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********Please circulate******** Department of Geography, Durham University ESRC CASE Studentships in Social Enterprise The Department of Geography at Durham University is part of a new research cluster on social enterprise funded by ESRC/OTS. Applications are invited for a fully funded CASE studentships (+3) on social enterprise to start January, 2009. · Ways of Working: The Relative Advantage of Social Enterprise in Working with Youth In partnership with Changemakers Supervised by Sarah Atkinson and Kathrin Hörschelmann (Durham University) and Claire Aylett (Changemakers) The PhD studentship will examine the organisational dynamics within and external to a successful social enterprise that enable innovation, flexibility and sensitivity to individual experiences in supporting the transition to work of disadvantaged young people. It will focus on tensions within a social enterprise that looks to public sector funding between innovation and responsiveness to the public sector rules and modalities. Academic Context Social enterprises are organisations that are trading with a social purpose. They include charities, cooperatives and other organisations that do not distribute profit to shareholders. There are estimated to be at least 55,000 in the UK covering a range of activities, and responsible for many innovative approaches to delivering social and environmental services. The establishment of this new research cluster comes at a time where social enterprise is attracting a lot of interest from the government and those looking to start their own enterprises. Research through studentships will build a body of work on the reasons why there is an increasing interest, the validity of claims of relative advantage of the social enterprise form and the organisational dynamics and tensions that facilitate or hinder the work of social enterprise. Successful candidates will join the 5** Geography Department with a thriving graduate school, and will have the opportunity of working alongside the social enterprise, Changemakers, in this critical policy area. The studentships are also affiliated to the wider research cluster enabling networking and exchange with other researchers on social enterprise beyond Durham University and participation in a summer school on social enterprise. The studentship will therefore provide excellent opportunities for developing academic and policy networks in this highly contemporary policy field. Applications Applications are welcome from candidates with a minimum 2.1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) and a relevant Masters Degree or relevant experience. Please note that only EU and UK citizens are eligible. To apply, please send the application form (available from http://www.dur.ac.uk/geography/postgrad/ <http://www.dur.ac.uk/geography/postgrad/study_in_geog/application/> ) together with a CV and a letter outlining any relevant experience and your interests in this topic. Informal enquiries are welcome - for further details please contact: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> The closing date for applications is 4pm on Friday November 14th 2008