PhD funding
You need an offer of PhD study before you can apply for funding, so please apply for a PhD place as early as possible in the academic year. If a place is offered, this gives you time to apply for funding prior to starting your PhD the following September.
Please check the funding priorities, eligibility and deadlines of each funder before you apply. You must ensure that your proposed research is a good fit for the subject areas that the funder intends to fund.
Please note that PhD application deadlines apply for some scholarship schemes. These application deadlines may be earlier than the funder’s own deadline for receipt of funding applications. This is so that we can process applications and issue outcomes in time for successful applicants to apply to their preferred funder for funding.
Funding opportunities and eligibility requirements
- SWDTP studentships (all students) - PhD application deadline: 2 December 2024
- University of Bristol scholarships (all students) - PhD application deadline: 6 January 2025
- Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for least developed countries and fragile states (students from specified countries only)
- China Scholarship Council (students from China only) - PhD application deadline: 2 December 2024
- NIHR Doctoral Fellowships (subject-specific, eligible students only)
- CONICYT Scholarships (students from Chile only)
- Zutshi-Smith Scholarship (students from India only; one available every 2 years)
- Inlaks scholarship (eligible students from India only)
- Postgraduate doctoral loan (Student Finance England or Wales, eligible students only)
- Alumni discount (eligible University of Bristol graduates only)
This list is not exhaustive and there may be other funding bodies, charities, foundations or schemes offered by governments that also provide PhD funding.