PhD students
Funding opportunities for PhD candidates in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures.
Postgraduate study can be expensive, and the funding available is highly competitive.
Some scholarship schemes are open to candidates on PhDs in any subject in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures. Others are only open to candidates in specific subjects. See individual scholarship listings for details.
The academic year for scholarships runs from August of one year to July of the next. Application processes and deadlines vary from scholarship to scholarship and you should carefully check the Terms and Conditions of any funding sources.
Generally speaking:
- the scholarships we have listed on this page are for applicants starting in September 2024 and January 2025.
- if you want to begin your programme earlier than August of a given academic year, then you are not eligible to apply for the scholarship relating to that year. For example, an applicant commencing their studies in January 2024 is not eligible for a 2024 to 2025 scholarship.
- to increase your chances of being eligible for a range of scholarships and other awards, you are strongly encouraged to apply for your PhD by early December the year before you wish to start your PhD.
Where a deadline has passed, we have indicated this in our listings and tried to give you an idea of when the next application window will open. We have also indicated where a link to further information takes you to an external website, or to a different part of the University's website.
What's available?
As part of the University’s Northern Scholars scheme, this award is for a PhD on the broad theme of ‘Cultural responses to climate change past, present, and future in the Nordic and Baltic world’. It is open to students of all fee statuses; Home and International. The successful recipient will commence their PhD studies at the University of Edinburgh in either January 2024 or September 2024. The award will cover full-time PhD fees and an annual stipend for up to 42 months depending on start date.
This scholarship is currently open for application. The deadline is 4pm BST on 29 September 2023. You must apply for your PhD before applying for the scholarship.
Find out more about the Northern Scholars Scheme PhD scholarship and apply [University website]
For entry in January or September 2024, we are offering one incoming PhD student paying home (Scotland/UK) rates a scholarship covering full tuition fees for three years of study.
There are also scholarships for up to four students (PhD and MSc) covering £3,000 of tuition fees in the first year of study – home and international/EU rates.
These scholarships have been made possible by the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS).
You do not need to apply for a scholarship – all eligible candidates who apply for the programme will be considered for them and contacted if successful.
The University of Edinburgh is part of a consortium of Scottish institutions awarded funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) via the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) to support postgraduate studentships and training in the Arts and Humanities in Scotland. The award on offer is a fully-funded PhD with stipend, a robust three-and-a-half year training programme, and access to Scotland's resources through SGSAH’s strong links and national networks.
The next application window is for 2024 entry. It is likely to open in September 2023 and close in early December 2023.
We're part of the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS), a consortium of 16 universities funded by the ESRC to support postgraduate studentships and training in the Social Sciences in Scotland. PhD studentships are typically available for candidates on our Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies PhD and Chinese PhD programmes within the SGSSS Language Based Area Studies and International Development Pathway.
Applicants can reach out to Kevin Donovan, the SGSSS Pathway Rep, for advice.
The next application window is for 2024 entry. It is likely to open in October 2023 and close in early December 2023.
The Carnegie Trust offers a number of scholarships to academically outstanding candidates who are intending to study on a PhD programme in any subject area at any university in Scotland. The scholarships cover tuition fees, a maintenance allowance and a research expenses allowance.
The next application window is for 2024 entry. It is likely to open in December 2023 and close in late January 2024.
Find out more about Carnegie/Caledonian PhD Scholarships [University website]
This scheme funds a limited, and highly competitive, number of awards in Literatures, Languages and Cultures covering full tuition fees with an annual stipend (set to the UKRI level) for a maximum of three years.
The next application window is for 2024 entry. It is likely to open in December 2023 and close in early February 2024.
Find out more about College Research Student Awards [University website]
Awarded by the University of Edinburgh, these scholarships are for UK and overseas candidates applying to start their first year of on-campus PhD study. The scholarship covers tuition fees and provides a stipend for between three and four years as agreed by the School/Deanery (or pro-rata for part time).
The next application window is for 2024 entry. It is likely to open in December 2023 and close in early February 2024.
Find out more about Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships [University website]
Designed to support the development of Japanese Studies in the UK, this scheme annually provides postgraduate studentships worth £10,000 each. Applicants to the PhD programme in Japanese Studies will automatically be considered for this scholarship, and candidates wishing to enrol on our East Asian Studies PhD (who have a research focus on Japan) are also welcome to ask to be considered.
The next application window is for 2024 entry. It is likely to close in late March 2024.
Find out more about the Sasakawa Studentship Programme [University website]
This award of £2,300 per annum is for PhD research in any Romance literature, language or dialect. Candidates must be a student or graduate of the University of Edinburgh. Preference may be given to those working in language studies: we can typically supervise research in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Italian.
The next application window is for 2024 entry. It is likely to open in January 2024 and close in early May 2024.
Find out more about the John Orr Research Award [University website]
Take me to more information about PhDs in literatures, languages and cultures
What else is out there?
The University publishes details of other funding sources that may be of interest, including UK Government Loans and studentships sponsored by external organisations.
Find out about UK Government loans and other funding sources on the University's webpages