Postgraduate Funding and Supplementary Grants

Introduction

A variety of public, private and non-profit organisations offer postgraduate scholarships and grants that will help you to fund your postgraduate study. These include university grants, awards provided by charities and trusts, and international and national award schemes.

Particularly at postgraduate research level the number of funded places available is a very small proportion of the total. Typically, UK-domiciled students will find better opportunities for external funding, for example studentships from the UK Research Councils, than students from the EU and overseas. The British Government does not tend to provide funding for overseas candidates directly beyond the provision of "fees only" awards for citizens of European Union member countries who apply to the United Kingdom Research Councils. Sometimes money is made available by the Government of the United Kingdom through overseas development schemes that are targeted towards providing education for citizens of beneficiary countries. Such schemes are normally administered by the British Council. Potential applicants from countries outside the United Kingdom are recommended to make inquires through the local office of the British Council.

In addition to external sources of funding, it is advisable to check with Student Services Student Money Advice & Rights Team (SMART) and/or the International Office team as there may be supplementary grants, hardship loans and so forth available through UEL itself.

Securing funding for postgraduate study can be difficult. There is no way of guaranteeing that an application will be successful. There are, however, a number of things you can do to improve your chances. Here are some points to bear in mind.

• Start early. Most funding bodies adhere to deadlines very strictly and will not accept late applications. You should allow plenty of time to obtain references or confirmation of an offer of a place. This may take several weeks or more especially if your referees are outside the UK.
• Check your eligibility carefully (e.g. residency or type of study)
• Put time and thought into your application. Most funding bodies receive a large number of requests. Carelessly completed applications are an easy way to weed out applicants.
• Give full and relevant answers
• Make sure your referees understand what you want to do, where and why.
• Make contingency plans. Be realistic about your chances of success and be prepared to look elsewhere for sources of funding.

The Graduate School can advise about what may be available to postgraduate research students who are interested in finding external funding, and can offer advice and guidance on making applications. Unfortunately the Graduate School cannot undertake to find funding on behalf of prospective applicants.

The following list of funding websites and listings, providers of studentships and other funding, and publications is not aimed to be an exhaustive guide to available grants. The majority of the grants are very modest and ‘one-off’, and might be designed to support specific and immediate needs, such as travel grants to enable applicants to undertake fieldwork, or for conference participation, and cover taught postgraduate as well as research studies. Criteria and application procedures will vary between organisations. Please read the instructions and eligibility criteria carefully as given on the organisation’s web site and contact them if you have further queries. Please note that not all of the opportunities listed below may be suitable for students wishing to study at the University of East London, but may be suitable for our students who are seeking to fund studies elsewhere.

While we will do our best to keep this page up-to-date, if you come across any funding information we have missed, or notice any broken links, please report it to the University's specialist adviser .

Funding Websites and Listings

There are a number of websites some of which give specific advice on financial support, as well as being giving more general information for students in the UK. Useful sites include:

• The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) runs or manages a number of funding opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate study. Please see the ACU website for more information.
• The British Association for Chinese Studies maintains a listing of current funding opportunities for postgraduates undertaking Chinese studies in UK universities or wishing to study in China and Taiwan - see http://www.bacsuk.org.uk/
• British Council Education UK - If you are an international student, wanting to study in the UK, the British Council’s easy-to-use Education UK database can help you find the right award for your studies, whatever your level.
• Directgov – The official British Government website for finance information for all students studying in the UK http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/DG_10035314
• FUNDERS ONLINE - Provides funding information, including funders, practical tips on applications, and advice on funding research. http://www.fundersonline.org/englisch/index.html
• The Institute of International Education is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1919. It is a world leader in the exchange of people and ideas. The Institute administers various scholarship programmes, including the Fulbright programme. See www.iie.org
• Postgraduate Studentships Search - the first dedicated website in the UK to bring together all the different types of funding opportunities open to potential postgraduates, at both taught and research level, all in one place. http://www.postgraduatestudentships.co.uk/
• PROSPECTS - The UK's official graduate careers website, Prospects, gives you links to useful information on courses, institution and funding. Information about possible sources of funding for postgraduate study in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is in "Funding My Further Study"
• Scholarship Search UK - produced by Hot Courses and UCAS, www.scholarship-search.org.uk brings together a wide variety of information about planning and organising your finances as a student, including a scholarship search service.
• Student Cash Point - is a fairly recent web-source of information on student grants, loans, bursaries, scholarships and awards. See http://www.studentcashpoint.co.uk/Default.aspx
• UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) - the UK’s national advisory body serving the interests of international students and those who work with them. See http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/fees_student_support.php

See also The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding, as mentioned above.

