Applying for postgraduate research in Law

At Keele School of Law, postgraduate researchers are part of a supportive and interdisciplinary research environment. Our research spans socio-legal, theoretical, doctrinal, empirical and participatory approaches, with a strong emphasis on real-world impact and social justice.

This page provides guidance on preparing a research proposal, exploring funding opportunities and applying for postgraduate research in Law at Keele.

Your research proposal is a key part of your application. It should clearly communicate your research idea, its significance and how you plan to carry it out.

We recognise that applicants may come from different educational systems and research backgrounds. Your proposal does not need to be perfect, but it should demonstrate:

awareness of key literature or debates in your area
a clear research focus or question that makes an original contribution to existing literature
an indication of how you plan to approach the research
a realistic sense of what can be achieved within a PhD

Word limit: 1,500 words, excluding bibliography.

A typical proposal might include:

research context
research aims and questions
methodology
research plan
bibliography

Studentship opportunities

Keele School of Law is part of the Socio-Legal Studies Pathway of the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership.

NWSSDTP studentships provide full funding for doctoral study and are highly competitive. We strongly encourage early preparation and engagement with potential supervisors.

For enquiries about the NWSSDTP Socio-Legal Studies Pathway, please contact Dr Abigail Pearson: a.v.pearson@keele.ac.uk.

Please note that to be considered for funding, you must also submit a formal application for PhD study in Law at Keele.

Further information

For enquiries, please contact Dr Ezgi Taşcıoğlu, Postgraduate Research Lead for Law: e.e.tascioglu@keele.ac.uk.