Bristol Postgraduate Research Scholarships

The University of Bristol is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and we welcome and encourage applications from anyone with an interest in health and life science research.

We're keen to recruit enthusiastic applicants from a wide range of training backgrounds who are interested in a career in these fields. We're keen to support applicants from minority and under-represented backgrounds (based on protected characteristics) and those who have experienced other challenges or disadvantages.

As a faculty we offer cutting-edge multi-disciplinary training opportunities in biochemistry, biological sciences, cellular and molecular medicine, physiology, pharmacology, neuroscience, psychology, medical, veterinary and dental sciences and health education.

What we offer 

• A 4-year PhD studentship with a range of research training opportunities, including short courses in research, statistical, computational and generic skills
• A tax-free stipend equivalent to UKRI rates (this applies to the stipend only, at the "outside London" level)
• £2,100/year research costs
• Waiver of tuition fees for both UK and non-UK students.

Important

Relocation costs, visa costs and NHS health surcharge are not funded, so non-UK applicants should ensure they are able to cover these costs before applying.

Please note that depending on your circumstances these costs can be significant (in excess of £10,000). The current rates of visa costs and NHS health surcharges can be checked for clarity. 

Search PhD projects

• Use the keyword search filter and enter "University of Bristol Scholarship" on the Find a funded PhD project page.
• View the available projects on the Medical School projects page.
• View the available projects on the Veterinary School projects page.

How to apply

Once you have identified your preferred project/s on the Find a funded PhD project webpage (using "University of Bristol Scholarship" in the keyword search filter), you can submit an application using our online application system.

We encourage you to contact supervisors of the projects you are interested in to ensure you're happy with your selection.

Project choices and how many projects can I apply to?

You can apply for a maximum of 3 different projects across the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

You'll need to submit a separate application for each project you wish to apply to. If more than one project is based in the same school, you need to select a different entry date for each application. We will change the date to September 2026 should you be successful

Online PGR Application Workshop

A recording of the PhD Application Workshop presented by Prof Evie Stergiakouli is available below along with the accompanying slides and Q&As.

Slides FHLS PGR Application Workshop Nov 2025 (PDF, 4,939kB)

Detailed application guidance

Curriculum vitae (CV, résumé)

Provide a 2-page CV listing (where relevant) your:

• education,
• employment,
• publications,
• wider contributions to science or research,
• citizenship and leadership experience.

Maximum of 2 pages A4, 11pt Arial font for main text.

Research statement

In the research section please enter the project title of the scholarship you are applying for along with the supervisor's name. You can upload a blank document instead of the research statement, which is not needed.

Project choices

State your chosen project title clearly on your application. Do not change any of the words.

Personal statement

Please provide a personal statement that describes:

• your training and experience so far,
• your motivation for doing a PhD,
• your motivations for applying to the University, and why you think we should select you.

This should be maximum one A4 page, 11pt Arial font.

We encourage you to use your personal statement to ensure we can take these factors into account.