College of Social Sciences PhD Scholarship
The College of Social Sciences will soon invite applications to its doctoral scholarship competitions. In 2025/26, 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 30 CoSS PhD Scholarships available across the two competitions (5 Supervisor-led and 25 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 Steers, ESRC Open Collaborative, ESRC SDS Collaborative, AHRC Collaborative or AHRC Applied Research 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/Open Collaborative/SDS Collaborative applicants from the SGSSS.
- The Graduate School will contact all ESRC 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.
- Due to the AHRC Collaborative and AHRC Applied Research Collaborative deadlines, the Graduate School will rely on these applicants lodging the application to Graduate School without being contacted by us.
CoSS supervisor-led competition timelines
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 12 September 2024 | Deadline for SGSSS Steers Stage 1 applications |
| 23 October 2024 | Deadline fo SGSSS Open Collaborative and SGSSS SDS Collaborative applications |
| 25 October 2024 | SGSSS outcomes of Stage 1 Steers competitions |
| 28 October 2024 | CoSS Graduate School begins contacting applicants to the SGSSS competitions to lodge their project to the CoSS Graduate School |
| 12 December 2024 | SGSSS outcomes of Collaborative competitions |
| 14 February 2025 |
|
| 17 February 2025 | Applications circulated to College Assessment Panel (CAP) - made up of Dean of Graduate Studies + PGR Director from each School |
| 1By 14 March 2025 | CAP to meet to select successful supervisor-led projects |
| 17 March 2025 | Award outcomes communicated to project teams |
| 21 March 2025 | Student recruitment adverts due to CoSS Graduate School |
| 24 March 2025 | Student recruitment goes live |
| 21 April 2025 | Deadling for student applications to successful projects |
| 28 April 2025 | Deadline for references. Applications circulated to Project Teams for assessment/shortlist/interview |
| 30 May 2025 | Deadline for Project Teams to identify preferred applicant |
| 01 October 2025 | Funded student to commence PhD |
Student Led Competition
Student-Led Competition
- Applicants proposed PhD programme and lead supervisor must be within the College of Social Sciences, where you will be based. Applicants whose proposed PhD programme or lead supervisor are based in another College will not be considered for the CoSS PhD Scholarships.
- The main eligibility criteria is that applicants must have lodged a complete, eligible and on time application to a UKRI scholarship competition (e.g. ESRC Doctoral Studentship 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 eligible to apply to the CoSS PhD Scholarship competition without lodging an application to the ESRC or AHRC competitions.
Application process
- Lodge an application to the ESRC Doctoral Studentships and/or the AHRC Doctoral Scholarships
- Lodge the same application to the CoSS PhD Scholarship competition via the Scholarships Application Portal (applicants from the School of Social and Environmental Sustainability whose proposed PhD project would align to the EPSRC or NERC can lodge their application without lodging it to the ESRC or AHRC competitions) via the process below:
Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal (please see Scholarships Application Portal - Applicant Guide for more information), uploading the following documentation:
- Application form (in Word format) - will be available by end of November
- Academic transcripts (All relevant Undergraduate and Master’s level degree transcripts (and translations, if not originally in English) – provisional transcripts are sufficient if you are yet to complete your degree).
- Supervisor Support Statement (in PDF form) - will be available by end of November
- Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work (within the last 5 years). Both referees can be academics but you may include a work referee, especially if you have been out of academia for more than 5 years). Please note, a CoSS PGR Funding Reference template will be sent to your referees for completion)*.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable)
*Please note that when you enter your referees contact details on the Scholarships Application Portal and send the reference request, your referees are expected to provide their references by the closing date of the Scholarship (below). It is strongly recommended you complete this as soon as possible, as late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Closing Date: 17 February 2025
Competition timelines:
|
Date |
Action |
|
21 November 2024 (1700) |
Applications for ESRC Doctoral Studentships must be submitted to the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) |
|
End of November 2024 (TBC) |
CoSS PhD Scholarships open to applications |
| 02 December 2024 (1200 noon) |
Applications for AHRC must be submitted to School of Law and School of Social and Environmental Sustainability |
|
17 February 2025 |
Full CoSS PhD Scholarship applications due via the Scholarships Application Portal |
|
25 February 2025 |
All complete and eligible CoSS PhD Scholarship applications sent to Schools for assessment by School Assessment Panels (each Chaired by the PGR Director of the School) |
|
28 March 2025 |
Schools to provide their shortlisted applications (and scores) to Graduate School |
|
31 March 2025 |
Shortlisted applications sent to College Assessment Panel (Dean of Graduate Studies and PGR Director from each School) |
|
09 May 2025 |
College Assessment Panel to finalise scoring of shortlisted Sutdent-led applications |
|
12 May 2025 |
College Assessment Panel meets to consider and award Student-led applications |
|
From 19 May 2025 |
CoSS PhD Scholarship final outcomes and awards. Successful applicants invited to apply to relevant PhD programme. |
|
01 October 2025 |
Successful applicants commence their CoSS PhD Scholarship-funded PhDs |