University of Edinburgh - ESRC Collaborative Studentship (1+3)

What the ESRC Collaborative Studentship covers

Your PhD tuition fees will be covered in full; in addition, you will receive a monthly living allowance, known as a scholarship. This amounts to about 2,010 EUR per month in accordance with the British Research Council’s standard rate (approximately £19,237 for 2025/26, equivalent to around 22,900 euros per year). The funding covers the entire duration of your PhD programme, which is usually 3.5 years. The ‘1+3’ pathway also includes funding for a one-year Master’s degree (MSc) prior to your PhD, should you not yet have the training in research methods required by the ESRC. This means you will receive a total of up to approximately four and a half years of funding. You may also receive a grant towards your research and training costs. The scholarship is administered by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS), a consortium of 16 Scottish universities funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. You will undertake the fellowship at the University of Edinburgh. ‘Collaborative’ means that an external partner will co-supervise your project, for example a local authority or a funding organisation from the private, public or voluntary sector.

Who can apply

• Level: You are about to start a PhD programme at the University of Edinburgh or are in the first year of your PhD programme. The ‘1+3’ programme is aimed at those who first need to obtain a Master’s degree. The ‘+3.5’ pathway is aimed at those who already hold a suitable Master’s degree.
• Field of study: Social sciences, including sociology, political science, social work, economics, education, geography, law, linguistics and psychology.
• Grades: As a rule, you will have a bachelor’s degree with a grade of ‘First Class’ or ‘Strong Upper Second’ (2:1). The SGSSS takes into account not only your grades, but also your general life and professional experience.
• Where you study: At the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.
• Nationality: The scholarships are primarily aimed at applicants from the United Kingdom: British nationals or individuals with ‘Settled’, ‘Pre-Settled’ or ‘Indefinite Leave’ status (each subject to the relevant conditions of residence). International students may also apply, but may occupy no more than 30% of the scholarship places.
• Existing funding: You are not currently receiving doctoral funding at the UKRI scholarship level or equivalent funding.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via the SGSSS Apply system. Firstly, you will need to have been admitted to the PhD programme in Edinburgh (or the relevant Master’s programme) by 9 January at the latest. For the ‘Collaborative Route’, which is supervised by a tutor, you apply for a specific project. For the student-initiated ‘Open Competition’ process, you propose your own project and submit the anonymised SGSSS form, together with your academic transcripts and CV, by the deadline in November. Your university will nominate you, after which SGSSS will make the final decisions in the spring.

How realistic are your chances?

Places are limited. The SGSSS partnership as a whole funds around 60 PhD places annually at 16 universities; places are therefore limited and competition is fierce. Your chances will improve considerably if you are a good fit for a specific collaborative project, have ‘home student’ status, and can demonstrate both outstanding academic results and relevant experience. It is essential to secure a supervisor and a PhD offer at an early stage, as you cannot be considered without these two requirements.