Research Scholarships in the School of Government

The School of Government is one of the leading UK and International Centres for governance, politics, international development, public management, Russian and European Studies.  

School of Government Doctoral Scholarships

School scholarships are available to candidates of the highest academic calibre who wish to conduct doctoral level study in the research areas of Politics, International Studies, International Security, International Development or Local Government Studies.

Each year the School is able to offer individual scholarships that cover all or part of PhD fees and, in some cases, a stipend for living expenses.  Limited funds are available, meaning the scholarships are allocated on a competitive basis and are not open to existing PhD students.

A successful applicant will be expected to have a very good undergraduate degree (minimum of a 2:1 but, preferably, a first class honours). They should also hold, or expect to achieve, a very good Masters degree (at a distinction level) in a relevant social science subject. Their references will attest to qualities of academic achievement and research potential that make the candidate stand out above their peers. They may have already won academic prizes within their home institutions and /or internationally.

Applications will be assessed on (a) the quality of the student’s academic achievements and preparedness for doctoral level study; (b) the quality of the research proposal; (c) the potential to contribute to cutting edge research; and  (d) the match of the proposal to areas of research strength within the School of Government.

Since we are particularly keen to build on existing areas of research strength, all applicants are strongly advised to contact potential supervisors and to discuss their proposal with them prior to online submission. Scholarships are open to new offer-holders only.

How to apply

The deadline for submitting applications is 24 January 2023. Download the application form.

Potential candidates for the School of Government Doctoral Scholarship must have an offer of a place to study for a PhD. If you do not already have an offer, you should apply as soon as possible. At the same time, you should send a separate School of Government Scholarship application form, which can be downloaded along with your research proposal, to Tricia Thomas, Administrator for the Doctoral Research Programme (to gandspgr@contacts.bham.ac.uk) and mark your email ‘School of Government Scholarships’. 

If you already have a place to start the doctoral programme in September 2023 and are interested in being considered for these awards, please contact your supervisor to discuss the opportunity and submit a completed Scholarship application and your research proposal to Tricia Thomas, as explained above. If you are currently a Masters student, an offer of a scholarship will be conditional on the successful completion of your studies at the required level.  

To apply to the Doctoral Programme, please go to the subject specific page listed below:

Find out more about the areas of research in the School of Government.