The following funding opportunities may be of interest to prospective applicants.
The Faculty of Social Sciences and Law is pleased to be able to offer a number of fully-funded and/or half-funded PhD scholarships to UK and international applicants showing exceptional research potential. Scholarships are renewable for up to 3 years (where offered full-time) subject to satisfactory progress.
Scholarships are available to students who meet the requirements for entry to their chosen programme and who have received an unconditional offer from the school they have applied to. For international and EU students, this includes the provision of documentation which demonstrates that you have met our English Language Policy entry requirement. Details of the entry requirements for each programme can be found on our Prospectus, along with contact details for enquiries and our admissions statement for each programme.
Scholarships can be awarded as either a full scholarship (fees plus a maintenance grant) or a partial scholarship (fees plus part of the maintenance grant) but the minimum amount awarded must be no less than 50% of the overall cost (fees plus maintenance grant). Where a maintenance grant is provided, the value of this normally matches the amount recommended by Research Councils UK (RCUK) but may vary depending on the funds available. If you have been nominated for an award by your school, the Admissions Administrator in that school will be able to confirm what type of award you have been nominated for.
In order to apply for this scholarships, you must complete an application form for the PhD in Education. In the funding section of the form, please tick the following box 'University of Bristol Scholarship'. This will highlight to our Admissions Tutors that you wish to be considered for an award.
The deadline for applications for this scholarship for students commencing study in September 2013 is 5pm on Thursday 14 February 2013. The Faculty of Social Sciences and Law only receives a small amount of funding for scholarships each year and the competition for awards is very high. Therefore we regret that we cannot consider applications for funding after this deadline.
Criteria for judging entries to the competition are as follows:
• Previous experience of the applicant;
• The quality of the proposal;
• The originality of the proposal;
• The content and coherence of the proposal;
• The Methodology and methods;
• The applicant’s references.
Successful applicants will be contacted on Thursday 28th March 2013 to confirm the final details of their award.
The Graduate School of Education within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law is now part of the ESRC accredited South West Doctoral Training Centre (comprising the combined expertise of the universities of Bristol, Exeter and Bath). We offer an Education pathway which provides very high quality and flexible research training. Students undertake an exciting and flexible programme of doctoral training including core elements, optional discipline-related or specialised units and advanced training workshops. Being part of the South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC) allows our students access to research expertise, events and activities run by world-leading Education researchers drawn from across the South West of the UK.
The SWDTC receives a number of studentships from the ESRC each year to award to students on SWDTC pathways at the Universities of Bristol, Bath and Exeter. Students who apply to the University of Bristol will be primarily based in Bristol and will receive their award from the University of Bristol but may take classes or have supervisors at either Bath or Exeter. For October 2013 entry we are delighted to be able to offer 1 fully funded ESRC award for PhD study on the Education pathway, based in the Graduate School of Education.
Scholarships are available as either:
An equivalent research Masters is defined as including significant social sciences research design, quantitative and qualitative research methods elements. All applications will be considered on an individual basis. For students who have undertaken a Masters in the UK, the transcript will need to show that approximately a third of your programme entailed research methods elements. For students who have undertaken a Masters outside the UK we will look for appropriate equivalencies. All awards are subject to ratification by the SWDTC Academic Advisory Board, who shall have the authority to reconsider the equivalence of any Masters awards.
If the Masters degree has not been completed at the point of application, then the current average grade should be of at least Merit (60%) grade. If the application is successful, continued registration on the programme will be subject to successful completion of the Masters degree.
Scholarships for international students are only available on the Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) pathway and the Economics pathway. International students who are awarded scholarships on either of these pathways will receive a full scholarship (fees plus an enhanced stipend at the level stipulated by the ESRC).
EU students may apply to any pathway but in order to qualify for a full scholarship (fees plus a maintenance grant), students must be able to provide evidence that they meet the ESRC's eligibility guidelines and have been settled and resident in the UK for at least three years prior to the start of their programme, not for the purposes of education. EU students who are not able to provide evidence that they are settled in the UK will be eligible for a fees only award.
UK students may apply for a full award for the programme of their choice.
Applying
In order to apply for this scholarship, you must complete an application form for the PhD in Education. In the funding section of the form, please tick the following box 'UK Research Council'. This will highlight to our Admissions Tutors that you wish to be considered for an award.
The deadline for applications for this scholarship for students commencing study in September 2013 is 5pm on Thursday 14 February 2013. The Faculty of Social Sciences and Law only receives a small amount of funding for scholarships each year and the competition for awards is very high. Therefore we regret that we cannot consider applications for funding after this deadline.
