Bucher-Fraser Scholarship

We are offering one scholarship for three years full-time study, open to new PhD students commencing study in September 2026. The scholarship provides full tuition fees (Home or Overseas level) with an annual stipend set to the UKRI level for 2026/2027. The UKRI level for 2025/2026 is currently £20,780.

All scholarship award holders are expected to be energetic members of our postgraduate community, and will engage with opportunities to present their work to the wider student and staff body during the period covered by their award. 

Applications for full-time study on PhD Music, PhD Creative Music Practice and PhD Musical Composition within the Reid School of Music will be considered. On campus and PhD by Distance applicants are eligible to apply.

If wishing to commence a new programme of study in September 2026 you must ensure that you have fully completed and submitted your PhD programme application for admission using the University's online system by no later than 19th January 2026.

• How to apply for postgraduate study

Applicants must have submitted their fully completed PhD programme application in order to be considered for the scholarship.

Bucher-Fraser Scholarship applications should be submitted via the University’s online scholarship application system by no later than 2nd February 2026.  Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

You will not be able to access the online scholarship application form unless you have applied for admission to the University of Edinburgh and have your University username and password.  Please note that, following the submission of an application for admission, it can take approx 5 working days for all system checks to be completed and for access to be granted. We highly recommend you apply for the scholarship well in advance of the scholarship deadline date should you encounter any technical difficulties with your application which need resolved.

When logging into MyEd, you will need your University username and password.  If you require assistance please go to http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-systems/support-guidance

The online scholarship application form is located in EUCLID and can be accessed via MyEd our web based information portal at https://www.myed.ed.ac.uk 

The scholarship deadline is 23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Scholarships Systems FAQs for Applicants (152.11 KB / PDF)

Applications will be scored in relation to the following assessment criteria:

• Qualifications OR relevant professional experience
• Quality of research proposal, knowledge exchange, public engagement and impact (including academic impact)
• Preparedness for research
• Supervisory expertise and research environment
• Training needs, plans and provision

This is the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award assessment criteria for 2026: AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award - Assessment criteria for 2026

The ECA Selection Panel will meet in late March 2026 to review the scholarship applications.  All scholarship applicants will be contacted with the outcome by mid-April 2026.

Please note: if successful in obtaining funding from any other University of Edinburgh or Research Council funding source, recipients must relinquish their Bucher-Fraser Scholarship.

Please contact the ECA Postgraduate Research Team – ecaresearchdegrees@ed.ac.uk – if you have any questions about the application process. 

If you have an academic enquiry please contact the Music Postgraduate Research (PGR) Director – Prof. Benedict Taylor - B.Taylor@ed.ac.uk

The University reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or withdraw any of the advertised scholarships, without notice.