University of Sheffield Research Scholarships (Faculty of Health)

What you get

You get a fully funded PhD place in the Faculty of Health at the University of Sheffield. The award covers your Home (UK) tuition fees plus a yearly living stipend (a fixed maintenance payment) at the UKRI rate. In 2023 this was about 21,000 EUR per year (18,622 GBP) and it rises each year. Funding runs for up to 3.5 years full time, or up to 7 years part time. Part-time students get 50% of the stipend. Studies normally start in October. A separate strand of the same scheme, the Underrepresented Students Scholarship, set aside 5 fully funded places for applicants from Black or Asian backgrounds.

Who can apply

• Level: You are starting the first year of a PhD, full time or part time.
• Grades: You have or expect a first-class or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent.
• Fee status: You count as a Home (UK) student for fee purposes. All Home students may apply.
• Field of study: Open to subjects across the Faculty of Health, including clinical medicine, neuroscience, dentistry, nursing and midwifery, ophthalmology and orthoptics, human communication sciences, and population health.
• Underrepresented Students strand: For the 5 reserved places you must also identify as Black or Black British (African or Caribbean heritage), Asian or Asian British (Bangladeshi, Pakistani or Indian heritage), or of mixed heritage including one of these groups.

How to apply

Apply through the university's online postgraduate research application for your chosen department. Some departments only fund advertised projects. Others also accept a project you develop yourself with a supervisor. Applications usually open in November and close in mid-January.

How realistic are your chances?

When the scheme runs, competition is real: a full fee-and-stipend PhD across a whole faculty draws strong candidates. Your prospects improve if you clearly meet the grade bar, line up a supervisor early, and match one of the advertised projects. The reserved Underrepresented Students places have a smaller applicant pool. Note that applications are currently closed and no scholarships are available for 2026 entry; the page reopens when new funding appears.