Providers of Studentships and Other Funding

• Aga Khan Foundation - International Scholarships. Deadline: 31 March, but should be checked with the Foundation's local branch, as their deadline might be earlier. The Foundation gives awards to outstanding students from developing countries on a 50% grant, 50% loan basis. Priorities are given to Masters applications but PhD courses and requests for travel and study awards for PhD students will also be considered. Topics should fall into the Foundation's Development Network interests. Applicants should not have started their studies at time of application. The Foundation accepts applications from students who are under the age of 30 and based in countries where it has affiliates or local branches: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Syria, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Madagascar, France, Portugal, UK, USA and Canada. Visit the Foundation's website for more information.
• The Airey Neave Trust - funding for refugees in higher education. The Trust focuses its attention on Home Office approved refugees, already in the United Kingdom who need to perfect their knowledge of English and to re-qualify in their professions. Support is concentrated in the higher education field, principally post graduate work. Those people with refugee status or exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom should submit as proof a letter from the Home Office. Asylum seekers, refugees with asylum status in countries other than Britain, overseas students in the UK on a student visa, British citizens, and refugees now holding British citizenship are excluded. See the Airey Neave Trust website for more information.
• The Anglo-Jewish Association provides contributory scholarships ranging between £500-£3,000 to Jewish students who would like to study in the UK a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate course. Deadline this year: 30 April 2010. Visit AJA's website for more information.
• The Arts and Humanities Research Council provides an annual Studentship competition for postgraduate funding for Masters and Research programmes. The deadline for applications is typically 1 May each year; these are submitted through the institution at which you intend to apply. UEL usually asks for applications to be received 4 weeks prior to the deadline set by the AHRC. This is to ensure that applications can be thoroughly checked and that the correct paperwork and authorisation is obtained prior to submission. The AHRC caps the number of applications individual institutions could make, necessitating an internal competition. For UEL, this cap is set at 5. In 2010, the AHRC deadline is Thursday, 6 May; an institutional deadline of Thursday, 1 April has been set to allow us to properly select, check and verify applications. Prospective applicants should in the first instance contact their supervisor or prospective supervisor, or the Research Degrees Leader of the Research Degree Sub Committee in which they intend to study.
  The University of East London does not hold any studentships awarded under the Block Grant Partnership scheme.
• Association for Industrial Archaeology - Peter Neaverson student travel bursary. Deadline: 1 December annually.
  The Association for Industrial Archaeology invites applications for the Peter Neaverson student travel bursary. This bursary funds a postgraduate student to undertake travel on a topic of relevance to industrial archaeology. The award is designed to assist students to travel, not necessarily abroad, during the Easter or summer vacations immediately following the receipt of the award. The bursary is worth up to £2,000. http://www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk/aneaver.htm
• AXA Research Fund - PhD Fellowships. .
  AXA wishes to fund up to thirty three-year PhD studentships of a value of €25,000 per annum, to support the emergence of the world's scientific leaders from the very beginning of their careers. The subject of the research must fall within one of the themes identified by the AXA Scientific Board. In order to apply, you must first be nominated by your institution. See http://researchfund.axa.com/en/research-funding/grants/ for more information.
• The BBC Performing Arts Fund supports aspiring music makers and performers. The Fund announces different schemes throughout the year. Check the Fund's website for more information.
• The Biochemical Society, Krebs Memorial Scholarship. The Society funds outstanding applicants wishing to pursue a PhD study in biochemistry and/or biomedical sciences. These PhD scholarships cover the tuition fees at UK/EU student rate and provides maintenance, totalling up to £18,000 for one year which can be renewed up to three years. Students from any nationaliy can apply. Applicants will be expected to have made prior arrangements with the university at which they intend to hold the award. The application should be forwarded through the Head of Department concerned. Visit the Society's website for more information.
• The Biosocial Society, Postgraduate Bursary Scheme. Deadlines usually at the end of January and July annually. The Biosocial Society awards small grants to postgraduate student members of the society.  Awards of up to £750 are available to help with costs associated with fieldwork or data collection.  Awards of up to £250 are available towards the cost of participation in conferences.  There will normally be two deadlines each year, in January and July, with one award of each type available at each round. http://www.biosocsoc.org/bursaries
• The Biotechnology YES Programme. The Biotechnology Young Entrepreneurs Scheme (YES) supports postgraduate researchers with its mentoring, advice and practical workshop competition. Deadline for applications is usually June.
• The Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council supports research training in areas within its scientific merit. Full information about the science covered by the BBSRC is given on their website. The BBSRC fund postgraduate research mainly through training grants. Funding is awarded directly to research organisations and universities; not to students.
  See the BBSRC website for more information.
• Breast Cancer Campaign PhD Studentships - Deadline: usually early July each year.
