The William R McFarlane Scholarship

The Edinburgh Centre for Global History (ECGH) invites applications from outstanding candidates for the William R. McFarlane Scholarship for 2025/2026 entry.

The award provides an annual stipend at the UKRI rate (the UKRI stipend for the academic year 2025/2026 has now been published on the UKRI website as £20,780), tuition fees at UK or international rate, and some travel funding.

The successful applicant will become a member of the ‘Migration, Slavery and Diaspora Studies’ Hub within the ECGH, which boasts a lively and supportive postgraduate community. The successful applicant will be expected to participate in the ECGH’s activities, including the Graduate Workshop.


The award is open to UK and international students, commencing an on-campus History PhD degree in the academic year 2025-2026. Those applying for a HCA PhD by Distance programme, as well as current PhD students, are not eligible to apply for the William R McFarlane Scholarship. 

The scholarship panel will consider all high quality proposals relating to migration and/or diaspora studies from any period, and from any geographical region. Although Scottish history is a core concern, the Migration, Slavery and Diaspora Studies Hub has broad transnational interests, and welcomes projects relating to other nations or regions that put the Scottish example in a comparative perspective. Current/recent projects have focused on issues surrounding memory and identity (including military Scottishness, Irish diasporas in Melbourne and Chicago, and mapping memories of slavery), Scottish, Dutch, Jewish, and enslaved African diasporas in the early modern Atlantic World, and the impact of Scottish involvement with the slave economy on material culture at home. Prospective applicants are welcome to propose topics in related areas, but should not feel obliged to do so.  


To be considered for the William R McFarlane Scholarship, you must:

•             Hold a UK 2.1 or first class honours undergraduate degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant field

•             Hold, or successfully achieve before commencing your PhD with us, a relevant Masters degree with an overall mark of at least 65%, or its international equivalent.


The deadline for submitting applications has now passed.

Frequently Asked Questions:

 Scholarships System FAQs for Applicants (511.17 KB PDF)


Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications by May/June 2025.  We reserve the right not to make an award in the event that no suitable applications are received.  


If you have a question which has not been answered above, please email the HCA Postgraduate Research Office (hca-pgr@ed.ac.uk). 


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