ESRC Studentship

Master, Phd, Grant
United Kingdom

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) provides studentships for the support of full-time or part-time postgraduate courses. ESRC studentships can cover tuition fees, maintenance allowance and other expenses, depending on the student’s situation, circumstances and type of award.

The ESRC offers a variety of studentships for postgraduate training. These include:

The Proposal (Open) Studentships Competition

Proposal (Open) Competition Awards: For 2010 there will be up to a maximum of 90 awards available for the ESRC Proposal (Open) 1+3 and +3 competition. These awards are allocated on an open competition basis, this means that selection by an outlet for a competition place does not guarantee that an award will be offered by the ESRC.

The Nomination (Quota) Studentships

Nomination (Quota) Awards: For 2010 the majority of the awards will be offered on a Nomination (Quota) basis where awards have been allocated to specific ESRC Recognised Outlets/Departments. These outlets/departments are guaranteed a fixed number of awards by the ESRC and the HEI has the responsibility for selecting a nominee for each Nomination (Quota) place and informing the ESRC of their chosen student.

CASE (Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering) Studentships

CASE Awards are designed for research students to carry out projects within the Social Sciences in collaboration with companies/business. They provide PhD students with the opportunity to gain experience of work outside an academic environment. An academic supervisor and a company supervisor support students. They are usually known as CASE (Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering).

Advanced Quantitative Methods enhanced stipend

The ESRC has identified two disciplines/fields that experience specific challenges in attracting and retaining high quality students. These are Economics and Advanced Quantitative Methods. Students in Economics will receive an enhanced stipend automatically.

Joint ESRC/MRC (Medical Research Council) Studentships

Joint 1+3 and +3 studentships are available under a scheme funded by the ESRC and the Medical Research Council (MRC). These studentships are intended for students studying an interdisciplinary topic which falls under both the Social and Medical sciences.

Joint ESRC/NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) Studentships

Joint 1+3 and +3 studentships are available under a scheme funded by the ESRC and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). These studentships are intended for students studying an interdisciplinary topic which falls under both Social Sciences and Natural Sciences.

Communities and Local Government (CLG) bursary

As part of the Government’s initiative to change the culture of planning, the Communities and Local Government (CLG) will finance 181 postgraduate bursaries in 2010. The CLG bursary is a one year “fast track” RTPI accredited planning course, fifteen Institutions can hold these bursaries.

ESRC Student Internship Scheme

The ESRC student internship scheme is a joint initiative which offers ESRC funded PhD award holders (in their 1st, 2nd or 3rd year or part time equivalent) the opportunity to undertake a three month internship within a public, private or third (voluntary) sector organisation.

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Eligibility Criteria

We base eligibility for studentships on academic and residential conditions. Our Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) make the final decisions on eligibility. If you have any questions about eligibility please speak to the relevant DTC contact directly, and they will advise you on academic and residency requirements.

Academic conditions

In order to receive ESRC studentship funding you must have qualifications/experience equal to the standard of a good honours degree at a first or upper second class level from a UK academic research organisation.

Degree qualifications gained from outside the UK, or a combination of qualifications and/or experience that is equivalent to a relevant UK degree, may be accepted.

Residential conditions

To be eligible for a full award (stipend and fees), you must have:

Settled status in the UK, meaning there are no restrictions on how long you can stay.
Been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK for three years prior to the start of the studentship grant. This means you must have been normally residing in the UK (apart from temporary or occasional absences).
Not been residing in the UK wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education. This does not apply to UK and EU nationals.

To be eligible for a fees only award, you:

must be ordinarily resident in an EU member state, in the same way as UK students must be ordinarily resident in the UK.

Note: These eligibility criteria are based on the Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations 1997 and subsequent amendments. These regulations cover England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.