PhD Funding from Charities

Charity grants for PhD students provide extra funding for research, living costs, or professional growth. While usually smaller, they can be a helpful addition to other funding sources. Many grants focus on specific fields or groups, making it easier to find opportunities that match your needs.

Finding money for a PhD can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be so tough. Many students look for scholarships or funding from their universities, but charity grants are another option you can consider. These grants are often ignored unless you know where to look for them. That’s why I’ve made this guide for you.

In this guide, I’ll show you small grants and funding programmes from charities that can help pay for things like research costs and living expenses (because let’s be honest, instant noodles can only last so long). I’ll also give you tips on how to find the right opportunities, how to apply, and increase your chances of getting the funding you need.

There are plenty of charities out there offering funding for PhD students and you may be thinking, where on earth do I find them? Not to worry -there are several grant databases that can help you find your small grant match:

Turn2us

Turn2us is a charity that maintains a searchable database of charitable grants for people in need. After filling in a few details about your location and situation, Turn2us returns a list of charities that may be able to provide you with support.

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding

Created by two PhD students who secured over £50,000 in charity grants towards their studies between them, The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding is a database with more than 1,000 charities. You’ll also find practical tips on how to identify suitable organisations, make successful applications and funding PhD study without a scholarship on their website.

The Grants Register

This is a comprehensive source for finding funding, listing about 5,100 awards for postgraduate studies worldwide. While it’s mostly available in print, you can also get the eBook version or see if universities or local libraries have a copy.

Many people think that charities are these small groups in need but in reality, some have assets worth over a million pounds. The following are large trusts and foundations great for PhD students looking for funding. On your hunt, keep in mind that some charities don't acccept applications from students. Instead, funding is awarded to universities, who then offer a certain number of scholarships or grants to students.

The Wellcome Trust

A global charitable foundation, the Wellcome Trust supports thousands of researchers worldwide. Along with funding for existing projects, it also offers full doctoral studentships for PhD candidates in relevant areas. These studentships are normally open to all nationalities with the condition being that you’re enrolled on a PhD in the UK or Ireland. Take a look at the Wellcome Trust’s funding schemes.

The Leverhulme Trust

The Leverhulme Trust Trust distributes around £80 million per year to support research in the Arts, Humanities, Sciences, and Social Sciences. Most funding goes to established researchers, but the Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships program is dedicated to helping doctoral students. You could get a research project grant up to £500,000. These scholarships are awarded to universities, not directly to students, and are based on research areas the universities prioritise.

The Nuffield Foundation

The Nuffield Foundation focuses on funding social policy research related to education, welfare, and justice. They do not fund PhD programs but support promising research projects. You can find more information about applying for a grant from the Nuffield Foundation.

Alongside larger foundations, there are many small charities in the UK offering support to PhD students like yourself. A single grant from these smaller charities might not fully fund a PhD, but with some effort, you can still gather a good amount of funding from different sources.

Here are some examples of smaller charities that support PhD students:

• Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust – Sister to the Leverhulme Trust’s charity, this Trust offers grants to students related to or employed as a travelling sales representative, pharmacist or grocer.
• The Vegetarian Charity – Provides small grants (usually up to £500) to vegetarians and vegans younger than 26.
• The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust –Awards annual grants of £400 to £1,000 for courses in any subject (but not professional qualifications like PGCEs and law conversions).

Applying for charity funding isn’t quite the same as applying for other forms of PhD funding. Compared with Research Council studentships and university scholarships small charity grant applications are:

• More flexible: There may be several deadlines for grants spread over a year.
• Not always online: If you’re applying by post, make sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the charity’s response.
• Simple application process: Charities will normally ask that you write a personal statement detailing your financial situation, your PhD and the potential impact of your research.

Tips from the author

Does anyone else like checking off lists? If you are like me, then here are some tips I've put together for you to check through as you write up your application. The goal is to make you their best match possible:

• Avoid jargon and overly technical terms: This is important if you’re contacting a small charity that doesn’t have expertise in your PhD specialism. Write for a well-educated, interested audience without knowledge of your topic.
• Career: Explain why a PhD is essential to your career
• Research impact : Talk about how your doctorate could make a positive impact on the world. You can reach for gold by connecting your PhD subject with the charity work they do/their values.
• Mention other funding sources: Charities like it when they are not the only funder of a PhD. So, if you have applied for the UK PhD loan mention this in your application and/or other sources you are trying. It's good to note that the UK PhD loan can’t be combined with public funding like Research Council studentships but you can top up your funding with a PhD funding grant from a charity or trust.
• Be organised: If you are considering 'Portfolio funding' which is when you combine multiple sources of funding, make sure you plan it carefully and seek some advice too. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Frequently asked questions

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