Research Studentships (Coventry University)

Coventry University Research Studentships

You get a fully funded PhD place. The university covers all your tuition fees and pays you a yearly living-cost bursary on top. Tuition is worth about EUR 6,000 per year for UK students and about EUR 19,500 per year for international students (£5,238 and £16,500 for 2026-27). The bursary varies by project. Projects funded by the UK research council EPSRC pay the national minimum of £20,780 per year (about EUR 24,500) for 2025-26. Funding runs for the length of the doctorate, usually three to three and a half years full time. You also get structured research training in technical, personal and professional skills through the university's Doctoral and Researcher College. The money comes from Coventry University's own £7 million research fund and external research councils.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold at least an upper second-class (2:1) bachelor's degree, with at least 60% in the project subject and a 60% overall average. If your bachelor's is below 2:1, a master's degree passed at merit level (at least 60%) counts instead.
• Subject: Your degree must fit the specific project you apply for. Projects span physics, artificial intelligence, transport, life sciences, clean energy, arts and more.
• Where you study: You do the PhD at Coventry University in the UK. Each place is tied to one predefined research project.
• Nationality: Anyone can apply, from the UK, the EU or anywhere else in the world.
• English: If you are an international applicant, you must prove your English skills, usually IELTS 6.5 to 7.0 overall with a minimum in each part, depending on the research centre.
• Timing: You can finish the doctorate within three and a half years.

How to apply

Pick a project from the current list, then contact the named supervisor before you apply formally. You apply through the university's online portal by the project's own deadline, which differs from project to project. If you are shortlisted, you are invited to an interview.

How realistic are your chances?

Each place is a single fully funded spot tied to one project and supervisor, so you compete against everyone drawn to that exact topic. Your prospects improve a lot if your degree and research interests match the project closely and you talk to the supervisor early, since they help shape the shortlist. Meeting the 2:1 and English thresholds cleanly is the baseline, not the deciding factor.