Finding & Funding Your PhD in the
Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Mark Bennett @postsgradually
Arts, Humanities & Social
Sciences Funding
3 Myths
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Myth 1 - There isn't any...
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8,000 Research CouncilStudentships
100+ UK Universities
??? Charities
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PhD Student Loans?
PhD Student
Loans?
Myth 2 - You need full Funding...
Scholarship
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Tuitionfees for
three years
Livingcosts for
three years
A Laser
£12,156 £42,171
£60,000+
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Myth 3 - You need funding
before you start...
Scholarship
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Research Council Funding
(nice work, if you can get it)
7 UK Research Councils
Distribute public money for
academic research
Approx 8.000 FULL STUDENTSHIPS
each year
Research Council Funding
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Arts & Humanities
Social Sciences
Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC)
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Block Grant System
Research councils provide pools of
funding to universities
Institutions award studentships out of this
Research councils do not select students
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Block Grant System - consortia
Universities bid for funding as consortia
Consortia include one or more universities,
+ external partners
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Block Grant System - consortia
Doctoral Training Partnerships
Centres for Doctoral Training
Doctoral Training Centres
AHRC
ESRC
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Research Council PhD Studentships
What do you get?
Full fees (approx £4,052 per year)
A stipend (approx £14,057 per year)
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Research Council PhD Studentships
Eligibility
Main criteria is residency:
Right to live in the UK (settled status)
Ordinarily resident for 3+ years
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Research Council PhD Studentships
EU Students
Eligible for a fees only award:(Must have been ordinarily resident within EU for 3+ years)
International Students
May be eligible for some ESRC awards
(at discretion of individual DTCs)
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Applying for RC Studentships
Find one RC websites, universities &, of course:
Apply to university
Apply for Research Council studentship with university
Process
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Applying for RC Studentships
Personal details
Degree results / projections
Research proposal
Requirements
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Applying for RC Studentships
Academic value
Realistic
Impact?
A promising research career
What does a good project look like?
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Application Success Rates
How many students actually get full studentships?
about 15%
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Not getting Research Council funding...
Doesn't mean you're stupid
Doesn't mean your project is rubbish
Doesn't mean you can't do a PhD
& doesn't mean you can't find funding elsewhere...
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PhD Funding from Universities
What sort of PhD funding do universities offer?
Full studentships (alumni, memorials, external partners)
Specially funded projects (archives, resources, sites)
Smaller funding (travel grants, conference grants,
expenses, etc)
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PhD Funding from Universities
How do you find it?
University websites
The exhibition hall, here, today!
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PhD Funding from ... charities?
Charities, foundations, trusts...
Big research foundations (Wellcome , Leverhulme)
Academic / Learned Societies
Miscellaneous charities
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PhD Funding from Charities
Finding it
The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding
PostgraduateFunding.com
Turn2us
The Grants Register
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PhD Funding from Charities
Applyng for and getting it
Check you're eligible
Use a standard covering letter
Mention any other support
Show your aims and aspirations
Provide a reference
Expect a high rate of nonresponse / rejection
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PhD Student Loans
What we do know (sort of)...
Announced in 2015 budget
Suggested value of £25,000
For PhDs and some research Masters
Repayments incomecontingent
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PhD Student Loans
What we don't know...
When?
What?
Who?
Where?
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