University of Birmingham - Economic and Social Research Council funding

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding at Birmingham

You will be awarded a fully-funded place on a PhD programme or a research-based Master’s programme at the University of Birmingham. The scholarship covers your tuition fees at the home rate. You will also receive a tax-free maintenance grant (contribution towards living costs) at the UKRI standard rate: at least £20,780 per year (about 24,000 EUR) from October 2025, rising to £21,805 (about 25,200 EUR) for 2026/27. Standard funding lasts for 3 years for a PhD and 1 years for an MA, MPhil or MRes, whether full-time or part-time. You will also receive a research training grant. Depending on your project, you may apply for additional funding for study visits abroad, fieldwork abroad, language courses in difficult languages, conferences and work placements. The funding is provided by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) through the ‘Midlands Graduate School Doctoral Training Partnership’, a consortium of six universities in the Midlands.

Who can apply

• Degree level: You are applying to undertake research studies in Birmingham. This will be either a PhD or a combined Master’s and PhD programme (a 1+3.5 programme).
• Field of study: Your degree programme falls within one of the 15 social science specialisations, such as psychology, education, sociology, human geography, political science, management and business administration, social and legal sciences, or sport and exercise sciences.
• Residence: Full scholarships are awarded to students resident in the United Kingdom and the EU. Some students from the EU may only be eligible for a reduction in tuition fees. International students are only awarded scholarships in exceptional circumstances.
• Supervisors: Before applying, you have found two supervisors in Birmingham who are willing to support your project.
• Grades: You must hold a university degree with a ‘First Class’ or ‘Upper Second Class’ classification. If your grades do not meet the required standard, relevant professional experience may be taken into account.

How to apply

First, apply for admission to the PhD programme in Birmingham to obtain an applicant ID. You should then submit the separate funding application for the MGS-DTP via the online form. The deadline for applications for 2027 is 13 January 2026 at 12:00 GMT (midday). You may only submit one funding application for all MGS-DTP universities; incomplete applications will not be considered.

How realistic are your chances?

Research Council scholarships are among the most sought-after funding opportunities for postgraduate students in the United Kingdom, so competition is fierce. Your chances of success depend heavily on the quality of your research proposal and on whether you can secure the support of two supervisors for your project before applying. The preparatory work you do at an early stage is more important here than for most other scholarships. With a ‘First’ or a very good ‘Upper Second’, a clear project concept and committed supervisors in one of the key research areas, you have a genuine chance of success.