Research Council Funding

Research Councils are Non-Departmental Public Bodies, established by Royal Charter, and are independent legal bodies outside of Government but accountable to Parliament.

They invest public money in science and research in the UK in order to advance knowledge and generate new ideas which can be used to create wealth and drive improvements in quality of life. 

We regularly have studentships available from the following Research Councils:

• Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Funding for PhD programmes in Information Science and Music, and for specified MA/MSc programmes in Cultural Policy and Management, Information Science and Management, Library Science, Journalism, Music, and Translation. The type and number of studentships available vary from year to year.
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Funding for PhD programmes in Engineering, Finance and Mathematics.

We may also have individual studentships associated with research projects funded by  these and other Research Councils. These studentships will be advertised separately in places like jobs.ac.uk along with studentships sponsored by industry or other funding sources.

General eligibility criteria

In order to be eligible for consideration for Research Council funding you must meet certain residency criteria:   

• To be eligible for a full studentship award (including payment of a maintenance grant and tuition fees) you must demonstrate that you have a relevant connection with the UK, normally through residency;    
• If you cannot demonstrate a relevant connection with the UK, you may be eligible for a fees-only award if you are a national of a Member State of the European Union other than the UK (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden).

Further details on the residency criteria are available from individual Research Councils.

Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC)  

City has been awarded Block Grant Partnership (BGP) funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for a five year period from 2009.

Types of studentship

There are three types of AHRC studentship:   

1. Professional Preparation Masters (PPMs) - support for the development of high-level skills in preparation for professional practice in a field relevant to the course. These are normally for one year full-time or two years' part-time study.    
2. Research Preparation Masters (RPMs) - support for advanced study and research training which are intended to provide a foundation for further research study at doctoral level. These are normally for one year full-time or two years' part-time study.    
3. Doctoral - support for students undertaking a PhD. These are normally for up to three years full-time or up to five years part-time. Studentships can be full awards (payment of approved tuition fees, a maintenance grant, and additional allowances as applicable) or fees-only awards (payment of approved tuition fees only).

Studentships can be either full awards (which include bursary, fees and allowances) or fee-only awards. The bursary level from October 2012 has yet to be announced but the 2011/12 rate for PPMs is £10,845.

Who is eligible for AHRC funding?

In addition to the residency criteria, you need to meet the additional conditions:   

• You must have been accepted to undertake the programme of study for which you are applying for funding
• You must have gained an undergraduate degree from a recognised University before 31 July in the year in which the studentship is being taken up
• in addition, if you are applying for Doctoral funding, you should normally have gained a Masters degree or similar postgraduate qualification.

Which subjects are covered?

For entry in October 2012, there are a number of Professional Preparation Masters studentships (both full and fee-only awards) available in the following areas:

How to apply for an AHRC studentship

Make an application for postgraduate study or a research degree at City University London in the normal way. In the 'Finance' section of the application form, indicate that you wish to be considered for an AHRC studentship. An initial selection of recommended candidates will then be forwarded by the relevant School or Department to the University.

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)  

City has a Doctoral Training Grant (DTG) from EPSRC which provides funding for a number of PhD studentships in the following Schools:

• Cass Business School
• School of Health Sciences
• School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
• School of Informatics

The DTG funding awards are announced by EPSRC annually and are allocated to Schools by the University on the basis of recent EPSRC research grant success.

Types of studentship           

EPSRC studentships can be full-time or part-time. At least 50% of the funding must come from EPSRC but there is flexibility to include other sources of funding, such as from the private sector. Consequently, if your employer is prepared to fund part of your research degree, the DTG could be used to make up the outstanding amount.           

How to apply for an EPSRC studentship

The EPSRC studentships are advertised at the relevant times when funding becomes available. To respond to an advertisement, make an application to study for a research degree at City University London in the normal way. In the 'Finance' section of the application form, indicate that you wish to be considered for an EPSRC studentship. An initial selection of recommended candidates will then be forwarded by the relevant School or Department to the University.