Arts and Humanities Research Council Scholarships

AHRC applications for 2025-26 entry are now open

The University of Edinburgh is part of a consortium of ten Higher Education institutions which has been awarded funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to support postgraduate doctoral studentships and training in the Arts and Humanities in Scotland.

Under the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) scheme, the consortium - comprised of the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Highlands & Islands, St Andrews, Stirling, Strathclyde, Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland - will consider applications for doctoral studentship awards in the majority of Arts and Humanities subjects. The consortium is organised through the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH).

If you wish to apply for this funding and have any academic queries, we strongly encourage you to contact our Programme Directors:

Information sessions

The University of Edinburgh and the SGSAH host information sessions for prospective students throughout the semester; please see below for more details.

The Dean of Postgraduate Research hosted a 1-hour online information session for prospective SGSAH applicants. You can access the recording through the link below.


 

Eligibility

Please refer to the eligibility and residency criteria available on the page linked below:

Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) 

 

IMPORTANT: Please note that prospective students applying for a PhD by Distance programme are not eligible to apply for the AHRC award.

AHRC studentships are awarded on the condition that the doctoral researcher lives within a ‘reasonable distance’ from their lead-HEI. SGSAH’s definition of reasonable distance is that a student ought to be able to travel to their lead HEI every day to work core hours (10am to 4pm).

SGSAH Doctoral Training Partnership & Funded Open Studentship Competition 2024 GUIDANCE

Applying

Please note that the funding applications have their own separate timelines and rules for both the study and the scholarship applications, which differ from the deadlines generated automatically by the application portal when submitting your study application. 

To be considered for the AHRC funding, you must complete the following two steps:

Please note that applications for University of Edinburgh degree programmes open in October 2024.

Apply for your study programme

Your completed PhD study application must be submitted through the University’s online application system by 14 November 2024, 23:59 UK time. This means that all your supporting documentation must also be uploaded, including the provisional supervision agreement, the research proposal of 1,000-2,000 words, copies of undergraduate and postgraduate degree certificates and transcripts (and their official translations if not in English), and two academic references. For instructions on uploading additional documents after submitting your application, please follow the support guidance available here. 

The scholarship panel will not consider incomplete applications. Please see the below guidance on what to do if any of your documents are missing or pending:

  • Academic references

Please liaise closely with your referees to ensure they supply the required reference within five working days of your submission and no later than 28 November 2024, 23:59 UK time.

  • Postgraduate degree result

Please note that you must submit your undergraduate and postgraduate degree certificates and transcripts to be considered for PhD admission. If you are still studying towards your postgraduate qualification, we will require you to submit an interim transcript or a certificate of matriculation so we can consider your application and, where appropriate, make you a conditional offer on the condition of successful completion of your current master's degree.

  • Proof of English competency

If a degree result or test of English competency is pending, we can consider your application and, where appropriate, make you a conditional offer on the condition of supplying these at a later date.

IMPORTANT: If you are unsure about the eligibility of any of your documents, please email the Postgraduate Research Office well ahead of the submission deadline.

Email the Postgraduate Research Office


Eligible candidates must submit a completed SGSAH Doctoral Training Partnership Studentship nomination application form for 2025-26 via email to the Postgraduate Research Office by Thursday, 14 November 2024, 23:59 UK time.

SGSAH Application form [auto-download]
SGSAH Guidance

 

Do I need a study offer before applying for the AHRC scholarship?

You may apply for the AHRC scholarship before receiving a decision on your application for a PhD place, but if you do not receive an offer of a place, your application cannot proceed.

PLEASE NOTE: When completing the 'Nominating Member of Staff' section of your AHRC application, please provide the name of the Programme Director of the PhD programme you are applying for:

Further information regarding the application process can be found under the 'How to apply' section of the SGSAH website.

Applications which do not meet the deadlines stated above won't be considered.

 

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