university of edinburgh funded phd

• Schools & departments

PhD research projects

PhD projects and studentships are defined pieces of research that an organisation wishes to explore. A research council may have provided funding for the project to ensure its successful outcome, although not all defined PhD projects have funding associated with them.

The availability of funded research projects varies significantly by subject area. They are usually offered in medical, scientific and technical disciplines, where the cost of research is high and where defined projects may be used to contribute to a wider area of research.

However, it is still worth checking to see if any funded research projects are available in the arts, humanities and social sciences.

The selection process for a funded project often works in the same way as applying for a job: there is usually only one place available, so it can be competitive. You also need to demonstrate your suitability to work alongside others in a research team.

Here are some things to remember:

• Funded projects tend to have early academic year deadlines, so be prepared to apply before January in the year before you plan to start your studies.
• Projects and studentships can be advertised in different places. The majority will be listed on FindaPhd.com and displayed below, but you should also check school and research centre/institute websites.
• Check the funding status and eligibility criteria of the project you are interested in. If there is no funding attached to it, then you will need to research other funding opportunities in order to finance your research.
• Some projects may require you to submit a research proposal as part of your application, or to contact a supervisor before you apply, but others won’t, so make sure you check the application requirements for what you need to submit.
• Application for PhD projects are usually made through the University of Edinburgh’s degree finder; however, there may be some exceptions. If you are in doubt, ask the project’s lead contact.

Find a PhD research project

If there aren’t any projects in your area.

If there are no PhD research projects available in your area of interest then you could try:

• Developing your own research idea
• School websites  (especially those in the College of Science and Engineering), which may be advertising projects separately
• Applying for a PhD through a doctoral training centre or partnership

This article was published on 2024-11-12

• Schools & departments

PhD Funding

A variety of funding and scholarship schemes are available through University funds, organisations and industrial sponsors.

How Do I Apply for PhD Funding?

Applying for funding is a separate process to applying for a PhD.

However as part of the PhD application process, you will be guided through potential funding options and asked to indicate how you will fund your PhD.

When you click 'how to apply' on any of our advertised PhD projects you will be taken through a series of steps:  

Browse PhD Projects

How to apply for advertised PhD Projects

When Should I Apply for PhD Funding ?

Remember that different deadlines, eligibilities and selection procedures apply depending on the source of funding.

• You must complete both of the above steps by the University deadline, regardless of the funding deadline. 
• You can apply for funding after the University application deadline, if the funding deadline allows this.

Do I Need to Apply for PhD Funding?

Applying for funding is an optional process. You may also fund your studies yourself, or find an external sponsor. 

How to Apply - Externally Sponsored or Self Funded PhD 

What Happens after I Apply for a PhD?

We will contact you if we need any further information to be able to consider your application. Please regularly log in to your EUCLID account to check for any messages from us.  If you are shortlisted for a PhD place, we will invite you for interview in person or online interview.  

Our initial set of interviews will be in February/March. 

We do keep applications on hold while we allocate all our different funding, and so it is possible that you will not have a firm decision from us until May. 

BREXIT Advice for Applicants

The University provides advice for prospective students on the impacts of Brexit.

Brexit advice for prospective students

If you have a question about PhD funding please contact the Graduate School.

Graduate School

School of Biological Sciences

Contact details

• Email: [email protected]

Availability

This article was published on 2024-06-17

• Schools & departments

Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships

The University will offer PhD scholarships for students starting their PhD research at the University in the 2025-2026 academic session.

In 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.

The 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.

Each scholarship covers the University tuition fee as well as a stipend equivalent to the UKRI stipend rate (for 2024/25 this is currently £19,237), subject to satisfactory progress, the scholarships are awarded for between three and four years as agreed by the School/Deanery (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 2025-2026.

Applicants must have already applied for admission to a full-time or part-time on campus  PhD research programme of 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.

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.

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.

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions for 2025-2026 to be updated.

Terms and Conditions 2024-2025 (114.18 KB / PDF)

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 - When logging in to MyEd, you will need your University User Name and password.

Further guidance on applying for scholarships as a registered student can be found here: Applying for a scholarship through MyEd

If you require assistance, please go to http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-systems/support-guidance

*Please note* - Applications for the School of Informatics ,  Physics & Astronomy, Royal (Dick) Veterinary Studies and Biological Sciences should be made directly to the respective school. Applications cannot be made via MyEd in EUCLID for these.

