Justin Arbuthnott PhD Scholarship in Modern Irish History

Applications for the academic year 2026/7 are open.

This scholarship aims to promote better understanding of Ireland and various complex relationships which link Ireland and the UK by facilitating advanced study by PhD students in modern Irish history at the University of Edinburgh.

It is named for Justin Arbuthnott, who drowned along with three friends one night in July 1989 when their boat capsized off the coast near County Donegal in Ireland. All four were in their early 20s and were students at the University of Edinburgh, where they had first met and become close friends.

Awards

The award provides an annual stipend at the UKRI rate (for the academic year 25/26, this has been set as £20,780) and tuition fees at the UK or international rate.

Eligibility

The award is open to UK and international students commencing a full-time PhD degree in History, Scottish History, or Economic and Social History in the academic year 2026-27. Applicants for a distance learning PhD programme and current PhD students are not eligible to apply for the Justin Arbuthnott PhD Scholarship.

Applying

Please note that the funding applications have their 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 this scholarship, you must complete the following two steps:

Your completed PhD study application must be submitted through the University’s online application system by Monday, 23 February 2026, 23:59 UK time. This means that all your supporting documentation must also be uploaded, including the research proposal (1,000-2,000 words), copies of undergraduate and postgraduate degree certificates and transcripts, and their official translations if not in English (we recommend collating multiple transcripts or certificates into one file). Additionally, two academic references are required. If you need to upload any additional documents after submitting your application, please follow the support guidance available here or send them directly to the PGR Office at hca-pgr@ed.ac.uk. 

The scholarship panel will not consider incomplete applications. Please see the guidance below 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 ten working days of your submission and no later than 9 March 2026, 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 that you supply 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.

 


Eligible candidates must submit a separate scholarship application in the MyEd portal by Monday, 2 March 2026, 23:59 GMT.

Please note you cannot access the online funding application form in the MyEd portal unless you have first applied for admission to the University of Edinburgh (see Step 1) and received your login details (University username and password).

To apply for the scholarship in the MyEd portal, please select the 'Justin Arbuthnott PhD Scholarship in Modern Irish History' option.

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

You may apply for funding before receiving a decision on your application for a PhD place, but if you do not receive a study offer, your application cannot proceed.

 


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

The University reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or withdraw any of the advertised scholarships, without notice.

Currently open funding applications

The William R McFarlane Scholarship

 

 

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