  Campaign's PhD studentshsips are designed to capture new and highly-qualified science graduates into a career of breast cancer research. In addition to the scientific merit of the proposed research and its relevance to the aims of the charity, particular attention will be paid to the quality of the environment in which the award is to be held and the support provided by the supervisor and the host institution to help develop the student's career in research. The application must be made by the potential supervisor, the charity will not accept applications from the potential students themselves. Average grants are for about £90,000 over three years. See http://www.breastcancercampaign.org/whatwedo/phdstudents/ for more details.
• The British Council Chevening Scholarships. Are you under 35 and already experienced in your chosen career? This presitigious award could help fund your studies and introduce you to an influential global alumni. Find out more about becoming a Chevening scholar. Alternatively visit the British Council’s offices in your home country which can provide details of the Chevening Scholarships and any other opportunities the British Council may be promoting.
• The British Chamber of Commerce in Germany Foundation – Scholarships. The British Chamber of Commerce in Germany Foundation invites applications for its scholarships to allow British and German students to study or conduct research in Germany or the UK, respectively. The award is intended to provide supplementary financial support, not to defray the full cost of the proposed course of study or research. Applicants should be undertaking full-time courses of study at universities leading to degrees, diplomas or equivalent qualifications. Applicants must be aged under 30 years at the application deadline, which is 30 June annually. For more information please see the BCCG website
• The British Charitable Foundation for Women Graduates, trading as Funding for Women Graduates (FfWG) provides some funding to aid women graduates studying for a PhD in the UK. There are three strands of funding:
  Foundation Grants - will not normally exceed £4,000 and will only be available for the final year of a PhD or DPhil (full time) or from the third year onwards (part time). Applicants from Britain and overseas are eligible to apply. This grant assists with living expenses; evidence of ability to pay fees is required. Closing date is 14 May and awards are announced in July for the following year of study.
  Emergency Grants - will not normally exceed £1,500 and are offered to women graduates who face an unforeseen financial crisis during the course of their research studies. Applicants from Britain and overseas are eligible to apply. Evidence of ability to pay fees is required. Closing dates for applications are in March, June and November each year.
  Theodora Bosanquet Bursary (TBB) - offered annually to women graduates whose research in History or English Literature requires a short residence in London during the summer. Two bursaries are provided annually to cover the cost of up to four weeks' stay in a London hall of residence. Closing dates for applications are 31st October each year.
  For more details and to apply, please see the FfWG website.
• The British Occupational Hygiene Society – Postgraduate Bursary Scheme. The British Occupational Hygiene Society invites applications for its postgraduate bursary scheme. The bursaries support students who are registered on, or have been offered a place on, any UK-based postgraduate course approved by the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene. Up to five awards are available annually of up to £4,000 each to cover the costs of academic fees; the deadline for applications is typically 30 June. The award will be paid directly to the candidate's university. Bursary holders will be given free student membership of BOHS. Please see the BOHS website for more information.
• The British Society for Middle Eastern Studies - Deadline: usually 31 March each year for all schemes.
  BRISMES offers a number of awards for postgraduate students studying for taught and research degrees in a British university, working on a topic related to the Middle East or undertaking a taught programme in any discipline but including a majority component relating to the Middle East. The awards range in value from £1000 to £2000. There are restrictions on eligibility, different for each scheme. See the BRISMES website for further information.
• The Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund (CCSF) provides funding of £500-£3000 for Canadian postgraduate students already enrolled and studying in the UK. See the CCSF website for more information.
• The Commonwealth Scholarships Commission in the UK - CSUK offers a number of scholarships schemes to enable Commonwealth students to study in the UK for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Please see the CSUK website for more information.
• The Design History Society (Deadlines: 15 January and 15 September annually) offers financial aid for postgraduate students, Hosting conferences, travel to conferences, meetings etc., travel for research purposes, directed grants for individual investigators, and support to publish, edit, translate, disseminate. To be eligible, postgraduate candidates must be registered with an institution to undertake a MPhil or PhD degree in design history of any period. Independent scholars affiliated with, as well as those in the employ of, academic and cultural institutions are also eligible. No application should exceed £1,500. See http://www.designhistorysociety.org/awards/research_grant/index.html
• The Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Studentships are administered by Research Councils UK and aims to attract the best research students from India, China, Hong Kong, South Africa, Brazil, Russia and the developing world to come and study for their PhDs in top rated UK research facilities.    Students wanting to apply for DHPA funding should contact individual recipient universities, using the contact points provided, rather than sending applications to individual research councils that are part of this scheme. For more information see the RCUK website.
• The Economic and Social Research Council Prospective applicants should begin by speaking to their supervisor or prospective supervisor, or the contact person for the Training Outlet in which they would like to study.
  
