Arts and Humanities Research Council - Arts and Humanities Research Council

What the AHRC doctoral studentship gives you

You will receive a full scholarship to study for a PhD in the humanities. Your tuition fees will be covered, and you will also receive a contribution towards your living costs (known as a scholarship) of at least about 24,000 EUR per year (£20,780 for 2025/26 outside London) for up to 3 years full-time academic years. If you are studying in London, the scholarship will be increased by approximately 2,300 EUR (£2,000) per year. You may also study part-time, provided that your workload is at least 50% of a full-time programme. Funding is provided by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), a UK government research funding body. The AHRC awards the scholarships through university consortia known as ‘Doctoral Training Partnerships’ (DTPs). You will therefore receive the funding via your university rather than directly from the AHRC.

Who can apply

• Level: You are studying for a PhD (or are about to do so) in a humanities subject at a British university.
• Field of study: All humanities subjects, including languages, literature, history, philosophy, archaeology, art history, film, design, digital culture, cultural heritage and the creative industries.
• Qualifications: You hold a bachelor’s degree. As a rule, you will already have completed a master’s degree or be currently studying for one. Alternatively, verifiable professional experience relevant to your research topic may be taken into account.
• Nationality: Both UK and international students are eligible to apply. For international students, the AHRC only covers tuition fees at the UK domestic rate. It is up to the respective university to decide whether to cover the remainder.
• Employment: You are not permitted to undertake any full-time employment whilst pursuing your PhD. Part-time employment is permitted if you are in receipt of a part-time scholarship.
• Timing: If you have already started your PhD programme, you can still apply provided that at least half of the funding period remains. For a full-time programme, this means that at least 1 years and 10 months remain.

How to apply

You do not apply directly to the AHRC. Instead, you apply via a ‘Doctoral Training Partnership’ (DTP) or one of its member universities, such as the South, West and Wales DTP (SWWDTP). Check the funding pages of the university where you wish to pursue your PhD for details of the call for applications and the deadline.

How realistic are your chances?

The range of subjects is wide, but each partnership funds only a limited number of PhD places. Selection depends on the quality of your research project and your academic achievements, so there is genuine competition. A clear, well-reasoned research proposal that is tailored to the expertise and resources of your chosen partnership will set you apart from other applicants. Contact your preferred university at an early stage, as decisions on the allocation of places are made on a round-by-round basis.