Applications for Molecular, Genetic and Population Health Sciences will open in early 2025 . Please check back to this page for updates.

Application deadlines will vary by School/Deanery and are listed in the table below. Further information about each School can be found by clicking on the School web link below.

**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 **

Frequently Asked Questions:

Scholarships System FAQs for Applicants (511.17 KB / PDF)

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 or deanery. For further information, please contact the school or deanery directly.

This article was published on 2024-07-29

• Schools & departments

A world-class research experience

The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine is widely recognised as an international leader in basic-to-clinical translational research. Our research centres and institutes provide over 1000 PhD and MSc by research students with an exceptional range of facilities. Furthermore, the vast majority of our academic staff are world leaders in their field, meaning that you'll have the chance to learn from some of the best and brightest minds working in medicine, veterinary medicine and life sciences. 

Each year we offer a large number of studentships to high calibre PhD students interested in scientific research at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. Browse the videos and links below for more information on how you can pursue funded PhD research at the University of Edinburgh. 

What our students think...

Watch video here: https://media.ed.ac.uk/media/1_btldt1vv

Our PhD training programmes

2025 entry - please keep checking the links below for application deadline(s).

• PhDs in Cancer Research - Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre
• TRACC Programme CRTF-PhD for Clinicians - Cancer Research UK
• PhDs in Bioscience BBSRC EASTBIO doctoral training partnership
• PhDs in Genetics and Molecular Medicine - Human Genetics Unit
• PhDs in Integrative Biomedical Sciences
• PhDs with Integrated study in Precision Medicine  - projects will be advertised on this link late October/early November . Application deadline Monday 13th January 2025. 
• PhDs with integrated study in One Health Models of Disease - Wellcome Trust
• Epilepsy Research UK - Doctoral Training Centre
• PhD studentships at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies  
• BBSRC Eastbio R(D)SVS PhD projects

Students are only accepted for a place following a competitive interview. 

What's on offer?

Our funded PhD programmes provide outstanding students with studentships, world-class teaching and research training at our cutting-edge Research Centres.

The studentships offer eligible candidates a stipend, tuition fees (at the UK/EU rate) and a contribution towards research costs.

Our ‘integrated programmes’ also offer students the opportunity to broaden their knowledge by taking taught courses.

Other funding options

In addition to our funded PhD programmes, we also offer funded PhD projects, which are usually advertised on FindAPhD. Information can also be found on each research centre's individual website.   Furthermore, we host students on personal fellowships provided by external funders, University scholarships or their own private funding.

More research and doctoral opportunities

Visit our research degrees page to explore our other research and doctoral opportunities, including Masters by Research programmes and advanced training for clinicians for medics and vets.

Why choose us for your PhD?

A world-class research environment: Our interdisciplinary research centres give you the opportunity to cross boundaries and work on collaborative, cutting-edge research. You will work alongside some of the most influential academics in your chosen field and contribute to the very latest developments in your subject area.

Our world-leading medical and scientific research was reaffirmed as 'outstanding' by the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) results .

Personal and professional development: Doing a PhD with us will help you to develop a wide range of skills and attributes, enhancing your capacity to compete in the job market and to achieve your full potential as a scientist.

A supportive community:  Here at Edinburgh you will receive dedicated help from your supervisor and will also be able to benefit from a wide range of support services and facilities. You can look forward to a warm welcome from all members of our dynamic scientific community.

A vibrant city: Edinburgh is an international city with a rich history and culture. The Scottish capital is regularly voted as one of the most desirable places to live in the world – so why not come and see it for yourself?

Application process and deadlines

Research centres may advertise funded PhDs at any time of year, depending on availability of funding. Please check individual projects for deadlines.

A number of funded schemes have deadlines in early December, so it is advisable to start your research as soon as possible.

Read more about the PhD application route

QS World University Rankings 2025

The University of Edinburgh is ranked 27th in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings 2025, which places the University in the top 2% of higher education institutions worldwide.

According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024, we’re also ranked:

• 9th in the world for veterinary science
• Joint 19th in the world for anatomy and physiology
• 22nd in the world for medicine.

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine rankings and key facts

This article was published on 2024-09-09

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Scholarships and funding

A number of scholarships and funded projects for new students beginning their PhD programme are available.

