Doctoral School Grants

As part of Early Career Researcher development, SOAS offers funding to PhD students for conference attendance, to showcase the research our students are carrying out across the world.

Students can apply for up to £250 funding for the opportunity to present a paper at a conference.

Conference grants have two deadlines per academic year, and close at the end of term one and term two. The grant application process will be communicated by the Doctoral School throughout the year.  Please feel free to email doctoralschool@soas.ac.uk for more information.

Eligibility criteria

• Students must be fully enrolled to be eligible.
• Students can submit applications at anytime during their student journey and we will open up two rounds of the application process each year. Students may apply as long as they are presenting their research at the respective conference(s) and the application relates to a conference taking place in the same financial year (Aug - July).
• £250 is the maximum amount a student can be awarded for each approved application. Please note that applications will always be prioritised for those students who have not received conference grant funding before. 
• Applications should cover costs for a single conference, and students should ensure that all receipts are submitted to the Doctoral School for processing by 1 July 2025.
• Students may apply for conference funding before having a paper accepted. Proof of acceptance to present at the conference must be provided with your reimbursement claim and receipts. Please do not rely solely on receiving this funding when planning your attendance.

CHASE and UBEL funded students are not eligible to apply for university grant funding.
 

Application details and deadlines

The Doctoral School will email the relevant application links to all eligible applicants.

 If you do not receive the application links, please email the Doctoral School team at doctoralschool@soas.ac.uk and they will assist you.

The Doctoral School provides funding of up to £750 for PhD students in any year of study to learn a language for their research. Students may apply more than once during their PhD programme.

As part of Early Career Researcher development, SOAS offers funding to PhD students for language training.

The Doctoral School provides funding of up to £750 for PhD students in any year of study to learn a language for their research.
Recipients will be required to pay for the course in advance advance and apply for reimbursement after completion of the course.

To be eligible for funding, students must meet the following criteria:
 

• Students must have language training outlined in their programme offer letter or their annual Training Needs Analysis and be fully enrolled for the current academic year.
• If SOAS Language Centre offers the required language and course level, students must study at SOAS. If not, courses from other UK or overseas universities, recognised providers (e.g. Goethe Institute), or private tuition may be considered.

• Students seeking private tuition should contact the SOAS Language Centre (slcl@soas.ac.uk) for guidance on bespoke training, as they have expertise in London-based tutors.

  
  CHASE and UBEL funded students are not eligible to apply for university grant funding.
   

Application details and deadlines

The Doctoral School will email the relevant application links to all eligible applicants.

 If you do not receive the application links, please email the Doctoral School team at doctoralschool@soas.ac.uk and they will assist you.

SOAS offers up to £500 per event to support PhD student-led initiatives as part of Early Career Researcher development.

PhD students from any year may apply to organise an interdisciplinary SOAS-based seminar, conference or workshop, including online events. Collaboration with other institutions is welcomed, with partial funding expected from partner institutions.

Funding may cover catering or speaker travel expenses (supported by valid receipts) but not speaker fees or publication printing. 

The Doctoral School will arrange internal catering if needed. Past projects have also received support from other University of London institutions, DTPs, and the Centres and Programmes Office.

We especially encourage applications for cross-departmental initiatives or activities aligned with the Connected PhD programme. Only the SOAS logo may be used on promotional posters, and speakers should be confirmed before listing their names.

The SOAS fiscal year ends in July 2025; please notify us if your project will incur costs in the next fiscal year to ensure funding. A short report will be required after the event to highlight achievements, research impact, and future opportunities.

Application Requirements:
 

• Complete all sections; incomplete forms will not be accepted.
• Required details: title, conference proposal (500 words), audience estimate, dates/times, draft budget, organising committee names/emails with a signed statement of agreement, and an outline of the event (500 words).

CHASE and UBEL funded students are not eligible to apply for university grant funding.
 

Application details and deadlines

The Doctoral School will email the relevant application links to all eligible applicants.

 If you do not receive the application links, please email the Doctoral School team at doctoralschool@soas.ac.uk and they will assist you.

The Fieldwork Grant application process is now closed for this academic year. First-year research students will be eligible to apply for funding next September. More details coming your way during your Upgrade Process.