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North West Doctoral PhD Doctoral Landscape Award

The University of Liverpool's North West Doctoral PhD Doctoral Landscape Award (NWD DLA) programme is proud to support students from socioeconomically underrepresented backgrounds with their master's studies.

The NWD DLA programme is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). It's delivered in partnership between the University of Manchester and the University of Liverpool.

It's for students from a widening participation background. 

You can find information on the NWD DLA PhD programme on the:

The award

The award is a £5,000 contribution to tuition fees, plus a contribution to stipend, available for up to four students in the 2026/27 academic year. This is available to students studying full-time or part-time. You may combine this scholarship with other applicable University of Liverpool widening participation bursaries.

Successful applicants are encouraged to apply to the University of Liverpool BBSRC-funded NWD DLA programme for a PhD studentship following completion of the Masters programme. 

Please note, students may apply for the PhD while studying on the master's programme. However, completion of a master's programme does not guarantee that an applicant will be offered a BBSRC-funded PhD studentship.

Eligibility criteria

Please check your eligibility before making an application. Awards may be withdrawn if the University later becomes aware that successful students have not met the eligibility criteria or have provided false information.

You must have accepted a place at the University of Liverpool to study on an eligible postgraduate course for entry in the 2026/27 academic year. Eligible courses include:

You must also meet all of the following eligibility criteria. You must:

  • Be permanently resident in the UK
  • Have graduated from an undergraduate degree in biological sciences
  • Be studying for your first postgraduate degree
  • Not already hold an equivalent qualification
  • Have made an application to Student Finance England (or equivalent body) for a postgraduate master's loan
  • Have been considered a student from a widening participation background during your undergraduate degree. 

Widening participation background

For the purposes of this award, we'll define a widening participation student as someone who met at least one of the following criteria during their undergraduate degree:

  • Participated in a University supported access scheme. At the University of Liverpool, this may include the Liverpool Scholars Programme or Realising Opportunities. Different universities offer different schemes. If you're unsure whether you meet this criteria, please contact wpscholarships@liverpool.ac.uk
  • Have been in receipt of, or are entitled to, discretionary payments while at school or college. This includes a 16-19 bursary, pupil premium and free school meals 
  • Have received a contextual offer from the university where you studied your undergraduate degree
  • Are care experienced, estranged, a young adult carer, a refugee, or an asylum seeker
  • Have received widening participation bursaries or grants for students from low-income backgrounds, such as The Liverpool Bursary
  • Come from a home where neither parent attended university.

If you have any questions about your eligibility, please contact wpscholarships@liverpool.ac.uk.

The application process

Personal statement

To help us to get to know you, we'll review your personal statement. It should be up to 4000 character and explain: 

  • Why the scholarship would be beneficial to your studies
  • How it would help you to achieve your academic and career goals
  • How your education would be of future benefit to your community and/or society
  • What achievements, both academically and personally, are you most proud of? This could include overcoming a challenging personal circumstance, if you wish to include this information.

Please note, there are no correct or incorrect answers for your personal statement. You don't have to disclose any information you wish to keep private.

Submitting your application

Submit your application today via our online form.

The deadline to submit your application is 5pm, 2 July 2026.

Decisions

A panel of representatives from the University of Liverpool’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences will assess applications before making a final decision.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within four weeks of the closing date.

Contact us

If you have questions about the award, please contact wpscholarships@liverpool.ac.uk.

If you have any questions about the NWD DLA PhD programme, please contact bbsrcdtp@liverpool.ac.uk.