Funding opportunities

A successful funding application means that Matjaz, from Slovenia, received a scholarship for his postgraduate taught degree and a studentship for his PhD.

The search

A leaflet about the taught masters programme and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) scholarship originally piqued my interest in the field of study I am now working on. Before I applied, I researched funding opportunities and I spoke with the programme director over Skype.

I also looked at the University’s webpages to view available scholarships. I only applied for the SFC scholarship, mainly because I was fairly late and have missed the deadline to apply for some other scholarships. Students should be aware that the process to apply for scholarships starts very early.

Searching for PhD funding was slightly different. I went online way ahead of time and looked at all my options. Most opportunities are listed on the University’s website. I then applied for a series of different funding options, including the ESRC studentship, which I successfully secured.

The benefits

These funding schemes are set in such a way that they afford you the freedom of mind. I can focus on my research without having to worry about supporting myself.

The process of applying for funding required me to spend a considerable amount of time constructing my proposal. This also enabled me to be in a better position academically at the start of my programme, as I have had a great starting point for my research.

Advice

For a successful funding application I recommend you do your research, think about why you want to pursue the degree programme you are looking at, and be ambitious, but also be aware of your strengths and limitations.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. By asking for help, I was able to improve my proposal and form valuable links with academics across the University.