School of Social and Political Sciences PhD Scholarships

School of Social and Political Sciences PhD Scholarships

The University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, is one of Scotland’s ancient universities and the 4th oldest university in the English-speaking world. Today, the University’s School of Social and Political Sciences (SPS) is a vibrant and cosmopolitan centre for world-leading scientific scholarship bringing together research and education to address the key social and political challenges of our time. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework recognised 90% or more of its research as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in terms of its originality, significance and rigour. The School of Social and Political Sciences has introduced these PhD scholarships to support the school’s equality, diversity and inclusion strategy.

The scholarships are open to anyone who meets the demographic eligibility and academic criteria outlined below. Applicants will have both a good first degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant social sciences subject; and a good Masters degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant social sciences subject.

To demonstrate demographic eligibility:

  • Home applicants will need to upload a Widening Participation Eligibility Declaration
  • International applicants will need to upload proof of citizenship (e.g. passport photo page) of a country or territory listed as ‘Least Developed’, ‘Low Income’, ‘Lower Middle Income’ or ‘Upper Middle Income’ by the OECD and proof you have been through the secondary education system of that country (e.g. secondary / high school transcript or certificate)

Number of Scholarships

5 (3 International and 2 Home Scholarships)

Eligible countries/regions

  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Angola
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bangladesh
  • Belarus
  • Belize
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon
  • Cape Verde
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Congo
  • Congo Democratic Republic of
  • Costa Rica
  • Cote d'Ivoire
  • Cuba
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • East Timor
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Eswatini
  • Ethiopia
  • Fiji
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Ghana
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Guinea Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Jamaica
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Korea North
  • Kosovo
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mali
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Moldova
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Palestine
  • Panama
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Rwanda
  • Samoa
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Sierra Leone
  • Solomon Islands
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Sudan
  • Sri Lanka
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Sudan
  • Suriname
  • Syria
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Togo
  • Tonga
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Value

The scholarships will provide funding for 3.5 years of research towards a PhD at the School of Social and Political Sciences. The programme will commence in October 2025. The full scholarship package includes: 

  • An annual stipend at the UKRI rate 
  • Fees at the standard home or international rate based on your status 
  • Students can also draw on a Research Training Support Grant, usually up to a maximum of £940 per year 
  • Commencement Bursary (single payment at the start of the PhD) 

How to apply

All materials required for the applications process are outlined here

Applicants must contact potential supervisors for advice before applying; potential supervisors cannot suggest a topic but may able to advise on the feasibility of – and suggest potential refinements to – a proposed area of study.

You can start the search for potential supervisors using the University’s staff research interest search, and the school’s staff list.

Applicants must apply via the Scholarships Application Portal, uploading the following documentation:

  • SPS PhD Scholarship application form (which includes a lay summary, section on preparedness and your research proposal)
  • 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)
  • Contact details for two referees (where possible your referees should include an academic familiar with your work – they can be, but do not have to be, a member of your proposed supervisory team. 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 out to your referees for completion.*
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV) (academic where applicable)
  • SPS PhD Scholarship Supervisor Statement of Support

*Full details of referee requirements can be found on the Graduate School’s Student Funding Opportunities under Application Process.