PhD Studentship: Mapping and Measuring the Impact of Innovation Across Liverpool City Region’s Music Economy

Applications are open for a fully funded UK only studentship in the Department of Music at the University of Liverpool, held in collaboration with MusicFutures, to commence study full time only from 4^th January 2027.

MusicFutures is an AHRC funded programme hosted by the University of Liverpool. It brings together academics and creative industry partners to deliver a programme of equality focused/inclusive research and design (R&D) led innovation and business development for the Liverpool City Region. Operating out of a hub at the LEX Campus in Liverpool, MusicFutures will foster collaboration with a variety of partners to generate sector insights and career pathways for increasing diversity and representation for existing and future artists and music professionals. This environment will empower small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs to innovate, attract investment, scale up, and adopt inclusive and sustainable practices. Through diverse cross-sector programmes, MusicFutures will fuel growth, drive environmental innovation, and champion inclusivity. MusicFutures will elevate both the region’s and the UK’s competitiveness in the global music market.

Through previous sector mapping, and workforce and economic mapping and analysis studies researchers at University of Liverpool’s Institute of Popular Music and MusicFutures have established baseline measures for Liverpool City Region’s (LCR) music sector and economy. Between 2025 and 2030, MusicFutures has a remit to support innovation, sustainable growth and inclusive skills and talent development throughout the sector. Standard impact measures are embedded in MusicFutures’ reporting mechanisms, but previous research – like that with Mastercard on Eurovision 2023 conducted in collaboration with the Geographic Data Service (GeoDS), demonstrate that developing multiple layered data perspectives of events, environments and ecosystems can offer novel insights beyond the purview of standard reporting metrics. This PhD studentship is an opportunity to work across UoL’s MusicFutures and GeoDS research teams to theorise, develop, devise, test and refine new configurations of data driven models that map and measure the impact of innovation on UK regional music sectors. Primarily applied to the LCR, the models and templates developed need to be replicable and applicable to other regions of the UK to ensure the long-term consistency, validity and scalability of the methods.

The successful candidate will:

• Identify historic and current models and methods of economic, social and cultural value impact capture and evaluate their viability and applicability;
• Work with the MusicFutures and GeoDs teams and delivery partners across the programme to devise, develop, deliver and analyse innovative, experimental, inclusive and sustainable approaches and impact models and devise methods to test and evaluate their effectiveness in real world trials;
• With the support of the MusicFutures/GeoDs team, periodically produce internal and public facing reports, materials and media that showcase and evaluate the range of tools and models developed.
• Be responsible for ensuring all ethical approvals, risk assessments and any other legal and safeguarding requirements are in place and met for all the related research
• Deliver a PhD thesis in one of two formats: 80-100,000-word standard thesis that conceptualises, theorises and evaluates the effectiveness of data driven sector analysis models delivered across MusicFutures and identifies pathways to sustainable music sector adoption for any successful and proven approaches;
• A practice-based thesis that explores, develops and demonstrates new kinds of “digital practices”; where a substantial demonstration of the practice-based component produces a suite of tools submitted together with a written thesis of no more than 50,000 words which contextualises that work within an academic framework.

Given the dynamic and evolving nature of MusicFutures, the commitment to either pathway can be determined and finalised in discussion with the supervision team in the first year of study.

To apply for this studentship, you must submit an online application to the PhD programme in Music via How to apply for a PhD – University of Liverpool, by 5pm on Monday 9^th November. In the relevant section of the application form that asks about funding, please include that you will be applying to the ‘MusicFutures Studentship (Department of Music)’.

Applicants should normally hold an MA (or equivalent), preferably with distinction, in music industries, data science or human or economic geography or a cognate field such as economics, business management, anthropology or sociology. Professional experience may be seen as equivalent to an MA, at the discretion of the selection committee. The studentship is open to UK and international applicants.

1. Contact supervisors

To apply for this studentship, you must submit an online application to the PhD programme in Music via How to apply for a PhD – University of Liverpool, by 5pm on Monday 9^th November. In the relevant section of the application form that asks about funding, please include that you will be applying to the ‘MusicFutures Studentship (Department of Music)’.

2. Prepare your application documents

• BA & MA award certificates (if you do not have an MA, please include evidence of relevant professional experience which will be considered at the discretion of the review panel)
• BA & MA transcripts
• Two references (one must be an academic reference)
• CV
• Passport
• Personal Statement of 500 words outlining how your professional experience has equipped you to apply and demonstrates how your ambitions align with MusicFutures strategic aims.
• Research Proposal (3000 words including a 300-word abstract at the beginning) that proposes an innovative idea for how to develop and deliver inclusive, equitable and sustainable mentoring, coaching and/or training for the modern music ecosystem

3. Apply

Finally, register and apply online. You’ll receive an email acknowledgment once you’ve submitted your application. We’ll be in touch with further details about what happens next.