For those looking to join our research programmes from September 2025, details of our scholarship opportunities, along with application deadlines, can be found below.

We seek to award scholarships to the best applicants, based primarily on academic merit. All scholarship applicants must follow the instructions on how to apply for each scholarship.

Awardees of external scholarships which cover tuition fees may not be considered for the scholarships we offer.

Please note: For all scholarships, we strongly advise that you submit your programme application at least 2 weeks before the scholarship closing date . If applying for the scholarship requires you to submit an application using the University of Edinburgh Scholarship Portal, you will not be able to access this until you have applied for our doctoral programme.

Edinburgh Doctoral College and Business School Scholarships

A number of fully funded scholarships are available for any area of study within the doctoral programme.

EDC and Business School Scholarships

University of Edinburgh Business School Doctoral Scholarship

A number of fully-funded scholarships are available for study within the Business School doctoral programmes.

Doctoral Scholarship

University of Edinburgh Business School Doctoral Access Scholarship

Available for students who are UK nationals and domiciled in the UK, the Business School will offer one scholarship to cover full tuition fees and an annual stipend for one of their Doctoral programmes for entry in September 2025. This scholarship will support those who may face barriers in accessing postgraduate research study and are evidentially underrepresented in postgraduate research study. The scholarship is for students who meet at least one of our widening participation criteria.

Doctoral Access Scholarship

College Research Awards

The Business School will be offering a College Research Scholarship for students joining in September 2025.

ESRC Open Competition

We welcome applications from students interested in joining us on a PhD (3 year) or a Masters by Research and PhD (1+3 year) programme.

Carnegie PhD Scholarships

The Carnegie Trust offers a number of scholarships each year to academically excellent candidates who are intending to study on a PhD programme at any University in Scotland.

Carnegie Scholarship

The Trudeau Scholarship

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation are offering doctoral scholarships to Canadian citizens who are full-time first or second year students registered (or in the process of registering) in a doctoral programme outside Canada.

Trudeau Scholarship

University of Edinburgh tuition fee alumni scholarships

The University of Edinburgh offers two tuition fee scholarship schemes for alumni of the University.

Graduate scholarship scheme

The University is currently offering a 10% scholarship in postgraduate degree tuition fees for all alumni who have graduated with an undergraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh.

Alumni (visiting undergraduate) scholarship scheme

The University of Edinburgh offers a 10% scholarship in postgraduate degree tuition fees for all students who have previously matriculated on a "Visiting Programme" as an undergraduate student and completed a minimum of one semester of study at the University of Edinburgh.

Tuition fee alumni scholarships

Student loans

A number of options are available for student loan funding, for both UK, EU, and international students. A range of options can be found on the University's Financial Support site . In addition, a new postgraduate doctoral loan has been announced by the UK government.

• Schools & departments

How to Apply – PhD Applicants Seeking Funding

Guidance on how to apply for advertised PhD projects - applicants seeking funding

1.  Select your project(s) from our list of PhD Projects  - you can apply for a maximum of three  projects.

PhD Projects    

2.  Click 'how to apply' on the advertised PhD project to complete our eligibility checklist* - for each project if applying for more than one.

3.  You will then have the option to apply through the University’s online application system – EUCLID. You can apply for up to three projects on one EUCLID application.

4.  Applying for funding is a separate process - a list of suggested funding schemes is provided during the eligibility checklist. You can also view the full list of funding schemes.

PhD Funding  

*What is an Eligibility Checklist?

• Our eligibility checklist is a short series of steps that allows you to check if you meet the criteria to apply for the PhD project you are interested in. 
• It will also suggest funding schemes that you may be able to apply for based on your answers.
• Your answers are not recorded and completing an eligibility checklist does not commit you to making a PhD application via EUCLID.

What Happens After I Apply for a PhD?

We will contact you if we need any further information to be able to consider your application. Please regularly log in to your EUCLID account to check for any messages from us.  If you are shortlisted for a PhD place, we will invite you for interview in person or for a skype/telephone interview if you cannot attend in person. 

Our initial set of interviews will be in February/March. 

We do keep applications on hold while we allocate all our different funding, and so it is possible that you will not have a firm decision from us until May. 

BREXIT Advice for Applicants

The University provides advice for prospective students on the impacts of Brexit.

Brexit advice for prospective students