Funding for PhD applicants is available from a range of sources on a competitive basis.
Follow the links in the table to find full details regarding eligibility, available finance, application methods and closing dates. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Blue Sky to hear when we have added new studentship opportunities.
Download our comprehensive guide to PhD study
| Funding opportunity | Subject area |
Application deadline | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Scholarship Council Studentships |
All disciplines | 2 January 2026 | Applicants from China |
| University International PhD Studentships | All disciplines | 5 January 2026 | Open to International applicants |
| NERC Net Zero Polar Science Doctoral Training Partnership | Mathematics | Meteorology | Physics |
7 January 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide |
| EPSRC Mathematics for our Future Climate Centre for Doctoral Training |
Mathematics | Meteorology | Physics |
11 January 2026 8 March 2026 |
Open to applicants worldwide |
| PhD Studentship in Law and/or Criminology | School of Law | 12 January 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide |
| Earth System Prediction Doctoral Training Programme with ECMWF |
Meteorology, Mathematics and Computer Science |
12 January 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide |
| NERC Climate System and Biodiversity Science CROCUS Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) |
Agriculture | Built Environment | Chemistry | Computer Science | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Geography and Environmental Sciences | Mathematics and Statistics | Meteorology and Climate Science |
12 January 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide |
| NERC AI-INTERVENE Doctoral Focal Award (DFA) in AI and Biodiversity |
Computer Science | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Biological Sciences) | Meteorology |
12 January 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide |
| BBSRC CTP PhD studentship: Development of selection traits for breeding resilient cocoa varieties | Agriculture | Crop Science | 12 January 2026 | Open to UK/Republic of Ireland candidates |
| BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership in FoodBioSystems |
Agriculture | Biological & Biomedical Sciences | Chemistry | Food and Nutritional Sciences | Geography and Environmental Sciences | Pharmacy |
26 January 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide |
| Archaeology | Architecture | Art | Classics | Cultural Geography | English Language and Literature | Film, Theatre and Television | History | History of Art | Law and Legal Studies| Modern Languages and European Studies | Philosophy | Political Studies and International Relations | Political Philosophy | Typography | 30 January 2026 | Please check the eligibility criteria. | |
| PhD studentship in War and Climate Change | Law | 30 January 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide |
| PhD Studentship in Environmental Science - Pollen-based reconstruction of Holocene climates of Africa during the Holocene | Department of Geography and Environmental Science | 15 March 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide |
| PhD Studentship in Environmental Science - Vegetation-fire interactions in Africa during the Holocene | Department of Geography and Environmental Science | 15 March 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide |
| Felix Scholarships |
Many disciplines |
Currently closed for applications. Details of the 2026/27 application process will appear here shortly. |
Open to Indian nationals |
| Henley Business School PhD Scholarships |
Digitalisation, Marketing and Entrepreneurship | Finance and Accounting | International Business & Strategy | Leadership, Organisations, Behaviour and Reputation | Real Estate and Planning |
Currently closed for applications. Details of the 2026/27 application process will appear on the Business School webpages in due course. |
Open to applicants worldwide |
| University Sanctuary PhD Studentship | All disciplines | 27 February 2026 | Please check eligibility criteria |
| University Centenary PhD Bursaries | All disciplines | 1 May 2026 | Open to UK/Republic of Ireland candidates |
| Wilkie Calvert PhD Studentships (for part-time study) | All disciplines | 1 May 2026 | Open to UK/Republic of Ireland candidates |
|
Apply for a loan of up to £30,301 for 2025/26 |
All disciplines Full or part-time study, including by Distance |
Ongoing | Open to UK nationals, Irish citizens and EU nationals settled under the EU settlement scheme |
| School of the Built Environment PhD Scholarships | Architecture | Built Environment | Construction Management Engineering | Ongoing | Open to applicants worldwide |
| Department of Meteorology PhD Scholarships | Meteorology | Ongoing | Open to applicants worldwide |
| Alumni Discount |
Current undergraduate and master's students at Reading Alumni of the University |
Ongoing | Open to University of Reading alumni |
| ESRC SEDarc Doctoral Training Partnership (social sciences) | Agri-food Economics | Development Studies | Architecture and Built Environment | Business and Management | Economics | Education | Linguistics | Geography and Environmental Studies | Politics and International Relations | Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences | Real Estate and Planning | Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. | Open to applicants worldwide |
| ANID BECAS Scholarships | Any discipline | Please check external website for details about scholarships |
Applicants from Chile |
| Any discipline (see external website for further details) | Please check external website for details about scholarships | Open to applicants from low and middle income Commonwealth countries | |
|
Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships
|
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (Awards in biological sciences are limited to interdisciplinary research between physical and biological sciences) |
Please check external website for details about scholarships | Female applicants only |
| Archaeology | Climate, environmental sciences and sustainability | Food security | Human nutrition | Language, cognition and the mind | See external website for further details | Applicants from the USA | |
| All disciplines | Ongoing | Applicants from the USA | |
| Canadian grants, loans and scholarships | All disciplines | Ongoing | Applicants from Canada |
| Various | Please check external website for details about scholarships | Applicants from Canada | |
| Inlaks Scholarships | Many disciplines | Please check external website for details about scholarships | Applicants from India |
| The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding | Web resource for candidates who have already applied to study at the University of Reading | Various | Varies depending in funding scheme |