University Research Studentship Award (URSA)

University Research Studentship Award (URSA)

You get your full PhD tuition fees covered plus a living stipend (a fixed yearly payment to cover your costs) of about EUR 24,700 per year (£20,780 for 2025/26). You also get a training fund of up to about EUR 1,190 per year (£1,000) for courses, conferences and research costs. Funding runs for 3 years in Humanities & Social Sciences and the School of Management, and 3.5 years in Science and in Engineering & Design. This is the University of Bath's main PhD scholarship, open across its four faculties. If you are an international student, note that the award does not cover UK visa costs or the mandatory Immigration Health Surcharge, so you pay those yourself.

Who can apply

• Level: You are starting a PhD at the University of Bath.
• Field of study: Open across Humanities & Social Sciences, the School of Management, Engineering & Design and Science.
• Grades: You have (or expect) at least a UK upper-second (2:1) honours degree, or the international equivalent, in a subject relevant to your project. Some projects need a first-class degree or a Master's.
• Nationality: Open to both UK and international students.
• Visa (international applicants): You meet all UK visa and immigration rules. This includes ATAS clearance if your offer requires it.
• English: If English is not your first language, you meet Bath's English language requirement.
• Presence: You are based in person at Bath from the start of your programme, except during placements.

One Engineering & Design place each year is reserved for applicants who hold UK Refugee, Humanitarian Protection or Asylum Seeker status (the Doctoral Sanctuary Studentship).

How to apply

You either apply to an advertised project on FindAPhD or submit your own research proposal. In the funding section of the application form, select "University of Bath URSA". In Humanities & Social Sciences you must first contact a potential supervisor, and if they back you an online interview follows; the deadline there is 9 January 2026 at 12:00 GMT. Deadlines differ by faculty: 30 November 2025 for Engineering & Design and 27 February 2026 for the School of Management. Science deadlines depend on the individual project.

How realistic are your chances?

URSA is competitive, and the university itself calls the selection highly competitive. Strong grades are the baseline rather than what sets you apart. Your prospects improve a lot if you line up a supervisor early and shape a convincing project, since much of the decision rests on that fit. The reserved Sanctuary place in Engineering & Design draws a far smaller pool, so a well-matched applicant with the required status has clearer prospects there.