Eligibility

Residential Eligibility Requirements

ESRC studentships are open to both Home (UK) and International candidates. However, DTPs are limited to awarding a maximum of 30% of studentships per cohort to International students. 

Students will be classed as having a status of 'Home' or 'International' for ESRC funding.  To be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or

• Have settled status, or

• Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirement) or,

• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student. Further details about eligibility are available on the website for UKRI, the umbrella organisation for UK Research Councils (including ESRC).

Please note that DTP staff are unable to provide individualised advice on eligibility during the application process. 

Value of Studentship 

Students will receive a stipend to support living costs, set at the Research Councils annual rate (£17,668 in 2022-23 for 12 months). They will also have their fees covered for the period of the award.

Fee Status

The UK Government announced on 23 June 2020 that EU, other EAA and Swiss Nationals will no longer be automatically eligible to pay fees at the 'Home' (UK) rate. For those starting courses from 2021 onwards, they will be required to pay fees at the 'overseas' rate. This will not apply to Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland. 

Your fee status will be determined by the University to which you have applied; the DTP is unable to advise on this. 

For further guidance, please see the relevant university webpages:

ESRC Award Conditions

All study undertaken as part of the ESRC award must be carried out within the UK, except as part of overseas fieldwork which is an integral part of the study, or conferences and training. Students must be resident close to the University at which they are registered and may not, for example, write up their thesis whilst resident outside the UK during the period of their ESRC award. This applies to full-time and part-time students. 

Part-time studentships are not available to applicants who expect to hold a full-time job while studying. They are also generally only available to students who do not need a visa to study in the UK, as most part-time programmes are not eligible for visa sponsorship. 

In a small number of cases students may not be eligible for the full length of funding if they have previously received government funding for postgraduate study.

Prior Study

In order to receive an ESRC studentship you must have qualifications or experience equal to the standard of a good undergraduate honours degree at a first or upper second class level from a UK research organisation. A Masters qualification is not a prerequisite for the award of a studentship from the Grand Union DTP. All pathways have routes through them for students without a Masters, with training designed for individuals, based on an assessment of their prior learning and training needs.

Progression Requirements

For students awarded a Masters plus PhD/DPhil funding package (i.e. 1+3, 2+2, 2+3), continuation of the studentship after the Masters programme is dependent on gaining admission to a doctoral programme that is valid for the ESRC accredited training pathway on which the studentship commenced. The Masters and doctoral phases must be consecutive.