VR³ÉÈËÊÓƵ

You could receive funding for up to:

• three years for PhD programmes in the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences and the School of Management
• three and a half years for PhD programmes in the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering & Design

Funding includes:

• Home or Overseas* tuition fees
• a training support fund of up to £1,000 each year
• a competitive annual maintenance stipend

*Please note that our studentships do not cover , or the cost of the . These costs can be considerable, so we ask all Overseas applicants to check these costs before applying and ensure they would be willing and able to cover these from their personal funds.

Find out more about your tuition fee status.

This studentship is available to both Home and International Students.

International applicants must satisfy all visa and immigration requirements, including successfully obtaining ATAS clearance if their offer of study confirms this is required.

Academic eligibility

You must have obtained, or be expected to obtain, at least an upper-second class (2:1) UK Honours degree, or the international equivalent, in a discipline appropriate to your intended research project. Some research projects may require a first-class UK Honours degree or a Master’s level qualification, or the international equivalent.

English language requirements

If English not be your first language, you must meet our English language entry requirement.

Programme expectations

You are expected to attend in person and be based at the VR³ÉÈËÊÓƵ from the start of the programme (except during any placements).

IMPORTANT: In all cases, when completing the application form, you must select ‘VR³ÉÈËÊÓƵ URSA’ from the drop-down menu in the ‘Funding your studies’ section. If you do not follow this instruction, there will be a delay with the processing of your application and it may not be possible to consider your application for funding.

Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences students

In Humanities & Social Sciences only, the URSA competition is run in tandem with the ESRC SWDTP competition.

Read guidance on applying for the ESRC SWDTP and URSA competition.

School of Management students

The School welcomes applications from exceptional students with research proposals of their own design as well as from students who apply in response to advertised projects.

or choose to apply with your own research proposal.

Students may also consider the ESRC SWDTP or Graduate Research Scholarships. .

Faculty of Engineering & Design and Faculty of Science students

Most students apply in response to an advertised project.

. You’ll find application instructions in the project advert.

Both faculties will also consider applications from exceptional students with research proposals of their own design. See our application guidance for doctoral study.

Faculty of Engineering & Design students ONLY: One URSA studentship per year is reserved for an applicant holding Refugee, Humanitarian Protection, or Asylum Seeker status as the Doctoral Sanctuary Studentship in Engineering and Design.

Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences students

Scheme opens

Applications are accepted from October each year.

Application deadline

Applications for September 2026 entry close on 9 January 2026 at 12:00 noon UK time (GMT).

School of Management students

Scheme opens

Applications are now open for 2026/27 entry.

Application deadline

Friday 27 February 2026 at 23:59 UK time (GMT).

Faculty of Engineering & Design students

Scheme opens

Applications for entry in September 2026 open on Monday 13 October 2025.

Application deadline

Sunday 30 November at 23:59 UK time (GMT).

Faculty of Science students

Scheme opens

Applications are now open for 2026/27 entry.

Application deadline

Application deadlines for advertised projects are quoted in the project advertisement on .

Applications from candidates with their own research idea will be considered until all available funding has been allocated. Please apply early to avoid disappointment.

We welcome applications from individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, or disability status.

For more information, please visit the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpage.

If you have circumstances that you feel we should be aware of that have affected your educational attainment, then please feel free to tell us about it in your application form. The best way to do this is a short paragraph at the end of your personal statement.