  The ESRC runs the INDUSTRIAL CASE and GOVERNMENT COLLABORATIVE Schemes which require a cooperative application with a industry or government department partner.

The ESRC also runs the KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE SMALL GRANTS Scheme, that is open to all social science PhD students. The aim is to provide funding between £2,000-£10,000 for knowlegde exchange or impact generating activity, application of ocial science research to non-academic audiences within public, private and third sectors. Facilitate networks and collaborations between social science researchers and non-academic; increase opportunities for social science research to make an impact on policy and practice. The applications will be submitted via Je-S. (Contact your supervisor first and the Graduate School for support, if you decide to apply for this scheme).

All information about these schemes and how to apply can be found on the ESRC website. The ESRC is also involved in collaborations with the MRC and NERC.

• The Economic History Society will consider applications for grants – normally of up to £500 – to assist postgraduate students (Master's Degree and PhD) in United Kingdom colleges and universities with travel and subsistence expenses incurred in the undertaking of research into any aspect of economic and social history.  Applications should be made, supported by a supervisor's statement, to the Honorary Secretary, via the administrative secretary. Information concerning any attempts to obtain matching support from other sources should be submitted. Closing dates for applications are on the first day of February, May, August and November each year.  It is expected that successful applicants will be, or will become, members of the Society. See the Economic History Society website for more information.
• ESCalate – The Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Education - student grants are available to enable students to work with fellow students and staff, in engaging and responding to the learning, teaching and training issues of concern to you. See http://escalate.ac.uk/projects
• The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funds postgraduate researchers through a suite of training grants - see the EPSRC website for more information.
  - Doctoral Training (applications are accepted through the institution at which you intend to study, usually at the beginning of May).
  - Training and Secondments provide postgraduate students with the opportunity of getting the skills and experience required by the industry. These programmes include the Industrial Fellowships which give industrial researchers the chance to carry out research or course-development in a UK university or academic researchers to work in a UK business; and Industrial CASE awards which allow companies take the lead in defining and arranging PhD projects with an academic partner of their choice.
  - Collaborative training programmes. Selected universities receive substantial long-term funding from the EPSRC  for collaborative training.
  - International Doctoral Studentships aim to give leading research teams in the UK the ability to recruit outstanding graduate students from anywhere in the world. Universities that have EPSRC-supported Portfolio Partnerships or Interdisciplinary Research Centres can transfer up to 10% of their yearly institutional Doctoral training grant into the International Doctoral Scholarships scheme.
• European Doctoral College, Strasbourg. Research Grants -. Grants to enable talented students of European countries to prepare a PhD in two different European institutions: one in Strasbourg and one in a European country of the student’s choice (not France). Students will prepare their doctorate as part of a research project involving the two universities. Students in all subjects are accepted. The city of Strasbourg has three universities which all specialise in different areas (Louis Pasteur, Marc Bloch and Robert Schuman universities). Funds are available for travel abroad and participation in international conferences and summer schools. Applicants must be accepted for a PhD at a university of Strasbourg or in another European university; and have obtained financial support for the PhD. See the University of Strasbourg site for more information.
• The Folklore Society Postgraduate Research Bursary. Deadline usually the first Friday of May annually.
  The bursary supports research in any aspect of folklore studies broadly defined and conducted at any UK university. The bursary may be used for assistance in the conduct of research such as:
  - the purchase of materials and equipment relevant to the applicant's research;
  - costs of transport to a place of field research whether the location is inside or outside the UK;
  - maintenance while conducting research in the field.
  Applicants must be currently registered on, or in the forthcoming academic session will be registered on, a full or part time programme of research leading to a PhD to an equivalent degree with a research component. The bursary is for a period of one year or less and is worth up to £1,000. Please visit http://www.folklore-society.com/aboutus/bursary.asp
• Ford Foundation International Fellowships - for people from particular countries currently including: Brazil, Chile, China, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Vietnam, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. It is mainly for people who would otherwise lack opportunities for advanced study, including women, people from particular ethnic, racial or religious groups and those who live outside capital cities or in countries of conflict or post-conflict situations. Funds are provided for up to three years of Masters or doctoral study. See the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program website for more information. (The Foundation is no longer accepting new applicants)
• Florence Mary Mackenzie Bequest - provides supplementary grants to Canadian students studying Medicine and related sciences, to cover or contribute to fees, travel costs, books, etc. Applications in writing only to Mr G. Bentinck, Peterkins Solictors, 100 Union St, Aberdeen AB1 1QR
• Foundation for the Canadian Studies in the UK - seeks to provide financial support for well-qualified and talented British and Canadian citizens, who are permanent residents in the UK, to conduct doctoral research, at a UK University, containinga substantialCanadian element and with relevance to Canadian Studies in the UK. Host institutions will be expected to provide 'matching funding' to make up the balance of the home/EU tuition fees. Maximum grants are £2,000 per annum full-time and £750 per annum part-time. Phd degree-granting institutions may apply and students may be in his or her first, second, or third year of doctoral study (part-time up to fourth year of study). See http://www.canadian-studies-uk.org/.
