with key stakeholders, including funders and anti-trafficking organisations. This interdisciplinary approach, strengthened by La Strada’s network, will generate new insights into how funding structures shape anti-trafficking efforts and explore alternative, ethically responsive futures.
By deepening the understanding of funding dynamics and their societal consequences, this research will contribute to more effective, just, and sustainable anti-trafficking policies, making a significant impact in safeguarding vulnerable populations.
The project will be based at the University of Dundee, jointly supervised by Dr Jonathan Mendel (University of Dundee) and Dr Kiril Sharapov (Edinburgh Napier University), with Suzanne Hoff (La Strada International) acting as an advisor.

Supervisory Team:

  • First Supervisor: Dr Jonathan Mendel, j.m.mendel@dundee.ac.uk
  • Second Supervisor: Dr Kiril Sharapov, k.sharapov@napier.ac.uk

About the University

The project will be based at the University of Dundee, jointly supervised by Dr Jonathan Mendel (University of Dundee) and Dr Kiril Sharapov (Edinburgh Napier University), with Suzanne Hoff (La Strada International) acting as an advisor.
The student will benefit from the resources and research communities of both universities. At the University of Dundee, they will be integrated into the Institute for Social Science Research, which brings together an interdisciplinary community of social scientists to tackle complex social challenges and build research capacity. They will also have access to the Human Rights Network, which supports research on social inequalities, human rights, and vulnerable communities.
At Edinburgh Napier University, the student will be involved with the Migration and Mobilities Research Network, an interdisciplinary initiative addressing real-world migration challenges through research and collaboration. This network will offer training opportunities, workshops, and engagement with a diverse group of scholars and practitioners, strengthening the project’s interdisciplinary approach.
La Strada International is a European NGO platform dedicated to addressing human trafficking and related forms of exploitation. Through its network of member organisations across Europe, it advocates for more transparent and accountable anti-trafficking measures while supporting research that fills critical knowledge gaps in the field. As a key partner in this PhD project, La Strada will provide expertise in anti-trafficking policy and research, facilitate access to key stakeholders, and support the candidate’s professional development through training, networking opportunities, and guidance on ethical research practices.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Applicants will have a first degree (undergraduate) and have a demonstrable interest in the topic area under investigation.
  • Applicants can have a Masters degree, however this is not a requirement.
  • Applicants can study part-time or full-time

Funding

As per guidance published by UKRI in October 2020, a maximum of 30% of all studentships awarded can be made to international students, with the remaining 70% going to home students. 

Residential Criteria

To be classed as a home student, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have settled status, or
  • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If you do not meet the criteria above, you will be classed as an international student. To establish if you would be classed as a home student, please see pages 4 and 5 of the UKRI eligibility guidance here

As per guidance published by UKRI in October 2020, a maximum of 30% of all studentships awarded can be made to international students, of which SGSSS has now awarded for the 2021/22 round of studentship awards. As such, this opportunity is only open to home students.

Residential Criteria

To be classed as a home student, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have settled status, or
  • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If you do not meet the criteria above, you will be classed as an international student and will not be eligible to apply. To establish if you would be classed as a home student, please see pages 4 and 5 of the UKRI eligibility guidance here.

Award details

The scholarship is available as a +3.5 (3 year PhD and placement) or a 1+3.5 (Masters year, 3 year PhD, and a placement) studentship depending on prior research training. This will be assessed as part of the recruitment process, however you can access guidance here to help you decide on which to apply for. The programme will commence in October 2025. The full ESRC studentship package includes, as advised by ESRC:

  • An annual maintenance grant (stipend)
  • Fees at the standard institutional home rate
  • Students can also draw on a pooled Research Training Support Grant (RTSG)

Other information

For international applicants: If successful, the fee difference for international students will be covered for the duration of the award.

How to apply

  1. Applicants must register on SGSSS Apply, completing their Equal Opportunities data.
  2. Applicants must apply via SGSSS Apply, uploading the following documentation:

    • Application Questions (answered within SGSSS Apply, no upload needed)
    • Academic transcripts
    • Academic prizes
    • Referee information
    • CV
    • Other information (if required by the advert)
We strongly encourage applicants review the applicant guidance document for more on the process. 

Please Note:

  • This is not an application to the relevant University, this is an application for SGSSS (ESRC) funding.
  • Students do not need a Masters/PhD offer from the relevant University before they can apply for funding, i.e. this studentship.
  • If successful in obtaining the SGSSS (ESRC) studentship, students can only start the funded studentship once they have an unconditional Masters/PhD degree offer from the relevant University. It is your responsibility to find out the University’s application process, including when you need to secure your offer, as SGSSS plays no role in this process.

This studentship opportunity will open for applications on 9th June.

Apply now via SGSSS Apply

Selection process

Applications will be ranked by an internal institutional selection panel, and you will be notified if you have been shortlisted for interview on or around 17 April. Interviews will take place 29 April.

This studentship award is subject to the successful candidate securing admission to a PhD programme within the University of Dundee. The successful candidate will be invited to apply for admission to the relevant PhD programme.

Contact details

Name
SGSSS Team (for questions on the application portal, only), for any questions on the project, email the first & second supervisors (see details in abstract above)
Email
team@sgsss.ac.uk

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Privacy Policy

© 2024 All rights reserved​

Scottish Graduate School of Social Science, proudly funded by