UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding
UKRI is the largest funder of PhD students at Cambridge.
Funding comes from the UK government and provides:
- tuition fees at the home rate
- a stipend to support living costs (also known as maintenance costs)
- support towards research costs (in some cases)
International students are now eligible for a limited number of Research Council studentships. If you have an eligible UKRI doctoral studentship, you'll receive a bursary to cover the difference between the Home and Overseas fee.
UKRI is made up of seven Research Councils: studentships and doctoral training are provided across seven subject areas.
Cambridge is part of the Open-Oxford-Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnership (OOC DTP).
Applicants from Oxford, Cambridge, and the Open University are nominated for the funding. Nominees are then ranked into a single list.
You can only apply to one of these three institutions for Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC funding.
Check the Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP website for details about AHRC funding at Cambridge.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council funds studentships across 5 research themes:
- Understanding the rules of life
- Transformative technologies
- Bioscience for sustainable agriculture and food
- Bioscience for renewable resources and clean growth
- Bioscience for an integrated understanding of health
The Economic and Social Research Council funds studentships in a range of social science areas:
- Sustainability, prosperity and wellbeing
- Inequality, equity, justice, and economic growth
- Conflict, culture, mobility and development
- Emerging technologies, human behaviour and productivity
- Cognition, behaviour, language and learning
There are 26 eligible departments in the University.
Find out more on the Cambridge ESRC DTP website.
The ESPRC funds studentships via the Cambridge EPSRC Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) across:
- Engineering
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics (Applied and Theoretical)
- Chemical Engineering
- Earth Sciences
- Computer Science
- Materials Science
The Cambridge ESPRC also has Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) within specific areas of research. They also support funded studentships each year.
Check the Cambridge EPSRC website for details of DTP and CDT studentships.
The MRC funds studentships across the School of Clinical Medicine and the School of Biological Sciences.
You must apply to specific projects that fall under the following themes:
- Data Science for Health
- Molecular and Cellular Medicine
- Neurosciences and Mental Health
- Infection and Immunity
Visit the School of Clinical Medicine and School of the Biological Sciences websites for more information.
The Natural Environment Research Council funds approximately 12 studentships a year. You need to apply to specific projects within 3 major research themes:
- Solid earth and geological hazards
- Climate Change and environmental processes
- Biology and conservation
Find out more on the Cambridge NERC C-CLEAR DTP website.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council funds studentships in:
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
- Department of Physics
- Institute of Astronomy
Check the relevant website for details.
Applying for UK Research Council funding
To apply, you submit your application for funding to the University or partnership institutions.
Some studentships need you to propose a project and others have set lists you can choose from.
Selection is based on academic excellence and how your research project fits with the supervisor or research group.
We welcome applications from students from underrepresented groups in postgraduate study.