The University of Birmingham Graduate School Doctoral Elite Scholarships Competition for 2013 is now open for applications. The scholarships are available to outstanding overseas candidates of the highest academic aptitude holding an offer of a place to study on a PhD at the University of Birmingham starting in October 2013. These generous scholarships cover full overseas tuition fees, an annual maintenance grant and generous research support allowances. Full details of the scholarships are available here

Any potential law doctoral researcher interested in applying for one of these prestigious scholarships can contact Dr Rosie Harding, Head of Postgraduate Research for Birmingham Law School at r.j.harding@bham.ac.uk for more information

The closing date for applying for nomination by the School of Law for these scholarships is Friday 4 January 2013 

Nominations for ESRC funding for study starting in October 2013 are now open for applicants interested in pursuing doctoral research on the socio-legal pathway. Full details of this competition are available here 

The ESRC competition is managed through nomination by the School. Please register your interest in these awards by contacting Dr Rosie Harding, Head of Postgraduate Research for Birmingham Law School on r.j.harding@bham.ac.uk for more information.

To be eligible for funding you will also need to have made a formal application to the University of Birmingham for the course of study you wish to undertake. The School of Law’s deadline for receipt of nominations is 4pm on Monday 14 January 2013.

The College of Arts and Law is offering a number of doctoral scholarships, to cover fees and maintenance, for researchers for study starting in October 2013. These are available to both home/EU and overseas students studying in School of Law. 

Applications for College Scholarships should be made on the College Scholarship Application form, by the deadline of 4pm, Monday 28 January 2013.Full details of the scholarship can be seen here

As with all scholarships, applications for funding will not be considered without an application to study.

There are a range of other scholarship opportunities that may be available. Potential applicants are encouraged to consider alternative sources of funding including scholarships from charitable organisations and other funding bodies. International students should check the scholarship opportunities available on the International Student webpages

Application closing date: 4pm, Friday 15 February 2013

Applications are invited for full time Postgraduate Teaching Assistant (PTA) scholarships leading to the degree of PhD commencing in September 2013. Successful applicants will receive a maintenance grant and teaching payment totalling £13,460 per year and tuition fees paid at the Home/EU rate. A bursary reducing the overseas fee to home fee rate may also be awarded to suitably qualified applicants on a competitive basis.

The funding for these PTA scholarships will be available for one year in the first instance, extended for a second and then third year providing there has been satisfactory performance in both teaching and research. To be eligible for these awards, candidates must hold either an offer of a place to study or have submitted an application to study at the University.

Those appointed PTA's will normally be expected to teach approximately 60 hours of small group seminars on an undergraduate law module per year, and hold regular office hours. PTAs are valued members of the Birmingham Law School teaching staff. Training and mentoring in teaching and learning in higher education will be provided.

One of the PTA posts for 2013 will be awarded to a student conducting research relating to legal education and professional ethics, as part of a joint project being run by CEPLER in association with the University’s School of Education.

Benefits of Becoming a PTA

By the end of their time in the School, PTAs can expect to have made good progress in the craft of university teaching and have a research degree. Many PTAs have used their experience as a stepping stone to taking up full-time academic appointments on completion of their PhDs. Benefits include:

• Gaining valuable teaching experience to increase employability
• An established route to becoming a full time academic
• Annual maintenance grant and teaching payment
• Tuition fees paid at the Home/EU rate
• A shared office with other Postgraduate Teaching Assistants
• Support and assistance with the preparation of teaching materials
• Participation in a thriving Postgraduate Research Community
• Support to attend conferences and events

So far as possible, PTAs are treated as fully-fledged members of the teaching staff. They attend our annual learning and teaching ‘away day’, have opportunities for teaching training, and gain an understanding of the quality assurance mechanisms used by good universities. The main priority for PTAs is, however, to conduct their own research.

Support available for PTAs

• An experienced member of the School acts as teaching mentor to each PTA.
• An introductory course is organised on small-group teaching early in the academic year.
• Training in Blackboard and other web-based Learning and Teaching Systems.
• The opportunity to attend other appropriate training courses offered by the University’s Staff Development Unit.

How to Apply

The application for PTA scholarships is in addition to an application to study for a PhD in the School of Law. Applicants should fill in the PTA Scholarship Application Form and provide two References, using the Reference Form.

Applications and references should be submitted electronically to law-research@bham.ac.uk. All applications and references must be received by 4pm on Friday, 15 February 2013.

• PTA application form
• PTA reference form