Funded PhD opportunities – University of Stirling

Funded PhD opportunities – apply now and start in October 2024

The University of Stirling is investing £3.6m in doctoral research from 2023-2025 through our Institute for Advanced Studies Studentships.

We are inviting project proposals across ten inter-disciplinary research areas, and are offering both UK and international students:

• A number of 3-year full-time equivalent PhD studentships on a fully-funded basis (fees and stipend at the UKRI rate)
• Fee waivers
• Stipend bursaries for students who already hold funding awards for fees

Explore our research clusters

IAS Studentship holders will work in collaborative, inter-disciplinary clusters of postgraduate researchers working on complementary doctoral projects:

• Accessible Environments
• Community wealth building and sustainable, net zero communities
• Environmental Justice and Low Carbon Transitions
• Evaluating the Socioenvironmental Benefits of Nature-based Solutions
• Physical Activity for Positive and Healthy Ageing
• Heritage at the Extremes: Temporalities, Politics and Practices of Care
• Inclusive Ageing in a Digital World
• Just AI Lab
• People on the Move
• Tackling Challenges of environmental and human health: A behavioural science approach

Visit our website to read our guide for applicants, register for one of our webinars on 7 or 12 March and submit your original PhD project proposal by Monday 25 March 2024.

What funding is available?

The studentship awards offered by the IAS are funded by the University of Stirling. Studentship funding awards provide full fees and a stipend set at the UKRI minimum annual award for 2024/25 (which for 2023 is £4,712 and £18,622 respectively), a number of fee waivers are available for international students, in addition there is funding available to support research training requirements.

The funded period for all awards is 3 years FTE (36 months), students may undertake their PhD on a part-time basis (50%). It is possible to enrol for a further 12 months to a maximum completion period of 48 months FTE. There is an additional fee for this period which is not funded under the terms of this studentship award.

Read more about funding and fee eligibility.

Who can apply for the studentships?

We welcome expressions of interest from all candidates who meet the University’s entry criteria for Postgraduate Research degrees. We especially welcome expressions of interest from people from groups that have been under-represented in the UK Postgraduate Research community in the past, including people from ethnic minorities, women, disabled people, people from care-experienced or socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and candidates from the Global South.
Read more about eligibility and entry requirements.