Fees and funding
The Department hosts a range of studentships and scholarships awarded competitively within and beyond UCL. These include the UCL Graduate Research Scholarships and Overseas Research Scholarships and research training studentships awarded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The Department is a key partner in the NERC London Doctoral Training Partnership and hosts the UCL ESRC Doctoral Training Centre Pathway in Human Geography. Information is posted on this page when these schemes are opened each year.
Studentships and scholarships
UCL AWARDS
UCL Research Excellence Scholarship (RES)
The UCL Research Excellence Scholarship (UCL-RES) offers 40 fully-funded scholarships. These scholarships will provide a stipend, £1200 research award and full tuition fees to both Home and Overseas applicants
Value: The difference between UK and Overseas tuition rate fees
Available to: Prospective and current students
Selection criteria: Academic merit
Eligible fee status: UK, Overseas
Eligible programmes: Full- or part-time research degrees
Additional eligibility criteria: At least 2:1 at undergraduate (or equivalent)
Deadline: 13th January 2023 at 12:00 Midday
Please contact Rebekah Mann at geog.office@ucl.ac.uk for information on admissions applications and submitting additional information.
Visit the UCL Scholarships pages for eligibility, value of the award and how to apply.
UCL Research Excellence Scholarship for Cross Disciplinary Training (RXD)
Research Excellence Scholarship for Cross Disciplinary Training (One-Year)
- Four fully funded awards available
- Stipend of £1200 research award and full tuition fees to both Home and Overseas applicants
Deadline: 13th January 2023 at 12:00 Midday
Please contact Rebekah Mann at geog.office@ucl.ac.uk for information on admissions applications and submitting additional information.
Visit the UCL Scholarships pages for eligibility, value of the award and how to apply.
2X PhD Regional Futures Studentships
Principal supervisor: Professor Ayona Datta
We are offering two studentships as part of Professor Datta's research team working on the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant funded Regional Futures: Territorial politics of digitalisation-as-urbanisation in the global south project.
Requirements
- 2:1 Master's degree or higher in urban/regional studies, or digital geography, including research training in qualitative methods.
- Experience working with social sciences research methods, including archival searches, in-depth interviews, compiling case studies, undertaking discourse and document analysis.
- Experience in using innovative research methods including participatory digital and visual methods.
- Knowledge and experience of research and working in global south contexts in either Kenya and Mexico.
Deadline:
Contact
- Academic queries and clarifications: Professor Ayona Datta: a.datta@ucl.ac.uk
- Application process: geog.office@ucl.ac.uk. Please include ‘ERC REGFUT: for the attention of Dr Rebekah Mann’ in the subject line of your email.
Get more information about the project, funding, requirements and applications
ESRC studentships in Human Geography at UCL Geography are offered via the UBEL DTP
(Pathway Lead: Dr Rory Coulter)
Applications process
ESRC studentships (+3 [inc. +3.5 and +3.25], and 1+3) in the Department of Geography at UCL can be applied for via the Human Geography Pathway in the UBEL Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).
We are particularly interested in applications that complement the Department’s existing research strengths. Supervision under the Human Geography pathway is also available with colleagues at Birkbeck Department of Geography. We will also consider applications for co-supervision with other UBEL DTP pathways.
Application procedure
Potential applicants through the Human Geography Pathway at the UBEL DTP should in the first instance contact potential supervisors to discuss project ideas, copying the Pathway Leader (r.coulter@ucl.ac.uk) into your initial correspondence.
Following this, if your proposed supervisor agrees, you should submit a Preliminary Application form to the UBEL DTP by the deadlines: 30th November 2022
Instructions on preparing and submitting preliminary applications to the DTP appear on the UBEL website here, which also contains eligibility requirements. Please read and follow these carefully.
If your preliminary application is successful, you will be invited to make a full application to the UBEL DTP, the deadline for which is 31st January 2023
AHRC Funding
AHRC Studentships are offered via the London Arts and Humanities Partnership. Details on LAHP studentship applications can be found here: https://www.lahp.ac.uk/apply-for-a-studentship/
Potential applicants through the LAHP should in the first instance contact potential supervisors to discuss project ideas.
London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)
Applications to the London NERC DTP programme are not for a specific project, but for a research theme. The projects listed on the site are to provide you with details on what is potentially on offer if you were to be accepted to the DTP. It is expected that students will meet with potential supervisors to discuss and develop their project ideas during the first six months of their PhD training.
All students will undertake an intensive programme of interdisciplinary core research and professional development training the autumn and spring terms. At the end of term 1, all students will submit a choice of two equally attractive project titles of which they will be allocated one. At the end of term 2, students will present their PhD project plans to the rest of their cohort before joining their primary research institution to begin their project.
Application Process
Please ensure you meet the eligibility criteria before you make an application.
November (at the end of the month) – Applications open.
January – Application deadline.
February – Interviews will be held remotely.
March – Offers confirmed.
All applicants will be required to submit a CV, cover letter and academic documents e.g. transcript/s and certificate/s.
Please see further resources for applicants here.
By applying for the London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) you need to follow the application process described on their webpages which is different to the main UCL application process.
UCL Geography is affiliated to the London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) but is managed separately so please do contact them if you have any questions.
China Scholarship Council-UCL Joint Research Scholarship
Funding offered by UCL and the China Scholarships Council (CSC) aims to expand the educational, cultural and technological co-operation between the UK and China.
Our contract with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) is currently under review. We will update you as soon as a final decision has been made on the 2023/24 offerings
UCL Research Opportunity Scholarships (ROS)
SHS has been selected for the flagship UCL-ROS 2023/24 award, which supports BAME postgraduate research degree students. There are three scholarships available for SHS students, one centrally funded award and two SHS Funded awards. For full details on the scholarship including the application process, please see the webpage: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/ucl-research-opportunity-scholarship. We have had more success in recent years with obtaining ROS awards within the Department.
Some key information:
Available to: Prospective and current students
Selection criteria: Academic merit and financial need
Eligibility criteria: UK-permanent residents from certain BAME ethnic groups:
- Black or Black British - Caribbean
- Black or Black British - African
- Other Black background
- Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi
- Asian or Asian British - Pakistani
Deadline for applications to Department: 13 January 2023 at 12:00 Midday
The benefits to UCL-ROS scholars:
- Full tuition fees and a maintenance stipend (rate for 2023/24 to be confirmed) for up to 3 years (excludes CRS)
- Value added benefits such as coaching, mentoring, training and skills development
- Annual research costs of £1,200
- Conference costs of £1,000
Visiting research students
Students currently enrolled on a PhD overseas can apply to study at UCL as a visiting research student to spend 3 to 12 months at UCL undertaking research which is complementary to the Doctoral/PhD project at your 'home' university. If you are interested in spending time in the Department as a visiting research student, you should contact members of staff who might be able to supervise your research while you are here. Further information on the application process can be found on UCL’s Visiting Research Students page.