PRHS Doctoral Scholarships 2026

Two full scholarships are available in the School of Philosophy, Religion, and History of Science in 2026/27. These scholarships will cover home-rate fees and a maintenance payment, and will be available for 3.5 years full-time study. Part-time fees and maintenance awards are calculated pro-rata.<br /> <br /> These fully funded PhD places provide an exciting opportunity to pursue postgraduate research in a range of fields covered by the School Philosophy, Religion, and History of Science: applied ethics; history of science; philosophy; and theology and religious studies.<br /> <br /> The School of Philosophy, Religion, and History of Science invites applications from prospective postgraduate researchers who wish to commence study for a PhD in the academic year 2026/27.<br /> <br /> These awards are open to full-time or part-time candidates who have been offered a place on a PhD degree at the School of Philosophy, Religion, and History of Science.

<p>The School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science is committed to research excellence, productivity, and the international development of its disciplines. With around 50 research-active staff and almost 100 PhD students, we have a diverse, lively, and robust community of researchers. </p> <p>Our strong ethos of supporting research across the School ensures that we nurture high-quality research at the cutting edge of our disciplines. Staff publish books and articles in peer-reviewed journals and edited collections, have significant responsibilities in national and international research bodies, editorial boards, and international research groups, and achieve an impressive record of research grant capture. </p> <p>We regularly welcome visiting researchers from across the world and have a programme of multiple regular research seminars, which are open for all to attend. </p> <p>Further information on the School’s research can be found here: <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/philosophy-research-innovation">https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/philosophy-research-innovation</a> </p> <p>Details of PhD research in the School can be found here: <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/philosophy-research-degrees/doc/doctor-philosophy-phd-7">https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/philosophy-research-degrees/doc/doctor-philosophy-phd-7</a>  </p>

<p><strong>Duration and Value of the Award</strong></p> <ul> <li>The award provides full academic fees and a maintenance grant (£20,780 in Session 2025/26) for full-time study, part-time will be pro-rata. This amount increases per annum in line with the UKRI rate.  </li> <li>Full-time awards provide full fees for 3 years and a maintenance award for 3.5 years (Part-time awards are pro-rata. If you have any questions about the available part-time study modes, please contact the Admissions Office at ahcpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk). </li> <li>The award will be made for one year in the first instance and will renew each year of your programme, subject to satisfactory academic progress.</li> <li>Please be aware that any expenses related to the relocation of international students to the UK (visa, insurance, NHS fees, flights, etc) would be their responsibility and is not covered by this award.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Eligibility </strong></p> <ul> <li>Applicants must be eligible to pay fees at the Home (UK) rate. </li> </ul> <p><strong>Other Conditions</strong></p> <ul> <li>Awards must be taken up by 1^st October 2026.</li> <li>Candidates who have previously been awarded a PhD or are currently registered on a PhD are excluded from applying. Those who were previously studying for a PhD but did not complete may be considered.</li> <li>The awards are available for new Postgraduate Researchers undertaking full-time or part-time research study leading to the degree of PhD. </li> <li>Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this Scholarship.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Selection Process</strong></p> <ul> <li>The deadline to be considered for the School of PRHS PhD Scholarship is <strong>17:00 (UK time) on 13^th March 2026.</strong></li> <li>Before you can apply, you will need to have submitted your PhD study application and have your 9 digit student identification number. Therefore, <strong>we advise you to apply for a place on the PhD by 27^th February 2026 </strong>(approx two weeks before the scholarship deadline), and we also recommend that you should be in dialogue with potential supervisors prior to this to discuss your proposals.</li> <li>All scholarship applications will be considered after the deadline. Only complete applications will be considered. </li> <li>The final list of awards are based on academic merit and no other factors such as financial hardship are taken into account. </li> <li>Applicants will be e-mailed within 6 weeks of the deadline to confirm the outcome. </li> <li>The University will publish the names of the successful applicants within the University and externally on the University website within 26 weeks of the relevant scholarship closing date. </li> <li>Please note that whilst you may be successful in securing an academic offer for any project specifically linked to this funding opportunity, this does not mean that you have been successful in securing an offer of funding. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis. </li> </ul>

<p><strong>Stage 1</strong></p> <p>First, apply for a research place of study, through the <a href="https://prod.banner.leeds.ac.uk/ssb/bwskalog_uol.P_DispLoginNon">online application form</a>. Please state clearly that the funding you wish to be considered for is the “PRHS Doctoral Scholarship”. You will be expected to meet our <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/philosophy-research-degrees/doc/doctor-philosophy-phd-7">eligibility criteria </a>for PHD candidates. In order to be considered for the Scholarship you must submit all the required <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/philosophy-research-degrees/doc/apply-11">supporting documents</a> for your application for PhD study.</p> <p>Any study applications that are not accompanied by the documents requested by the deadline will not be considered for the award.</p> <p>Once you have received your student ID number (a 9-digit number) move onto stage 2.</p> <p><strong>Stage 2</strong></p> <p>Apply for the PRHS Doctoral Scholarship by completing the online <a href="https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/leeds/school-of-prhs-doctoral-scholarship-2026">Scholarship Application Form</a>. You must submit your scholarship application by <strong>5pm UK time on 13^th March 2026.</strong></p> <ul> <li>Please note that an unsuccessful application for this scholarship does not exclude you from applying for other research study opportunities or scholarships offered by the University of Leeds. </li> <li>Please note that, due to the large volume of applications, the University of Leeds will not enter into any correspondence regarding the progress of an application until the outcome is known. </li> <li>If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the minimum English language requirements (below). </li> </ul> <p><em>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. Across all Faculties we are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+ and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability.</em></p>

The minimum entry requirement for PhD study is a 2:1 undergraduate honours degree. We expect applicants to have (or expect to obtain) a Masters degree, or to show evidence of a comparable background in philosophy, history of science, or the study of religion/theology.

The minimum English language entry requirement for research postgraduate research study in the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science is an IELTS of 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid.

<p>For further information please contact the Admissions team on ahcpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk</p>