College of Social Sciences PhD Scholarship

The College of Social Sciences will soon invite applications to its doctoral scholarship competitions. In 2024/25, we will again be running two competitions: one for supervisor-designed projects for which a PhD candidate may not yet have been identified, and one for student-designed projects, supported by supervisors. There will be 24 CoSS PhD Scholarships available across the two competitions (3 Supervisor-led and 21 Student-led).

The basic criterion for eligibility is that an application must first have been submitted to a UKRI competition. The exception to this rule is applicants from the School of Social and Enivronmental Sustainability whose projects or students would usually fall within the competence of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) or Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) competitions. 

Both competitions may appoint, without constraint, international students. Scholarships will be standard 3-year PhD awards. The terms of scholarship will broadly mirror those offered by ESRC.

Benefits

All CoSS PhD Scholarships provide a stipend at the UKRI Stipend level; a 100% Tuition fee waiver and access to a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG).

Supervisor Led Competition

Supervisor Led Competition

  • Applicants must have applied to a UKRI scholarship competition (e.g. ESRC SteersESRC Open Collaborative, ESRC SDS Collaborative, or AHRC Collaborative).  
  • Applicants from the School of Social and Environmental Sustainability, whose proposed research would usually fall within the competence of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) or Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) will be required to complete the SGSSS Steers Studentship Competition Stage 1 Application Form and submit this directly to the Graduate School)
  • Lead supervisor of the UKRI submitted proposal must be within the College of Social Sciences, where the PhD researcher will be based. Proposals where the lead supervisor is based in another College will not be considered for the CoSS PhD Scholarships.
  • The College Graduate School will obtain a list of all ESRC Steers/OpenCollaborative/SDS Collaborative and AHRC Collaborative applicants from the SGSSS and College of Arts & Humanities respectively.   
  • The Graduate School will contact all ESRC and AHRC applicants and ask if they also wish to be considered for a CoSS PhD Scholarship, if yes, they will be asked to send a copy of their application (Stage 1 only if applicable) to the Graduate School.
  • The Graduate School will compile the applications and produce brief overview summaries of applications  
  • The Graduate School circulates shortlisted applications to College Selection Panel 
  • College Selection Panel meets to select successful applicants.  
  • Graduate School advises successful projects to CoSS PhD Scholarship and begins advertising and recruitment with the supervisory team.  
  • Student recruitment goes live. Adverts are published on Graduate School website, University’s Scholarships and Funding Database and findphd.com.  
  • Successful projects must have identified a suitable candidate no later than a date to be confirmed, or the funding will be offered to a reserve project

CoSS supervisor-led competition timelines - TBC

DateAction
18 October 2023 Deadline for ESRC Steers Stage 1 applications
09 November 2023 ESRC Steers Stage 1 outcomes notified (SGSSS)
16 November 2023 Deadline for ESRC Collaborative and ESRC SDS Collaborative applications
TBC AHRC Collaborative application deadline
13 February 2024 Deadline to submit Supervisor led project to CoSS Graduate School
14 February 2024 Supervisor led applications circulated to College Assessment Panel (Dean of Graduate Studies and PGR Directors of each School
08 March 2024 College Assessment Panel finalise scoring of Supervisor-led applications
13 March 2024 College Assessment Panel meets to consider and award Supervisor-led applications
14 March 2024 Supervisor-led Award outcomes communicated to applicants
22 March 2023 Student recruitment adverts go live (Supervisor-led), where a project needs to recruit a PhD Candidate
19 April 2024 Supervisor-led Student recruitment adverts and applications close
30 May 2024 Deadline for supervisors to notify CoSS Graduate School of preferred candidate
01 October 2024 Successful PhD candidates commence their CoSS PhD Scholarship-funded PhD

Student Led Competition

 Student-Led Competition

  • Applicants proposed lead supervisor must be within the College of Social Sciences, where you will be based. Applicants whose proposed lead supervisor is based in another College will not be considered for the CoSS PhD Scholarships.
  • Applicants must have applied to a UKRI scholarship competition (e.g. ESRC Doctoral Studentships or AHRC Doctoral Scholarships).  
  • Applicants for the School of Social and Environmental Sustainability, whose proposed research would usually fall within the competence of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) or Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) will be required to complete the SGSSS Student-led Open Competition Research Proposal Application Form and submit this, along with the same documents, on the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information)
  • The Graduate School will contact all ESRC and AHRC applicants and ask if they also wish to be considered for a CoSS PhD Scholarship, if yes, they are directed to complete an application on the Scholarships Application Portal, (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information) giving us permission to use their AHRC/ESRC application documents.
  • When permission is granted, the Graduate School will obtain all the ESRC applications from SGSSS Apply and the applications for AHRC from School of Law and School of Social and Environmental Sustainability
  • Students who are unsuccessful at the Stage 1 SGSSS applications, but who wish to be considered for a CoSS scholarship, must ask their supervisors to write a statement of support which should be provided to the applicants, to upload with their Scholarships Application Portal application by 22 February 2024.
  • The Graduate School will compile the applications and produce a brief summary of all applications. 
  • Complete applications and summaries are forwarded to Schools by 26 February 2024 for assessment using the same criteria as the SGSSS Studentship Award Marking Framework 2022/23 Assessment for All Awards (+3 and 1+3) (https://social.sgsss.ac.uk/files/documents/studentship-competitions/sgsss-studentship-marking-framework.pdf)  
  • Schools provide their shortlisted applications back to Graduate School by 28 March 2024 
  • The Graduate School circulates shortlisted applications to College Assessment Panel by 05 April 2024 for assessment. The Graduate School advises non-shortlisted applicants that they are unsuccessful and will provide information on, and encourages seeking of, other funding opportunities. 
  • TBC: SGSAH advises successful AHRC Doctoral Scholarship applicants.
  • College Selection Panel meets on 14 May 2024 to select successful and reserve applicants.
  • 17 May 2024: SGSSS advises successful ESRC Doctoral Studentship applicants.
  • Week commencing 20 May 2024: Graduate School advises successful applicants to CoSS PhD Scholarship.
  • Graduate School advises unsuccessful applicants and provides information on, ans encourages seeking of, other funding opportunities

CoSS Student-Led competition timelines: 

Date 

Action 

01 December 2022

Applications for ESRC Doctoral Studentships must be submitted to the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) 

04 December 2023

Applications for AHRC must be submitted to School of Law and School of Social and Environmental Sustainability

22 February 2024

Supervisor Support Statements for every application must be received by Graduate School 

Direct applications to Graduate School from School of Social and Environmental Sustainability applicants 

26 February 2024

All applications sent to Schools for assessment by School Assessment Panels (each Chaired by the PGR Director of the School)

28 March 2024

Schools to provide their shortlisted applications (and scores) to Graduate School 

05 April 2024

Shortlisted applications sent to College Assessment Panel (Dean of Graduate Studies and PGR Director from each School)

End April 2024

Scottish Graduate School of Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) advises successful AHRC Doctoral Scholarship applicants 

10 May 2024

College Assessment Panel to finalise scoring of shortlisted Sutdent-led applications

14 May 2024

College Assessment Panel meets to consider and award Student-led applications

17 May 2024

SGSSS to communicate final outcomes of the ESRC Doctoral Studentship competition

20 May 2024

CoSS Graduate School to communicate final outcomes of the CoSS PhD Scholarship competition

01 October 2024

Successful applicants commence their CoSS PhD Scholarship-funded PhDs