AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards at the University of Bristol

What you get

You get a living stipend (a yearly payment to cover living costs) of at least about EUR 25,600 per year (£21,805), plus your tuition fees paid up to the UK/Home rate for the whole funded period. You also get up to about EUR 700 per year (£600) for research activities such as conferences. Funding runs for 3.5 years full time, or up to 7 years part time at a matching part-time rate. The money comes from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation. It funds three new PhD students at Bristol each year.

Who can apply

• When you start: You are starting a PhD in September 2026. You cannot apply if you are already enrolled in a PhD, or an MPhil student who wants to upgrade to a PhD.
• Where you study: You study in the School of Arts, the School of Humanities, or the School of Modern Languages at the University of Bristol.
• Field of study: Your research is in Arts and Humanities. It helps if it links to one of Bristol's research themes: Culture and Creativity, Social Justice, Climate and Environment, Digital and Data, or Equitable and Sustainable Health.
• Nationality: UK and international applicants can both apply. Under AHRC rules, at most 30% of the awards go to international students. If you are an international student, you must cover the fee gap above the UK/Home rate, plus your travel to the UK, visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
• No double funding: You cannot hold this alongside another full scholarship, for example a China Scholarship Council or SWDTP award.
• Extra encouragement: Applicants from low-income backgrounds, from universities outside the Russell Group, and from under-represented groups are actively welcomed.

How to apply

You do not apply for the award directly. Submit a normal PhD application through Bristol's portal for one of the three eligible schools. Also fill in the separate Bristol Postgraduate Research Scholarship Application Form. Everyone who applies for that research scholarship is automatically considered for this award. Both forms must arrive by midday UK time on Friday 23 January 2026. Late submissions are not considered.

How realistic are your chances?

Only three of these awards go to Bristol each year, across just three schools, so the field is small but competition for each place is real. If your Arts or Humanities research is strong and fits one of Bristol's research themes, you have a genuine shot, especially if you come from an under-represented or low-income background that the university actively encourages. International applicants face tighter odds, since no more than 30% of awards can go to them.