The Wolfson Foundation - Wolfson Scholarships

Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships in the Humanities

You will receive a full scholarship worth approximately EUR 3,300 per month for a full-time PhD programme at one of six UK universities. The scholarship covers your tuition fees at the UK (domestic) rate, a tax-free monthly living allowance (a fixed payment towards living costs, for example £28,250 per year in Nottingham) and an allowance for research and professional development. The exact amount varies slightly depending on the university. You may also undertake the programme on a part-time basis over six years, receiving half the annual amount. The funding is provided by the Wolfson Foundation, which has invested more than £24 million in doctoral programmes in the humanities since 2012.

If you are an international student, the scholarship usually only covers the tuition fees for home students. You will have to pay the difference between these fees and the higher fees charged to international students yourself. The University of Nottingham is an exception to this rule, as the faculty covers this difference.

Who can apply

• Degree level: You are about to start a new full-time PhD programme. If you are already enrolled on a PhD programme, you cannot apply.
• Field of study: Your field of research lies within the areas of history, literature or linguistics. These subject areas are broad. History includes classical philology, art history and architectural history. Literature includes theatre, film and critical theory, but not creative writing. Within linguistics, English and pure linguistics are excluded. What matters is your topic, not the name of your discipline.
• University: You are studying at one of six partner universities: Birmingham, UCL, Exeter, Nottingham, Oxford or York.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply, including students from the UK, the EU and other countries.
• Residence: You will live in the UK for the duration of your studies, apart from when you are on fieldwork or attending conferences.
• Grades: You have an excellent academic record, typically a Bachelor’s degree with a ‘very good’ grade, as well as a relevant Master’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Application status: You have already applied for a PhD place at the partner university. You do not yet need an official offer of admission.

How to apply

You apply directly to the partner university, not to the Wolfson Foundation. This is usually part of the application for doctoral funding at that university. Application deadlines are in mid-January; for example, 12 noon on 19 January for Nottingham. Please check with your chosen university for the exact date. A university panel selects scholarship recipients solely on the basis of their academic merit.

How realistic are your chances?

The awards are restricted to specific subject areas (history, literature, languages) and to specific institutions (only six universities), meaning that fewer people qualify than would be the case with an open call for applications. However, as this is a full scholarship for doctoral studies awarded solely on the basis of academic excellence, competition amongst the strong candidates is fierce. If you have a degree with a ‘very good’ grade, a clearly defined research topic and have already submitted a promising PhD application to a partner university, your chances are good. It is advisable to apply well in advance of the January deadline.