Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Studentships

Key information

Deadline date
Amount
Preliminary Applications only!

Scholarship overview

SOAS is a member of the UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership (UBEL-DTP), alongside UCL, Birkbeck, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of East London. The Partnership provides ESRC funding for over 40 new PhD studentships each year.

 

Application and deadlines

ESRC Preliminary Applications for funding are now open

UBEL DTP Preliminary Applications for ESRC funding are open until Monday 2nd December 11:59pm (UK Local time).

Candidates should make an online application via the Survey Monkey Apply portal. The application will consist of a preliminary form (including a proposed research summary) and equal opportunities information. 

References and a full research proposal are not expected at this stage of the competition.

Prospective students should closely read the resources in the “Useful documents” section above, to help complete their application.

Studentship competitions for 2025 entry are subject to confirmation of ESRC funding.

ESRC funding 

  • UBEL DTP studentships cover tuition fees at the UKRI rate and an annual maintenance stipend. For 2024/25 an UBEL studentship will cover tuition fees of £4786 and a minimum stipend of £21, 237. This figure includes the London Allowance.
  • We offer a wide range of disciplinary pathways, in 6 groupings across 6 London institutions. Each pathway provides a range of study routes (+3.5; 1+3.5 +4.5) with MRes, MSc and MA programmes attached and accommodates both full-time and part-time students. 

Full information (entry criteria and pathways) and how to apply for the ESCR Studentships can be found on the UBEL DTP website. 

Applicants who make a preliminary application for funding must ensure they apply to SOAS to study. For further information, please see our page how to apply (research).

Academic qualifications

  • You should normally have (or expect to achieve by 30 September 2025) an upper second or first class honours degree or a Master’s degree from a recognised UK university, or the equivalent qualification if gained outside the UK.
  • For +3.5  award you must normally have (or expect to achieve by 30 September 2025) a Master’s degree with an appropriate level of research training.

Eligibility criteria

  • All UKRI studentships are open to both home and international students.
  • To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:
    • Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or Have settled status, or
    • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
    • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter
  • If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classified as an International student. Please read the UKRI Eligibility guidance document (pdf) for full details on residency requirements. 
  • UBEL cannot cover visa costs for international students. For any visa or immigration advice, please speak to your institutions visa compliance team.
  • UBEL is allowed to make no more than 30% of the total number of studentships (across competitions) to international students – this is an ESRC condition and cannot be waivered. (For 2024 Entry, UBEL could award only 10 international studentships out of 369 international applicants)

Deadlines for 2025 Entry

DateAction
30 September 2024Survey Monkey Apply opens for Preliminary applications.
2 December 2024Deadline for Preliminary applications at 23:59
4 December 2024Widening Participation sub-panel to review equal opportunities and “Additional Information” sections. Recommendations will be given to Pathway teams. 
Pathways to review content of applications. Scoring criteria is available on the webpage. 
20 December 2024Pathways to inform DTP of applications to go forward to the second stage of the competition.
DTP informs candidates of outcomes and the second phase of the competition will be available on Survey Monkey Apply. 
31 January 2025

Deadline for Full applications at 23:59

A full application will include a research proposal, training plan, references, further details about your supervisory arrangements and information about whether your research will meet ESRC steers (including an Advanced Quantitative Methods application if applicable).

5 February 2025Full Applications available for review. Pathway teams and wider interdisciplinary groups will review applications. 
March 2025

Group Panel meetings take place. 

The group panel will collaborate to assess the applications assigned to their group, using the scoring criteria available on the website. Panel members are also asked to consider widening participation, ESRC steers and the UKRI international cap (no more than 30% of studentship awards). 

Each group will nominate the top portion of candidates for consideration for an award. A reserve list will also be considered.

w/c 5 April 2025

DTP Board confirms studentship awards for 2025 entry. 

The candidates nominated by each group will be considered as well as widening participation, ESRC steers and the UKRI international cap (no more than 30% of studentship awards). 

Contact

For enquiries, please contact the Scholarships Office:

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