PhD Studentship Funding Sources

Need money for a PhD student? Try these funders......  

Most funding opportunites are available to supervisors who are looking for funds to recruit a PhD student (these are listed below). There are, however, a few exceptions where the student is the applicant. These have been listed below, along with key websites that list funded PhD places). Click the hyperlinked title to access the funders webpage.

Student Applicant

 

Supervisor Applicant

Alzheimer's Research UK PhD Scholarship

This scholarship supports a PhD that addresses the causes, cures, prevention, diagnoses and treatments for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.  Deadline:  Expected October 2019

Alzheimer's Society PhD Studentships

The objective of Alzheimer's Society PhD Studentship grants is to provide funding for new PhD studentships in the areas of cause, cure, care or prevention of all types of dementia. Deadlines: September and March, next deadline expected March 2018

Ataxia UK

Supporting innovative and relevant research that fits into an explicit therapeutic strategy.  Deadlines: June and October

Brain Research UK 

PhD studentships are intended to enable outstanding graduates (clinicians and non-clinicians) to gain the necessary skills and training to set them on course for the development of an independent career in neuroscience or neurological research. Areas covered: acquired brain damage, neuro-oncology, headache and facial pain. Deadline: 23 November 2018

Chief Scientist Office - Clinical Academic Training Fellowships scheme

This scheme has been developed to help address longstanding concerns about clinical academic careers. The scheme will be subject to competitive entry and will nurture a cadre of research-led clinical academics capable of going on to lead development in their discipline by providing the opportunity to undertake a PhD. Deadline: March

Cunningham Trust

PhD studentship awards are made to a Scottish University/research institution to support the delivery of a 3 year PhD scholarship programme incorporating academic research training tailored to research into any matters relating to the causation, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness, or to the development of medical or surgical appliances and research into medical education. Please note - information about this studentship application process is notified via email as there is no website available. Deadline: expected July 2019

Dunhill Medical Trust 

Research Training Fellowships: covers research into the causes and treatments of disease, disability and frailty related to ageing, and innovative projects to improve the care of older people, including rehabilitation and palliative care. The awards may either be in the form of a PhD studentship. Deadline: February

Dunhill Medical Trust/Association of British Neurologists Research/PhD Fellowship:  These are awarded to trainees who want to study an aspect of clinical neuroscience in depth for three years and obtain an MD or PhD degree. This fellowship will focusses on research aimed at understanding the mechanisms of ageing and treating age-related diseases and frailty. This sheme is currently closed

EU H2020 Doctoral training Networks (Training, Industrial and Joint schemes)

Innovative training Networks support competitively selected joint research training and/or doctoral programmes, implemented by partnerships of universities, research institutions, research infrastructures, businesses, SMEs, and other socio-economic actors from different countries across Europe and beyond. Deadline: January

Fight for Sight PhD Studentships

Fight for Sight PhD Studentships are highly prestigious awards made on a fully competitive and peer reviewed basis. Applications are assessed according to the hypothesis, scientific merit of the research project and any supporting evidence. In addition, a focus on the training and development of the PhD student within the research environment provided by the host institution will be considered. Deadline: expected August 2019

Medical Research Council (MRC) Industrial CASE Studentships

CASE studentships 1) provide students with experience of collaborative research with a non‐academic partner, 2) strengthen and develop collaboration and partnerships between research organisations and non‐academic partner organisations.  Each industrial CASE student will have two committed PhD supervisors, one academic and one from the non-academic partner. Deadline: usually early July

Medical Research Scotland

These awards provide funding for a four-year PhD Studentship including student stipend, contributions to laboratory and travel expenses and fees.  The application must be made by a researchers in a recognised Scottish University/Research Institution working in conjunction with an established trading company involved in medically-relevant life sciences research. The PhD Studentship programme must include both academic and commercial research training tailored to research into any matters relating to the causation, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness or to the development of medical or surgical appliances, including hearing aids.  Deadline: expected early July 2019

MS Society

Three year PhD studentships designed to encourage the best graduates to embark on a research career in MS. These awards provide practical research training leading to a doctorate, through a time-limited research project related to MS, under the direct supervision of a senior and experienced researcher. Deadline: usually mid April

Stroke Association Postgraduate Fellowships

Our Postgraduate Fellowships (formerly called Junior Research Training Fellowships) enable outstanding graduates to obtain a postgraduate research qualification (MPhil or PhD), giving them the required skills to ultimately undertake an independent career in stroke research. Our fellowships will be awarded to named candidates and we require the host department to provide appropriate supervision and a research training programme suitable to equip the fellow for a career in stroke research and to enable them to obtain a postgraduate qualification. Deadline: 01 November 2018