School of Humanities / Sgoil nan Daonnachdan

Funding for current History postgraduates

AHRC/College of Arts postgraduate studentships

Deadline: 1 March
Current University of Glasgow Doctoral students applying for funding for 2nd/3rd year(s) of study should complete a Scholarship application form.

International Arthurian Society

The Eugène Vinaver Trust, in association with the British Branch of the International Arthurian Society and under the terms of the Barron Bequest, offers a number of annual awards for postgraduate research in any field of Arthurian Studies.
The awards are open to graduates of any university in the British Isles, including those of the Republic of Ireland. They may be held at any university in the British Isles, including those of the Republic of Ireland, except Owens College, University of Manchester.
The awards, currently of £1,250, are intended as a contribution to postgraduate fees. Preference will be given in the making of awards to support for full research degrees. Students who are awarded a grant for the coming year may apply for grants in future years on a basis of parity with those applying for the first time.
There is no standard application form. Instead, a leaflet is available giving details of information to be supplied by applicants in typed or word-processed form. The leaflet is available in electronic form here.
Alternatively copies of the leaflet can be obtained from:
Professor Jane Taylor, Garth Head, Penruddock, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 0QU; email:
The closing date for receipt of applications for the following academic year is 30 April

  • College of Arts: Research Support Awards (2 rounds)
    Deadlines: mid-November and beg March.
    Mainly for research students
    Purpose: to cover the costs of individual research (conference, research trips, consumables, books etc
  • History Subject: Conference and Research Support (usually 2 rounds, one in November and 1 in March/April). Emails are sent out to all History PGRs in due course
  • International Placement Scheme: The Huntington Library, California, USA
    closing date: 15 January
    for AHRC-funded doctoral students, research assistants and early career researchers
    Gives dedicated access to the internationally renowned research collections, programmes and expertise held at the Huntington Library in California, USA.
    Successful applicants will receive a flight contribution of up to £600 and a monthly stipend of £1,000, in addition to their existing parent award funding.

  • Library of Congress Scholarship Scheme
    Closing date: 15 January
    The Library of Congress Scholarship is a prestigious scheme run jointly between the AHRC and the ESRC. The scheme offers the chance for AHRC/ESRC funded doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows and research assistants to access the internationally renowned research collection at the Library of Congress.
    The successful applicants will receive a stipend towards their flight costs and a monthly allowance in addition to their normal monthly stipend paid as part of their award holder funding.

  • Mac Robertson travel scholarships
    open to all postgraduate research students currently registered at the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. It is available to research students from any academic discipline
    for visits of 2 months to 1 year (NOT intended to solely fund attendance at conferences)
    £2000 - £3000 per student
    Deadline: 1 May

  • Saltire PGR Scholarship competition
    available to Home PGR students wishing to spend up to 3 months on a research placement/project in the USA, Canada, India or China. Language courses and summer schools can also be considered. Projects must be carried out in session 2012/13.

  • UK/Japanese Short-term Fellowship Programme - National Institute for the Humanities
    Closing date: 1 December
    AHRC is again offering the chance for AHRC-funded researchers to enhance their research with time in Japan. Opportunities now exist for current AHRC-funded PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and research assistants to undertake short-term placements with the National Institutes for the Humanities (NIHU), Japan during 2011-12 as part of a joint UK/Japan Short-term Fellowship Programme.

  • WGS Next Generation Bursary Award
    Deadlines: 21 Dec and 5 March
    To provide an annual sum to the University of Glasgow for use by students from Scotland facing financial hardship. The awards will be enhancement related to either study or personal development (e.g. IT equipment, other specialist equipment, and travel and programme costs such as a field trip or overseas development experience). The awards will not be for general subsistence, fees and accommodation.
    Value: £200-300
    Eligibility: Applicants must be Scottish by birth, descent (at least one parent born in Scotland) or have been continuously resident in Scotland for a period of at least 3 years for the purpose of secondary or tertiary education. Bursaries are for self-funded postgraduate students in need of financial help for equipment or travel which is essential to their studies.

If you plan to organise a postgraduate workshop or conference, these sources of funding are a good place to start with:

You may also want to check the conference-organising grants page aimed at staff, as postgraduates might be eligible for some of these grants: please check the small print!

ESHSS postgraduate research essay prize

  • The essay must be on a Scottish historical theme in economic, social and cultural history (including diaspora or international trade studies). Entries in historical geography, historical anthropology and cognate areas will be welcomed. The deadline is 31 December.
  • The competition will be open to Postgraduate Students enrolled for masters or doctoral study anywhere in the world. High caliber submissions from Honours students who plan to progress to postgraduate study will also be considered.
  • The essay must be of 5-10,000 words, including footnotes and any appendices, and must not exceed these limits. It must conform otherwise to the guidelines for the submission of research articles to Journal of Scottish Historical Studies. It must not have been published or offered for publication elsewhere, including to online journals. It must be original research work which may have been conducted for undergraduate or postgraduate studies, or be an independent piece of research.
  • The essays will be judged by a panel of the Joint Editors of the Journal, plus a member of the Society’s Council, aided by anonymous referees appointed by them. Their decision will be final. They reserve the right not to award a Prize. Each entrant will receive feedback from the panel.
  • The prize in 2009 will be £250. In addition, the Editor will consider the winning essay for publication, with or without amendments. The Editor will also consider non-winning essays for publication.
  • Each submitted essay must be accompanied by the name and affiliation of the entrant, the entrant’s registration/matriculation number and degree registered for, the name of the university/college, full postal address and email address.
  • Enquiries and entries should be sent to Professor Elaine McFarland, School of Law and Social Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow G4 0BA.