• The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. It is the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide. See http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html
• The Gen Foundation - a charitable trust which supports the research and study of natural sciences and the arts. The Foundation focuses on biological, chemical and botanical science students/researchers, and exceptional candidates from language, music and art. Awards are one-off and usually up to £3,000, though exceptionally more may be awarded. Please see The Gen Foundation website for more information.
• German Historical Institute London - Scholarships. Deadline: 31 March and 30 September each year.
  These fund research visits by British and German postgraduates to Germany or Britain respectively. The scholarships may last for up to six months. Applicants should have completed one year’s postgraduate research, and should be studying either German history or Anglo-German relations. http://www.ghil.ac.uk/scholarships.html
• The Institute of Historical Research,
  - Richard III Society bursary. Deadline usually 1 June annually
  This bursary offers approximately £250 and is intended to support a dissertation or thesis on:
  - some aspect of late 15th century English history, literature, architecture or art history;
  - any late medieval English or European subject relevant to the Yorkist period in English history.
  Applications in the first category will have preference. The bursary is open to any person registered for a higher degree. In exceptional cases a part-time postgraduate student may hold the bursary in two consecutive years.http://www.history.ac.uk/awards/
  - The David Bates, Alwyn Ruddock bequest and IHR friends’ bursaries. Deadline usually in mid-June annually
  These are available to postgraduate students of any UK university (excluding London-based institutions). The central aim of the awards is to provide an opportunity to develop the holders' research. Grants will cover travel, accommodation or research expenses. Students will be expected to use IHR as their base during their stay in London and to participate in its activities. http://www.history.ac.uk/awards/ 
• The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining awards various scholarships, bursary and travel awards available to fund research. You need to be a member to apply. See the Institute's website for more information and deadlines; the Institute also maintains a short list of funding opportunities provided by other bodies in relevant disciplines.
• The International Council for Canadian Studies, CA. Graduate Student Scholarships. Deadline usually 24 November annually 
  The Council solicits proposals under its graduate student scholarships program. This is open to students of the social sciences or humanities who are in the process of preparing a graduate thesis or doctoral dissertation on Canada.  Recipients spend four to six weeks at a Canadian university or research site other than their own doing research related to their thesis or dissertation in the field of Canadian studies. The stipend is worth up to $3,500. See the ICCS website for more information.
• The Korner Travelling Fellowship Fund Deadlines: 31 January, 31 May, 30 September each year.The Korner Travelling Fellowship Fund exists to commemorate the work of Professor Asher Korner, the first Professor of Biochemistry in the University of Sussex. Fellowships are available to allow students and recently qualified postdoctoral scientists, working in the field of gene expression (or related areas) in laboratories in the U.K. or Republic of Ireland, to visit laboratories outside these countries or to attend international conferences. Awards are also available to similar applicants from abroad who wish to visit laboratories or conferences within the U.K. or Republic of Ireland. Awards of up to £1000 towards the costs of travel and subsistence may be made at each funding round. To be eligible an applicant must be a postgraduate or final year undergraduate student currently registered for a degree. The topic of study to be pursued during the foreign trip should lie within the fields of gene expression, protein biosynthesis or molecular endocrinology. Please see the Fund's website for more information.
• Leverhulme Trust Study Abroad Studentships Deadline: usually early January each year
  These awards support an extended period of advanced study or research at a centre of learning in any overseas country (except USA). Applicants must have been resident in the UK for at least five years at time of application and must hold an undergraduate degree from a UK institution. They should be under age 30 or, if older, make a strong case for special consideration. Details of each year’s scheme are usually published on The Leverhulme Trust's web site in September with a closing deadline in early January.
• The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust gives Postgraduate Bursaries which are designed to provide support for eligible UK students i.e. those who are (or who are connected with) Commercial Travellers, Grocers or Chemists, in financial need undertaking full-time Postgraduate degree courses at institutions in the United Kingdom, leading to recognised qualifications (e.g. PhD/MSc).For more details and to apply see the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust website.
• Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. They are funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and administered by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission (MACC) in the UK. For full information on applying for a scholarship and the Marshall Aid Charity Commission please visit www.marshallscholarship.org.
• Mary Trevelyan Fund (Grants - Student Residents/Members of International Students House (ISH) only). Small supplementary grants. The fund has been set up to help international students from developing countries. Students must be in their final year of a full-time programme at any publicly-funded London institution and intend to return home on completion of their studies. Students will need to demonstrate financial hardship resulting from unforseen circumstances or expenses. UEL international students are members of International Students House: please contact the UEL International Office with any queries about ISH membership or applying to this scheme. To visit the Fund's own website, click here.
• The Medical Research Council funds postgraduate (masters and doctoral level) students through a number of schemes:
  - Capacity building
  - Early Research Training fellowships
  - Economics of health
  - Integrative-Toxicology Training Partnerships
  - Placement Schemes
  - MRC/ESRC Interdisciplinary Awards
  - Working with industry
  Please see the MRC website for more information.
• Microsoft Research - European PhD Scholarships. Deadline: usually early September annually
  Microsoft Research invites applications from universities for its European PhD scholarships. This programme is aimed at recognising and supporting exceptional students who show the potential to make an outstanding contribution to science. The programme will support students in computing and those working at the intersection of computing and the sciences. Only applications in one of the following research areas will be considered: •computational biological sciences, including computational biology, computational ecology and environment science and natural computation; •computer-mediated living, including integrates systems, sensors and devices, and socio-digital systems; •constraint reasoning; •machine learning and perception, including applied games, computer vision, medical imaging, information retrieval, and machine learning; •programming principles and tools, including security; •systems and networking, including distributed systems, networking, and operating systems. Please visit http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/global/europe/europe-awards.aspx
• The Natural Environment Research Council has a number of postgraduate funding schemes:
  - Research studentships (PhD)
  - Research CASE studentships
  - Open CASE studentships (CASE awards involve the joint supervision of the student by a member of staff of an academic institution and a scientist from industry, business, commerce or a public sector research institute).
  - Research Grant Project Studentships
  - Masters Studentships
  - NERC also part-funds studentships but does not administer them. Different terms and conditions, including eligibility requirements, might apply. These include the Dorothy Hodgkin Award and ESRC/NERC studentships.
  Please note that students may not apply directly to NERC for funding and that at the present time UEL is not in receipt of NERC Doctoral Training Grant support.
• Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, Rubicon Scholarship Programme.
  The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research invites applications for the Rubicon programme. Grants enable researchers from abroad to spend one year conducting research in the Netherlands. The Rubicon programme is open to all scientific disciplines. Depending on the nature of the project, applicants may conduct field research. Postgraduates who are currently engaged in doctoral research, or recent doctoral graduates, may apply. Women are encouraged to apply. Applications must be submitted by individual researchers. http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/NWOP_6H2G7R_Eng
• NHS Social Work Bursary. If you are interested in pursuing a postgraduate course in social work, you may be eligible for a non-repayable bursary. This bursary was previously administered by the General Social Care Council, but has recently been taken over by the NHS. Please visit the Social Work Bursary webpage for more information.
• The Parkes Foundation offers grants to assist PhD students to conduct research in the biosocial disciplines of reproduction, demography or fertility. The aim of these awards is to allow registered PhD students to undertake substantive fieldwork as part of their higher degree in these fields. One grant of up to £3,000 will be offered to a registered PhD student. Additionally small grants are awarded for projects in these disciplines and also areas of human health (including HIV/AIDS), conservation and human genetics. More information from The Parkes Foundation website .
• Pasold Research Fund, UK – PhD Bursaries in Textile History. The Pasold Research Fund invites applications for PhD bursaries of up to £2,500 to support research in any area or period of textile history. The bursaries may be used for conference attendance, securing visual materials, extra travel or research expenses or to support students close to completion of their dissertation. Awards will be for one year initially, but may be renewed for up to two years. Applicants must be past the first year of their PhD and be enrolled at an institution within the UK. Deadline is 30 June annually. Please see the Pasold website for more information.
• Research and Development Management Association (RADMA) - Doctoral Studies Programme and Student Conference Funding. Deadline - 31 March each year (Doctoral Competition) and Open (Student Conference Funding, and Project Support)
  RADMA issues an annual call for proposals under its Doctoral Studies Programme in January each year, with a deadline for applications at the end of March. The award provides up to three years funding of up to £17,500 per annum (including fees) to talented prospective or mid-study PhD students, offering an opportunity to concentrate on the studentship for the period of the award. Under the Student Conference Funding programme, RADMA will provide support of up to £500 to enable doctoral students to give papers to conferences, and £250 to support attendance only. Project Support scheme provides funds to PhD students up to £1000 for research expenses. See the RADMA website for more information.
• Rotary Foundation Grants - Ambassadorial Scholarships. Grants for academic study from intensive short courses to degrees. Applications are made through your local Rotary club in your home country. See the Rotary Foundation website
• Rothschild Foundation (Europe), Academic Jewish Studies in Europe Grant Programme. Doctoral Fellowships.
  These awards support students preparing themselves for, or undertaking, doctoral dissertation research in Jewish studies at an academic institution in Europe. Fellowships last for a period of one year and provide funding of between £3,000 and £12,000. http://www.rothschildfoundation.eu/grants/academic-jewish-studies
• The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
  - Emslie Horniman anthropological scholarship fund. Deadline: 31 March annually.
  This fund invites applications for fieldwork grants and promotes anthropological research, including ethnography and all branches of human and social science relating to the physical and natural development of people in society. These awards aim to encourage recent graduates to pursue fieldwork that will contribute to the award of an MPhil/PhD degree. Applicants must be citizens of the UK, RoI or Commonwealth countries. Preference will be given to those who propose to do fieldwork outside the UK. Awards will normally range between £500 and £7,000. In exceptional cases, additional funds may be available to enable work to be written up. Click to visit the RAI website.
  - Radcliffe-Brown and Firth trust funds for social anthropological research. Deadline: 30 April and 30 November every year.
  The Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland invites grant applications under its Radcliffe-Brown Fund. The fund supports social anthropologists to work towards completion of a doctoral thesis. Grants are worth up to £750. Only students attached to British and Commonwealth institutions are eligible.
  http://www.therai.org.uk/awards/research-grants/radcliffe-brown-and-firth-trust-funds-for-social-anthropological-research/
• Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 - Industrial Fellowships - Deadline: usually the end of January each year.
  The aim of the scheme is to encourage profitable innovation and creativity in British Industry - to the mutual benefit of the Fellow and his or her company. Projects in any science or engineering discipline are available, and usually up to 8 fellowships are available in one year, covering 50% of the Fellow's salary up to £21k per annum, university fees, travel costs of up to £3,500 per annum, for a duration of up to three years. See the Royal Commission website for more details.
• Royal Geographical Society, Slawson Awards. Deadline: usually late February/early March annually
  These awards support PhD students who are intending to carry out geographical field research in developing countries. Funding will be provided for geographical fieldwork involving key development issues with a high social value, and include projects in geography related disciplines, for example anthropology or economics. Preference will be given to research based in developing countries in Asia. Applicants must be UK citizens registered for a PhD at a UK higher education institution. Mature students are particularly welcomed to apply. Candidates must be fellows or ordinary members of the society. Individual awards will range between £1,000 and £3,000, covering travel, accommodation and local costs. Visit http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Grants/Postgraduate+grants/The+Slawson+Awards.htm
• Royal Historical Society Postgraduate Research Support Grants - provided for Postgraduate Researchers from UK universities for individual travel conferences, research expenses within and outside the UK, and for organisers of workshops and conferences to encourage the participation of junior researchers. Please visit the following link for deadlines and for more information. http://www.royalhistoricalsociety.org/postgraduates.htm.
• The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, UK, Froude Scholarship. Awarded to graduate members of the institution who have been offered a postgraduate place at a UK university to carry out research into hydrodynamics or other problems related to the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. The value of the scholarship will be £700 per annum, tenable for two and exceptionally three years. See the RINA website for more information.
• The Schools Competition Act Settlement Trust Postgraduate Research Scholarships. Deadline: usually mid June each year
  SCAST i s offering two postgraduate research scholarships of £15,000 per annum for up to three years for former pupils of fifty independent schools who studied there after 15 September 2001, are now aged between 18 and 30, and who left that school at least six years ago. Candidates must have been provisionally accepted or already registered for a research degree in any subject. Postgraduate bursaries of £2,500 are also available. For more information, see the SCAST website.
• The Science and Technology Facilities Council offers studentships that aim to enable promising scientists and and engineers to continue training beyond a first degree. The types of STFC studentships include the following:
  - Standard Research Studentships are designed to lead to the award of a PhD for both full-time and part-time students.
  - CASE Studentships Co-operative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE) are designed to give students experience outside a purely academic environment. CASE awards are for three years and provide for training of a research student on a project involving the joint supervision of the student by an academic member of staff and an employee of a UK industrial firm or an organisation in the public service (the “co-operating body”).
  - CASE-Plus studentships extend the CASE scheme to help students become more effective in promoting technology transfer, should their chosen career path take them into either academic research or industry.
  - Gemini Studentship is for students from Argentina, Brazil and Chile to study for an astronomy PhD in the UK.
  - Spanish (IAC) Studentships as part of the agreement with the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC), Tenerife, Spain to support a maximum of two IAC students at any one time to study for an astronomy PhD in the UK.
  - Project studentships can be applied for through the research grants path as part of a research grant proposal.
  Candidates for studentships must be nominated by Institutions using the appropriate form before the closing date for nominations of 31 July.
• Society for Caribbean Studies - David Nicholls research bursary. Deadline: usually 31 March annually
  This award is for postgraduate students preparing a project, dissertation or thesis on the Caribbean who can benefit from access to:
  •the David Nicholls Room at Regent's Park College in Oxford. This contains material on Haiti, Trinidad and modern politics in the Caribbean as well as the interface of politics and theology;
  •other libraries in Oxford, in particular the archives of the Baptist Missionary Society in Regent's Park College and the library at Rhodes House. Bursaries of up to £1,500 are available to cover travel, accommodation, library fees and photocopying material. http://www.dnmt.org.uk/dnmt/index.php?p=default&rn=awards
• Society for Italian Studies - Postgraduate Student Bursary Fund. Deadlines: 15 June and 15 December each year.This fund is designed to support Postgraduate students by facilitating their attendance at UK and ROI conferences which are not directly funded by the Society for Italian Studies (i.e. bursaries are not available for the SIS Biennial or Interim Conferences). Bursaries are normally available for students giving a conference paper, but individual circumstances will be considered. In order to be eligible for a bursary, students must also apply to their home institution for funding and must have the support of their Head of Department. Please note that the requested amount for a bursary should not normally exceed £100. All applicants must be members of the Society for Italian Studies. See the Society's website for information.
• Society for Latin American Studies Postgraduate bursaries. Deadlines: 28 February and 30 September each year. SLAS makes awards of up to £600 to its postgraduate members to assist them with travel costs for overseas fieldwork and of up to £500 to attend conferences held outside the UK, where all other possibilities for funding have been exhausted. To be eligible, you must be: a member of SLAS; a current research student at a UK university (of any nationality); and giving a paper at the conference. Please visit SLAS web site for more information. http://www.slas.org.uk/grantsPrizes/postgrad.htm#pb
• Wingate Scholarships - provides supplementary grants for costs to be met in or after the final year of a PhD, that are associated with its completion, extension or publication. Please visit http://www.wingatescholarships.org.uk/overview.php

Publications

The brief list below contains details of major reference sources for those seeking financial help from education trusts, charities or foundations. Copies may usually be found in British reference libraries or British Council offices.

• Awards for Postgraduate Study at Commonwealth Universities. For postgraduate study or research in Commonwealth universities outside your own country. (ACU, John Foster House, 36 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PF.)
• The Grants Register. (Macmillan Publishers Ltd, via Globe Book Services Ltd, Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hants. RG21 2XS.) www.palgrave.com
• Study Abroad. Information about international scholarships and scholarships to British universities. (UNESCO, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris, France.) www.unesco.org/education/studyingabroad/networking/studyabroad.shtml
• British Government and British Council Awards Schemes for Overseas Students. A general guide to British Government schemes of assistance. (Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Overseas Students Policy Section, Cultural Relations Department, FCO, Whitehall, London SW1A 2AF.)
• Prospects - Postgraduate Funding Guide. Guide to postgraduate funding for UK and EU students. (Please see Prospects.ac.uk)

The following are all published by/available from: Directory of Social Change, 24 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2DP. Tel: (020) 7209 5151; Fax: (020) 7209 5049; www.dsc.org.uk

• The Educational Grants Directory
• A Guide To Grants For Individuals In Need
• Directory Of Grant-Making Trusts (published in association with the Charities Aid Foundation)
• The Grant-Making Trusts (CD-ROM)

Last updated: May 2012

UEL HOMESEARCH