Your entry into the ESRC Award competition will be judged on the basis of the information provided in your application form, including your proposal and your references. In your application please indicate if you require an award for 1+3 or +3 funding (those requiring +3 funding should provide evidence of having undertaking research methods training at an ESRC recognised institution).
Criteria for judging entries to the competition are as follows:
• Previous experience of the applicant;
• The quality of the proposal;
• The originality of the proposal;
• The content and coherence of the proposal;
• The Methodology and methods;
• The applicant’s references.
Successful applicants will be contacted on Thursday 28th March 2013 to confirm the final details of their award.
Productive Margins is an innovative new collaboration between communities in Bristol and South Wales and academics at the Universities of Bristol and Cardiff which will co-produce research about new forms of engagement in decision-making across politics, policy and the arts. The programme has three main themes: mobilising neighbourhoods, spaces of dissent and harnessing digital spaces. The University are now advertising for three ESRC funded PhD studentships, one attached to each theme. Each studentship is for a +3 award, and will commence on 23 September 2013. The successful applicants will be able to pursue their own doctoral research whilst working as part of the multi-disciplinary Productive Margins team.
For each studentship an outline project has been agreed as art of the initial bid. Applicants should submit a research proposal of no more than 1,000 words in response. The studentships are as follows:
The deadline for applications for this studentship is 14th February 2013. This studentship is eligible for an enhanced stipend.
The deadline for applications for this studentship is 1st March 2013.
The deadline for applications for this studentship is 1st March 2013.
Successful candidates will receive full UK/EU tuition fees plus a Doctoral Stipend equal to the UK Research Council National Minimum (£13,590 p.a. for 2012/13) for three years. Candidates will also have access to an annual Research and Training support grant of £750. The Mobilising Neighbourhoods studentship will also receive an Enhanced Doctoral Stipend exceeding the UK Research Council National Minimum (£16,590 p.a. for 2012/13). Details on eligibility.
The following notes will help you to complete the online application.
| Studentship | Programme Choice | Programme | Funding | Research Statement |
| Mobilising Neighbourhoods | Select Faculty of Social Sciences & Law | Select Advanced Quantitative Methods (PhD) | Tick UK Research Council | Attach your 1000 word proposal here |
| Spaces of Dissent | Select Faculty of Social Sciences & Law | Select Human Geography (PhD) | Tick UK Research Council | Attach your 1000 word proposal here |
| Harnessing Digital Spaces | Select Faculty of Social Sciences & Law | Select Education (PhD) | Tick UK Research Council | Attach your 1000 word proposal here |
The University has signed an agreement with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) to fund stipends for Chinese students to study at Bristol on PhD programmes of up to four years in duration commencing in autumn 2013.
The agreement prioritises cooperation in these areas:
Eligibility:
1. Applicants must not be working abroad when they apply
2. They must return to China upon completion of their research
3. Before they may apply, applicants must hold an unconditional offer from Bristol
Process:
1. Applicant completes an application form for the PhD in Education and indicates that (s)he is interested in the CSC scheme in the 'Funding' section.
2. The University of Bristol provides copies of offer letters to the applicants and CSC by 20 March 2013.
3. The applicant completes a separate application to the CSC by 05 April 2013.
4. The CSC notifies successful applicants and the University of Bristol in May 2013.
This is a new scheme with further information to be added in due course.
The Oz Osborn Memorial Fund has been established in the memory of Dr Oz Osborn who was a Lecturer in the Graduate School of Education from 1989 to 1998 and a Research Fellow in the University of Bristol since 1972.
The aim of the fund is to continue Oz's work with research students by providing financial assistance to full-time overseas (non EU) doctoral students who are in need.
A limited annual budget is set aside in the School for contribution towards approved conference funds and study support expenses.
Students wishing to apply for this funding must complete an application form outlining the purpose of the proposed visit. This is a competitive scheme, and applicants presenting papers or playing an active role in conference activities will be given priority in the allocation of available funds.
Fully costed conference details should be provided with each application well in advance of requirements, and receipts will be required.
Awards are made three times per year (once a term) and the deadlines for 2012/13 applications are as follows:
16 November 2012
22 February 2013
7 June 2013
Funding from the Research Student Conference Fund is up to £200 for attending a conference and up to £350 for presenting at a conference.
Funding from the Research Student Support Fund is up to £75.
Support for conferences and research is dependant on the availability of resources and cannot be guaranteed.
Application Forms
Application form for Conference Attendance (Word 64 Kb)
Application form for Study Support (Word 53 Kb)
If you have any questions relating to this please e-mail ed-phd@bristol.ac.uk
More information can be found on the University of Bristol, Student Funding Office website.
