AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards (DLA)

What the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award gives you

You get a funded PhD place in an arts or humanities subject in the UK. Each place covers your full Home-rate tuition fees and a tax-free living stipend (a yearly living allowance). The UKRI rate is about EUR 24,000 per year: GBP 20,780 in 2025/26, rising to roughly GBP 23,466 for 2026/27. You also get an extra grant for research and training costs. Funding runs for 3.5 years full time and can be extended by up to 6 months for extra training or a placement. You can also study part time over 7.25 years for the same total value. The money comes from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). AHRC has given 50 UK universities 15 studentships each, with groups of students starting each October from 2026 to 2031.

Who can apply

• Level: You are starting a PhD. If you already hold a doctorate or are already enrolled in one, you cannot apply.
• Field of study: Any arts or humanities subject, for example History, English, Philosophy, Languages, Creative Writing, Music, Architecture, Design, Art History, Media Studies, Law or Theology. At least half of your project must sit within an AHRC research area.
• University: You study at one of the 50 UK universities that hold a Landscape Award, such as Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff or Queen's University Belfast.
• Grades: Normally a Master's degree with Merit or Distinction, plus a good first degree (First or Upper Second class). Strong professional or creative experience can count instead. You can apply while finishing your Master's.
• Where you live: You must live in the UK for the whole PhD. Distance learning does not qualify.
• Nationality: International students can apply, but the award only pays Home-rate fees. Home fee status normally means UK or Irish nationality, or settled/pre-settled status or indefinite leave to remain, plus about 3 years' UK residency before you start. Each university can fund only a small number of international students (about one per year).
• Encouraged: AHRC welcomes applicants from underrepresented groups, people returning to study, and those with non-traditional academic backgrounds.

How to apply

There is no central application to AHRC. You apply directly to one of the 50 funded universities. Most ask you to agree a research proposal with a supervisor first, then apply for PhD admission and submit the university's own AHRC studentship form. Some hold interviews, and results usually come in February or March. Deadlines differ by university and fall in autumn or early spring, so check the exact date with your chosen institution.

How realistic are your chances?

With 50 universities each funding three new students a year across all arts and humanities, there are more places than in a single narrow scheme, which helps. Competition is still real. A strong Master's result plus a well-developed proposal backed by a supervisor is what sets applicants apart. International applicants face the tightest odds, since each university can fund only around one non-Home student per year.