Skip to main content
PhD Programme
Business people in a meeting

Smart & Scale PhD Scholarship

Accepting PhD applications (2025/26)

A student studying at a desk with books

In the UK, SMEs have faced extraordinary challenges over the past few years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit, and the soaring cost of business. SMEs in the UK are said to be going through a “triple transition” (Enterprise Research Centre, 2021) that brings together three interrelated challenges of digitalisation, net zero and productivity. To address these challenges, the ‘Smart and Scale’ initiative at Durham University Business School represents an interdisciplinary impact-driven research programme in smart and scale-up activities, designed to support SME innovation, resilience, and economic development in the North-East of England.

Durham University Business School invites applications from prospective Ph.D. candidates with outstanding academic achievement and research potential, specifically interested in supporting SMEs in the region. The selected student will benefit from joining a team of academics that have ongoing projects and connections in their topic area. This allows for the development of a rich professional network and access to fieldwork. We welcome applications from across our Accounting, Economics, Finance and Management and Marketing PhD programme.

We encourage research proposals that are academically rigorous but also likely highly beneficial to SMEs in the region. Specifically, applications involving collaboration with regional SMEs are encouraged as well as inter-disciplinary projects. Similarly, we encourage proposals related to policy debates and infrastructure support (e.g., entrepreneurial ecosystems, Local Growth Hubs, Enterprise Zones) for SMEs and start-ups. The final thesis will therefore be of academic importance and practical relevance to advancing business enterprise, innovation, and regional development in the UK. Proposals with no link or just a tangential focus on SMEs in the North-East of England will not be considered.

Ph.D. Programmes at Durham University Business School

Durham University Business School is one of an elite group worldwide to carry three internationally recognised accreditations by EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA for the quality of our research, teaching, and environment. We are also a member of the European Doctoral Programmes Association in Management and Business Administration. Applicants can apply for the following programmes:

Funding

Applications for this funding are open to UK students only. Successful applicants will have the cost of home tuition fees covered for the full duration of their studies. The scholarship also includes a tax-free stipend, set at £19,237 per year (as per UKRI). This stipend is paid to the student directly and monthly to cover living costs.

Contacts

Prof Jonathan Kimmitt, Smart and Scale Academic Lead, jonathan.kimmitt@durham.ac.uk

How to Apply

The deadline for submitting applications to the Smart & Scale Ph.D. Scholarship is 31st March 2025 for a start in Autumn 2025. In the first instance, it is expected that candidates will contact Prof Jonathan Kimmitt (jonathan.kimmitt@durham.ac.uk) no later than 1st March 2025. This should include a CV, awards, transcripts, the first draft of a research proposal and a brief description of its alignment with the Smart & Scale programme.  

At this point, subject level specialists will determine the quality of the application alongside the Smart and Scale team. You will then be invited to formally apply in advance of 31st March 2025. Successful applicants will be supervised by a subject specialist and a member of the Smart and Scale team.

If you require further information about the application process, please contact the below: