Applications for September 2025 entry are now open; the deadline for scholarship applications is Monday 20 January 2025 at 5pm GMT. Applicants must have both their PhD application and Faculty of Arts Scholarship Application Form submitted by this deadline in order to be considered for this funding. We are not able to accept nor consider any late applications.

The Faculty of Arts offers five types of scholarship:

1. Research Scholarship**
2. Research Scholarship for UK-domiciled, Home fee status applicants of Black and mixed-Black heritage**
3. Cotutelle Scholarship with Macquarie University, Australia
4. Cotutelle Scholarship with Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès, France 

**Candidates for (1) Research Scholarship and (2) Research Scholarship for UK-domiciled, Home fee status applicants of Black and mixed-Black heritage can additionally apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA), which they would hold alongside their scholarship.

Applicants for all scholarships must submit an application for a PhD programme offered by the Faculty of Arts via the online application system and, in order to be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must also complete the Faculty of Arts Scholarship Application Form. Candidates can apply for up to two different scholarships for which they are eligible; a separate form needs to be completed for each scholarship application.  

 

All candidates

Full-time PhD Scholarships will include tuition fees and a maintenance grant (stipend) in line with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) fee. The stipend rates for 2025-26 are at least £19,795 for four years (full-time) or eight years pro rata (part-time), depending on satisfactory progress. Each student will also have £2,100 per annum to be spent on associated research costs.  Please note that this funding is for new students starting in September 2025. Unfortunately, we cannot consider applications from current students already enrolled on a PhD course or from MPhil students wishing to upgrade to PhD. Our Money Advice and Bursaries and Scholarships pages will have information regarding what funding opportunities may be available to current students.

Candidates for all PhD scholarships will be selected on the basis of:

• The potential for academic excellence
• Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) factors
• Research fit within the chosen School

The University of Bristol aims to attract, recruit and retain students with different experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives because diversity – of people and ideas – remains integral to our success. Candidates for all scholarships demonstrating academic excellence from low-income backgrounds and non-Russell group universities, as well as Black, Asian, minority ethnic, mixed heritage, Trans, Non-Binary, and disabled candidates, are strongly encouraged to apply. You will have an opportunity in the selection process to clearly articulate any EDI and widening participation factors that may be relevant to your application.

Please note that candidates who have been awarded alternative full funding awards (e.g. South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership, China Scholarship Council, etc.) are not eligible for any University of Bristol Scholarship awards. If you are awarded a University of Bristol Scholarship and receive an alternative full funding award, your University of Bristol Scholarship award will be rescinded.

 

Types of Scholarship:

(1) Research Scholarship

Applicants for research scholarships should demonstrate how their proposed research aligns clearly with at least one of the following University of Bristol research challenge areas:

1. Culture and Creativity: Cultural and creative industries are at the heart of the creative economy, and Bristol is a world-renowned hub of immersive industries, creative technologies, screen media, and the arts.
2. Equitable and Sustainable Health: The University's research tackles health at molecular, individual, population, systems and planetary levels, to develop new insight and understanding, from fundamental mechanisms to translational impacts.
3. Social Justice: The University has a long standing and rich track-record of research exploring and promoting just societies based on core disciplinary strengths.
4. Climate and Environment: Research adopting an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to providing understanding and solutions to develop a sustainable future for the planet and its inhabitants.
5. Digital and Data: Understanding global trends and leading on digital innovation and transformation in digital and data demands strong disciplinary expertise and new forms of discipline-spanning research and practice.

 

(2) Research Scholarship for UK-domiciled, Home fee status applicants of Black and mixed-Black heritage 

Applicants for research scholarships that are ring-fenced for UK-domiciled, Home fee status applicants of Black and mixed-Black heritage may submit research proposals in any area of study within the Faculty of Arts and do not have to demonstrate alignment with the University’s research challenge areas, though they may wish to. For more information about these ring-fenced scholarships, please contact Damien Mooney (damien.mooney@bristol.ac.uk).

 

Graduate Teaching Assistantships 

Candidates for (1) Research Scholarship and (2) Research Scholarship for UK-domiciled, Home fee status applicants of Black and mixed-Black heritage can additionally apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA), which they would hold alongside their scholarship.

Successful GTA applicants will be selected on the basis of a clearly articulated teaching philosophy/vision, which you will have an opportunity to articulate when filling in the Faculty of Arts Postgraduate Research Scholarship Application Form. A Graduate Teaching Assistant scholarship requires the PhD student to teach Undergraduate students, as well as carry out their research. The GTA will have a teaching contract, making it very clear what is expected from their teaching role, and puts in place the framework to allow them to deliver on both teaching and research.

GTA scholarships are highly competitive and guided by the principle of supporting the recipient’s educational as well as research development in a holistic way.  Faculty-specific support for GTA post-holders will be complemented by centrally provided support, organised by the Bristol Doctoral College, which will take advantage of the Personal and Professional Development programme available for all PhD students.

