The University will offer PhD scholarships for students starting their PhD research at the University in the 2026-2027 academic session. BackgroundIn order to attract the best and brightest PhD students, the University seeks to offer not only unparalleled research facilities and superb supervision, but also to provide development opportunities which will support our research students as they progress beyond their PhD, through an exciting scholarship scheme.AccessThe University of Edinburgh has been working for some time to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in its activities and to widen participation (WP) for students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. The Doctoral College is committed to embedding EDI in all of its policies and processes, and by widening access to postgraduate study to traditionally underrepresented groups, including BAME students and those from the most deprived communities in Scotland and the rest of the world. The Doctoral College wishes to attract the greatest diversity of applications to this scheme and will ensure that recruitment processes are robust and unbiased. Awards Each scholarship covers the University tuition fee as well as a stipend equivalent to the UKRI stipend rate (for 2025-2026 this is currently £20,780), subject to satisfactory progress, the scholarships are awarded for between three and four years as agreed by the School/College (or pro-rata for part time). Eligibility The awards are open to UK and overseas students applying to start their first year of study for an on-campus research degree in 2026-2027.Applicants must have already applied for admission to a first year of full-time or part-time on campus or distance PhD study at the University. We encourage applicants who wish to apply for this scholarship to make contact with their academic school regarding any admission deadlines.Please check the Entry Requirements for your proposed programme of study for details of other acceptable English language qualifications. You may apply for the scholarship prior to obtaining the necessary English language test results but the results should be uploaded as soon as possible.These awards cannot be held concurrently with fully-funded scholarships but can be held with partially-funded scholarships and will be reduced pro-rata. Criteria Applicants must be of outstanding academic merit and research potential. Candidates must have, or expect to obtain, a UK first class or 2:1 honours degree at undergraduate level or the international equivalent.Other factors such as financial status, nationality and the proposed field of study are not taken into account.The University will not generally consider candidates who have already obtained a PhD, or formal equivalent, as a result of direct research training. Training Undertake a package of training and development which will help them to develop the necessary skills required to meet their career choices and offer them a breadth of development opportunities in areas such as teaching, public engagement, entrepreneurship, data science, and research. Applying Eligible applicants should complete an online scholarship application.In order to gain access to the scholarship application system applicants must have applied for admission to the University of Edinburgh. Please note that, following the submission of an application for admission, it can take up to five working days for all system checks to be completed and 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.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.ukWhen logging in to MyEd, you will need your University User Name (UUN) and password. If you require assistance, please go to: http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-systems/support-guidanceFurther guidance on applying for scholarships as a registered student can be found here: Applying for a scholarship | Student Systems | Student Administration Please note: If you are applying to the School of Informatics or the School of Physics & Astronomy, you will automatically be assessed on your suitability for an Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarship upon applying for admission. There is no separate scholarship application process for these schools.Applications for the School of Biological Sciences should be made directly to the school. Applications cannot be made via MyEd in EUCLID for this award. Please click on the Biological Sciences link in the grid below for further information.For the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, please check for the specific School PhD admissions deadlines which need to be met in order to apply for this funding. The PhD admissions deadlines will be listed within each of the individual School links, below. Frequently Asked Questions & Terms and Conditions:Scholarships Systems FAQs for Applicants (152.11 KB / PDF)DocumentEdinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships - Terms and Conditions 2026-2027 (154.77 KB / PDF) Application deadlines will vary by School and are listed in the table below. Further information about each School can be found by clicking on the School web link below.SchoolNumber of Scholarships available3 1/2 Year Tenure4 Year TenureClosing DateBiological Sciences1NoYes17:00 (UK Time) on 15th December 2025Business School 1YesYes ***See Below***23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Chemistry 1NoYes23:59 (UK Time) on 12th January 2026Divinity 1YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Economics 1NoYes23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Edinburgh College of Art 1YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Engineering1NoYes23:59 (UK Time) on 15th January 2026Geosciences 3YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Health in Social Sciences1YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026History, Classics and Archaeology 1YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Informatics1NoYes17:00 (UK Time) on 18th December 2025Law1YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Literatures, Languages and Cultures1YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Mathematics1NoYes23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Moray House School of Education and Sport1YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences 1YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Physics and Astronomy 1NoYes17:00 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026Social and Political Science 1YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 2nd February 2026College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine6YesNo23:59 (UK Time) on 30th April 2026 **For the Business School Only - Four year EDCS funding is only available for applicants to the 4 year integrated PhD programmes. Applicants on 3 year PhD programmes are eligible for 3.5 years of EDCS funding but the award holder would be funded by the Business School for an additional 6 months** Selection Procedure The University will use the information you provide on your scholarship application form together with the information contained in the supporting documentation (reference and academic transcript) which you submitted as part of your application for admission to administer and assess your scholarship application and to select successful applicants.Shortlisted candidates should expect to be invited to attend an interview which will take place either in person or by telephone. Notifications All applicants will be notified of the outcome by the relevant school. For further information, please contact the school/college directly. This article was published on 2024-07-29
