finding & funding your phd in the arts, humanities & social sciences

Finding & Funding Your PhD in the

Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Mark Bennett @postsgradually

Arts, Humanities & Social

Sciences Funding

3 Myths

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Myth 1 - There isn't any...

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8,000 Research CouncilStudentships

100+ UK Universities

??? Charities

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PhD Student Loans?

PhD Student

Loans?

Myth 2 - You need full Funding...

Scholarship

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Tuitionfees for

three years

Livingcosts for

three years

A Laser

£12,156 £42,171

£60,000+

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Myth 3 - You need funding

before you start...

Scholarship

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Research Council Funding

(nice work, if you can get it)

7 UK Research Councils

Distribute public money for

academic research

Approx 8.000 FULL STUDENTSHIPS

each year

Research Council Funding

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Arts & Humanities

Social Sciences

Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC)

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Block Grant System

Research councils provide pools of

funding to universities

Institutions award studentships out of this

Research councils do not select students

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Block Grant System - consortia

Universities bid for funding as consortia

Consortia include one or more universities,

+ external partners

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Block Grant System - consortia

Doctoral Training Partnerships

Centres for Doctoral Training

Doctoral Training Centres

AHRC

ESRC

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Research Council PhD Studentships

What do you get?

Full fees (approx £4,052 per year)

A stipend (approx £14,057 per year)

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Research Council PhD Studentships

Eligibility

Main criteria is residency:

Right to live in the UK (settled status)

Ordinarily resident for 3+ years

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Research Council PhD Studentships

EU Students

Eligible for a fees only award:(Must have been ordinarily resident within EU for 3+ years)

International Students

May be eligible for some ESRC awards

(at discretion of individual DTCs)

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Applying for RC Studentships

Find one ­ RC websites, universities &, of course:

Apply to university

Apply for Research Council studentship with university

Process

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Applying for RC Studentships

Personal details

Degree results / projections

Research proposal

Requirements

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Applying for RC Studentships

Academic value

Realistic

Impact?

A promising research career

What does a good project look like?

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Application Success Rates

How many students actually get full studentships?

about 15%

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Not getting Research Council funding...

Doesn't mean you're stupid

Doesn't mean your project is rubbish

Doesn't mean you can't do a PhD

& doesn't mean you can't find funding elsewhere...

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PhD Funding from Universities

What sort of PhD funding do universities offer?

Full studentships (alumni, memorials, external partners)

Specially funded projects (archives, resources, sites)

Smaller funding (travel grants, conference grants,

expenses, etc)

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PhD Funding from Universities

How do you find it?

University websites

The exhibition hall, here, today!

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PhD Funding from ... charities?

Charities, foundations, trusts...

Big research foundations (Wellcome , Leverhulme)

Academic / Learned Societies

Miscellaneous charities

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PhD Funding from Charities

Finding it

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding

PostgraduateFunding.com

Turn2us

The Grants Register

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PhD Funding from Charities

Applyng for and getting it

Check you're eligible

Use a standard covering letter

Mention any other support

Show your aims and aspirations

Provide a reference

Expect a high rate of non­response / rejection

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PhD Student Loans

What we do know (sort of)...

Announced in 2015 budget

Suggested value of £25,000

For PhDs and some research Masters

Repayments income­contingent

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PhD Student Loans

What we don't know...

When?

What?

Who?

Where?