Research Council (UKRI) PhD Studentships – An Introduction

UKRI studentships provide funding for PhD students in the UK. This includes a tax-free living cost stipend set at £20,780 per year. They also typically cover tuition fees and may even include additional research support. Whether you’re applying for an advertised PhD or proposing your own topic, you’ll always apply for a UKRI studentship through your university.

The UK Research Council studentships are the gold standard of PhD funding. They cover tuition fees and include a living cost stipend for PhD students at universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Wondering how these studentships work? I’ve created this guide just for you! I’ll talk you through what studentships are, how much you can get and how you can apply.

I’ve also got this short video if you just wish to have a quick overview first.

UKRI’s seven Research Councils invest £380 million annually in PhD studentships, making them the UK's top funder.

Each Council focuses on specific subject areas:

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) – for subjects like Design, Music, English, History, Philosophy and Theology.
• Biotechnology and Bioscience Research Council (BBSRC) – for research in Biology, Biochemistry and branches of Agricultural Science.
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) – for subjects like Politics, Economics Psychology and Sociology.
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) – for subjects like Engineering, Technology, Computing, Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry and Mathematics.
• Medical Research Council (MRC) – for research in Medicine, Clinical Science, Public Health and Food Science.
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) – for research in Physical Geography, Ecology, Oceanography, Conservation and Climatology.
• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) – for research in Nuclear Engineering, Particle Physics and Computer Science.

Councils sometimes work together to fund interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary PhDs. For example, the AHRC and MRC might collaborate to fund a Humanities project looking at cultural understanding and response to illness. Or the NERC and ESRC might collaborate to explore the interface between built and natural environments.

For the 2025-26 academic year, you can get:

• At least £5,006 for PhD fees. Universities are free to set their own actual fees, but they can't charge any additional amounts to UK students with a UKRI studentship.
• At least £20,780 per year as a stipend to help cover living costs. This is tax free and increases with inflation each year. Students living in London get at least £22,780 per year.
• Around £5,000 per year as a Research Training Support Grant to cover additional expenses for fieldwork, materials or similar. The amount and availability of this varies (it's most common for STEM projects).

How much of this funding you can get depends on your circumstances:

• UK students usually receive a full studentship including the fee payment, PhD stipend and research training support grant (if available).
• International students are eligible for a certain number of full studentships, but their fees will only be covered at the domestic (UK) rate.

The Research Councils also manage Disabled Students' Allowance for the PhDs they fund. If you're entitled to DSA for your PhD it will be paid by your Research Council.

UK students who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least three years can apply for full awards covering PhD fees, living costs and other expenses.

International students (including EU students) are able to apply for full awards covering PhD fees at UK rates, living costs and other expenses. However, the number of studentships available to international students are capped at 30% of a university's total (that's 30% of the total number of awards available not 30% of the value of an award).

But, bear in mind:

• You can't combine a UKRI studentship with postgraduate student finance. You can start your PhD with a student loan, but you'll need to cancel it if you move on to a funded studentship.
• You can't work full time with a full Research Council studentship. Your stipend should be enough for you to live on whilst you focus on your PhD. Part-time work is usually OK, but it's a good idea to check with your supervisor.

The Research Councils don’t actually fund PhD students directly. Instead, they provide a set amount of money to universities who then decide which PhD projects and PhD students to award funding to.

There have been recent changes to how universities get UKRI funding. Universities can now apply for funding through two new award systems:

• Doctoral Focal Awards are built to fund research in specific, focussed areas which may also have a component of additional training.
• Doctoral Landscape Awards are built to fund broader, more flexible research programmes as long as they are within UKRI’s portfolio.

None of this is as complicated as it might seem. As a student, you still apply for a PhD at a university, but that PhD might be funded by a UKRI studentship awarded by whichever award your university applied for.

The new Focal and Landscape Awards have replaced the Doctoral Training Partnerships and Centres for Doctoral Training networks. However, you will notice similarities between the two. Nothing is changing for existing students and you’ll still be a part of the CDT or DTP you originally applied to. You can read our guides to CDTs and DTPs to know more.

Other forms of Research Council funding: CASE Studentships and Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships

Some Research Councils also provide other types of UKRI studentships:

• iCASE studentships (industrial Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering) are offered by Research Councils focussing on STEM subjects (such as the BBSRC, EPSRC, MRC and NERC). They are split between universities and industry partners who are much more closely involved in designing and delivering iCASE studentships.
• Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships are offered in non-science subjects by Councils such as the AHRC. They include non-university bodies such as museums, educational trusts or archives who use their own expertise and resources to contribute to a student’s PhD training.

Other forms of UKRI funding may also be available from time to time. Check our annually updated guides to individual Research Councils, or simply search our site for current UKRI-funded PhDs.

Research Councils don't fund students directly. Instead they allocate budgets to universities who use this money to provide a certain number of PhD studentships each year.

You always apply for Research Council funding through your university but how you do so depends on the type of PhD you want to do:

• If you're applying for an advertised PhD research project you should simply carry on as normal and follow the instructions for the listing. If you are successful you will receive the UKRI studentship for your project at the appropriate rate.
• If you're proposing your own PhD you will need to first find a university with UKRI funding available and then have your research proposal accepted. You can then be considered for one of the studentships available at your university. Sometimes this involves a second funding application, usually supported by your prospective supervisor.

Eligibility criteria

All UKRI PhD funding is competitive. Universities select the most promising applicants or project proposals to support with the limited number of studentships they have available.

As a minimum you should have:

• A relevant undergraduate degree with at least a 2.1 (or equivalent)
• Evidence of your suitability for PhD research and / or the suitability of your topic, based on a compelling research proposal or personal statement.

It isn't normally necessary to have a Masters degree or a first-class undergraduate degree, but any additional evidence of your qualifications, experience and potential will help. Your application will certainly be one of several the university receives, so make sure it's as strong as it can be.

Application deadlines

UKRI PhD studentships tend to be advertised in the autumn before they begin, with deadlines early in the following year. This means that application windows tend to run from October-November to January-February but things vary a lot between different Research Councils. Make sure you check the details for the specific DTP or CDT you plan to apply to.

Tips from the author

#1 Plan ahead: If you’re serious about winning a studentship, begin thinking about your application as soon as you’ve decided to study a PhD. This may mean starting during the final year of your undergraduate degree or Masters.

#2 Don’t underestimate them: UKRI funding is not an exam you can study for a night before and clear. You need to spend time perfecting your application. Not only does UKRI give funding to only the best, there is also a limited amount available. This is even more important for international students who’re only eligible for 30% of the available number of awards.

#3 Don't forget you still need to budget: The UKRI stipend is meant to cover most of your living costs. But, I’m aware this might not be the case for everyone. So, it's important to crunch the numbers and check if you’ll need more funding. Now, there are some funding options that are out of bounds if you have a studentship, like government loans and NHS bursaries, but you should be able to apply for scholarships or get help from charities and trusts.

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