Scholarships at University of Edinburgh

The University will offer PhD scholarships for students starting their PhD research at the University in the 2025-2026 academic session.

Background

In order to attract the best and brightest PhD students, the University seeks to offer not only unparalleled research facilities and superb supervision, but also to provide development opportunities which will support our research students as they progress beyond their PhD, through an exciting scholarship scheme.

Access

The University of Edinburgh has been working for some time to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in its activities and to widen participation (WP) for students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. The Doctoral College is committed to embedding EDI in all of its policies and processes, and by widening access to postgraduate study to traditionally underrepresented groups, including BAME students and those from the most deprived communities in Scotland and the rest of the world. The Doctoral College wishes to attract the greatest diversity of applications to this scheme and will ensure that recruitment processes are robust and unbiased.

Award

Each scholarship covers the University tuition fee as well as a stipend equivalent to the UKRI stipend rate (for 2024/25 this is currently £19,237), subject to satisfactory progress, the scholarships are awarded for between three and four years as agreed by the School/Deanery (or pro-rata for part time).

Eligibility

The awards are open to UK and overseas students applying to start their first year of study for an on-campus research degree in 2025-2026.

Applicants must have already applied for admission to a full-time or part-time on campus PhD research programme of study at the University. We encourage applicants who wish to apply for this scholarship to make contact with their academic school regarding any admission deadlines.

Please check the Entry Requirements for your proposed programme of study for details of other acceptable English language qualifications. 

You may apply for the scholarship prior to obtaining the necessary English language test results but the results should be uploaded as soon as possible.

These awards cannot be held concurrently with fully-funded scholarships but can be held with partially-funded scholarships and will be reduced pro-rata.

Criteria

Applicants must be of outstanding academic merit and research potential. Candidates must have, or expect to obtain, a UK first class or 2:1 honours degree at undergraduate level or the international equivalent.

Other factors such as financial status, nationality and the proposed field of study are not taken into account.

The University will not generally consider candidates who have already obtained a PhD, or formal equivalent, as a result of direct research training.

The Postgraduate Pre-Sessional English Programme Graduate Scholarship consists of a 10% fee discount on full time taught postgraduate degree fees and is available to students with international fee status who are domiciled in one of 13 countries listed below, have successfully completed the Postgraduate Pre-Sessional English Programme in academic year 2024/25 and have accepted an offer of study for a full time postgraduate taught degree programme in 2025/26.

Eligibility

Eligible countries: 

• United States of America 

• Indonesia 

• Canada 

• Malaysia 

• India 

• Nigeria 

• Ghana 

• Thailand 

• Germany 

• Saudi Arabia 

• Turkey 

• Mexico 

• France 

You will not be eligible for this scholarship if: 

• You are fully sponsored, e.g. by your employer. 

• You are already in receipt of a full scholarship or are awarded one at a later date. 

• You have already accepted, or subsequently accept, any other University of Edinburgh scholarship. 

• You do not hold international fee status. 

Terms and Conditions 

• You will only be eligible for the scholarship if your country of domicile at the time of application for the Postgraduate Pre-Sessional English Programme is one of 13 countries listed. 

• You will only be eligible for the scholarship if you hold international fee status. 

• You will only be eligible for the scholarship once you have successfully completed the Postgraduate Pre-Sessional English Programme, met the English language requirements for your chosen full time postgraduate taught programme of study, and received your unconditional offer.

• The scholarship is a 10% fee reduction only, and applied directly to your tuition fee and does not apply to any additional costs such as programme costs or research costs. It is not transferrable as a cash award or in any other format. 

• Only one University of Edinburgh scholarship per student can be accepted, you must inform us by email if you are in receipt of any other University of Edinburgh scholarships or bursaries.  

• The scholarship is available to students who are enrolled on, and complete the Postgraduate Pre-Sessional English Programme in academic year 2024/25 and who are able to progress to a full time taught postgraduate programme in academic year 2025/26. 

The following programmes are not eligible for the scholarship:   

• Part time programmes.  

• Undergraduate programmes.  

• Postgraduate research programmes. 

• The following DClinDent programmes: Endodontology, Orthodontics, Paediatric Dentistry, Prosthodontics. 

• The Postgraduate Pre-Sessional English Programme Graduate Scholarship can only be used once against one programme of study.