Research grant studentships

The university can offer research grants that give financial support to postgraduate students.

Research grant studentships will often be part of a larger funding package and so will be targeted at a specific subject related to a funding tender made to industry or charitable organisations, amongst others, and a studentship will be included in the bid. The majority of the awards made are to students undertaking research degrees, although there are a few awards available to students on taught programmes on the condition that the students continue to postgraduate research thereafter.

As these awards are closely allied to industrial partners, they are an ideal stepping stone into the work place.

In addition, there are much smaller grants available which ‘top up’ an existing grant.

Eligibility

Research grant studentships for postgraduate study are available to UK, EU and overseas residents. Criteria for eligibility will be decided by the lead academic and will most often require a good grounding and solid degree results in the subject of the funding package the studentship attaches to.

Value of funding

Full research grant studentships will cover the cost of tuition fees and also provide a maintenance grant to support students during their studies. Some research grants and university can cover fees only or make a contribution to fees or maintenance. The value of fees and  research grant maintenance that is offered to students is, on the whole, defined by the Research Councils UK (RCUK) but can vary to be a little less or more, once again, depending on the grant conditions. 

Applying for a research grant studentship

Enquiries and applications must be directed to Schools/Institutes/Departments, in the first instance. Funding opportunities are advertised on our HR Vacancies webpage, on our funding tool and School/Institute/Department websites.  It is a condition of most funding bodies that applicants should hold at least a provisional offer of a place to study at the University before applying.