The GTA scholarship requires recipients to be involved in up to 250 hours (if full time) of teaching and teaching-related activities each year, including facilitating seminars, seminar preparation, marking, and office hours. The current rate of pay for a Graduate Teacher 2 role is £19.79 per hour; this is in addition to your scholarship tuition fees and maintenance stipend. As part of this role, postholders will be expected to undergo teacher training sessions through the CREATE scheme offered by the University’s Staff Development Unit. 

 

(3) Cotutelle Scholarship with Macquarie University, Australia 

The Bristol-Macquarie cotutelle programme is an exciting opportunity for students to spend two years studying at the University of Bristol and two years studying at Macquarie University, Australia. Established in 2018, the programme between Macquarie University and the University of Bristol has resulted in 21 cotutelle projects to date. Cotutelle students represent the University internationally and we are especially keen to support research collaboration with our international partners.

The University of Bristol will provide funding (fees and stipend) for two years, with £2,100 research costs per annum. Macquarie University will provide fees and stipend for up to three additional years, stipend while in Australia, and an airfare allowance of up to $4000 AUD, and to up to $5000 AUD to support costs essential to the completion of your research thesis.

Students will study for two years at each university and on completion of their studies, students will receive a PhD degree from both universities.

Applicants for cotutelle scholarships with Macquarie University should demonstrate how their proposed research aligns clearly with at least one of the following University of Bristol research challenge areas; the equivalent Macquarie strategic research areas should also be addressed in the application.

University of Bristol	Macquarie University
Social Justice	Resilient Societies
Culture and Creativity Digital and Data	Innovative Technologies
Climate and Environment	Secure Planet

Cotutelle applicants should identify one suitable main supervisor at the University of Bristol and one suitable supervisor at Macquarie University. Applicants should write to both potential supervisors during the application process. Candidates for this cotutelle should also apply to Macquarie for a PhD enrolment.

At Macquarie, Faculty of Arts students will attend Faculty Graduate Research Events: welcome events, conferences, student-led events, workshops and more. You will also have access to designated Graduate Research desk spaces.

 

(4) Cotutelle Scholarship with Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès

For French PhD applicants only

Cotutelle applicants for the Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès are also eligible to apply for a University of Bristol PGR Scholarship. Applicants should demonstrate how their proposed research aligns clearly with at least one of the University of Bristol research challenge areas. Cotutelle applicants should identify one suitable supervisor at the University of Bristol (Department of French) and one suitable supervisor at Toulouse. Applicants should write to both potential supervisors during the application process. Candidates for this cotutelle should also apply directly to Toulouse for a PhD enrolment.

PhD Years 1 and 2 will be spent at the University of Bristol, with fees, a maintenance stipend, and £2,100 research expenses per annum provided. Years 3 and 4 will be spent at Toulouse, during which time the French Department at Bristol will provide a maintenance stipend and £2,100 per annum research expenses. The Université Toulouse will not charge fees for Years 3 and 4.

 

Eligibility 

All Scholarships: 

• Applicants must apply for one of the following PhD programmes offered by the Faculty of Arts with a start date of September 2025:
  • School of Arts: Anthropology and Archaeology; Film and Television; Music; Musical Composition; Philosophy; Theatre and Performance.
  • School of Humanities: Classics and Ancient History; Creative Writing; English Literature; History; History of Art; Medieval Studies; Religion and Theology.
  • School of Modern Languages: Comparative Literatures and Cultures; French; German; Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies; Italian; Linguistics; Russian; Translation.
  • Centre for Innovation: Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
• Meet our standard admissions requirements for the PhD course you are applying to - please refer to the individual prospectus page for entry requirements;
• The applicant will demonstrate promise for doctoral study;
• Received an offer of study which must be accepted before or at the same time as receiving any offer of award.

For Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA): 

• The applicant will demonstrate promise for doctoral study and promise for teaching at undergraduate level;
• Have applied for a campus-based PhD course. Due to the teaching contract we are unable to consider Distance Learning applications as teaching will take place on campus;
• Please note that proof of the right to work in the UK will be required upon issuing of the teaching contract.
• Visa-holding students can work up to 20 hours per week in total (this includes any contracts within or outside of the university). Hours spent teaching as a GTA count toward this limit. See the ‘Working in the UK during your studies’ guidance for further information. For any questions about Student Visas, please contact one of our student visa advisers at student-visa-advice@bristol.ac.uk 

 

How to apply

Applications for September 2025 are now open and will close on Monday 20 January 2025 at 5pm GMT. You must have both your PhD application and Faculty of Arts Scholarship Application Form submitted by this deadline in order to be considered for this funding. We are not able to accept nor consider any late applications.

If you have any queries regarding the Scholarship please contact the Faculty of Arts PhD Admissions team on artf-gradschool-admissions@bristol.ac.uk.