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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 Twitter and Facebook to hear when we have added new studentship opportunities. 

Funding opportunity Subject area
Application deadline  Availability
PhD Studentship in Rivers of Bronze in the age of Iron (RoBIn): an interdisciplinary study of Iron Age copper-alloy material culture from the middle–upper Thames Valley  School of Archaeology, Geography, Environmental Sciences - Department of Archaeology
26 May 2023
Open to applicants worldwide
PhD Studentship - cogED: real-time effects of Emergency Department (ED) work on cognitive performance and wellbeing of staff
School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences 26 May 2023 Open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants
PhD Studentship in Biomedical Science - Platelet Function in Liver Disease: Contributions to Pathology and Patient Outcomes
School of Biological Sciences
1 June 2023
Open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants
PhD Studentship in Pharmacology: Investigating the analgesic properties of psilocybin in preclinical models of chronic pain  School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy - Department of Pharmacy
4 June 2023
Open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants
PhD Studentship in Neurotoxicity of Agricultural Compounds: Can Brain Activity Inform us about the Neurotoxicity of Agricultural Compounds?  School of Biological Sciences
16 June 2023
Open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants
PhD Studentships in FoodBioSystems Doctoral Training Partnership Food and Nutritional Sciences and Agriculture 19 June 2023  Open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants
PhD Studentship in Gut Microbiota and Health: Precision Nutrition for Gut Health: Development of a novel seaweed-containing, gut microbiota targeted nutraceutical  School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy - Department of Food & Nutritional Sciences
19 June 2023
Open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants
PhD Studentship in Archaeology: Radiates in context: chemical and archaeological analysis of the “Barbarous Radiates” coinage phenomenon in Roman Britain  School of Archaeology, Geography, Environmental Sciences - Department of Archaeology
23 June 2023
Open to applicants worldwide
PhD Studentship in Polymer Chemistry - Synthesis of Hydrocarbon Ionomers for Fuel Cell and Electrolyser Membranes  School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy - Department of Chemistry
30 June 2023
Open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants
PhD Studentship in Lipid-Based Conjugate Self-Assembly and Bioactivity - Nanostructured Self-Assembly of Bio-Derived and Bio-Inspired Lipid-Based Amphiphiles School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy - Department of Chemistry
1 July 2023
Open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants 
PhD Studentship: Assimilating satellite land surface temperature data to improve numerical weather prediction skill  School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences - Department of Meteorology
14 July 2023
Open to UK/Republic of Ireland applicants

Doctoral Loans 

Apply for a loan of up to £28,673 for a 2023/24 start

All disciplines

Full or part-time study

Ongoing Open to UK nationals, Irish citizens and EU nationals settled under the EU settlement scheme
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

Commonwealth Scholarships for PhD

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

Marshall Scholarships

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

US Loans and Federal Aid

All disciplines Ongoing Applicants from the USA
Canadian grants, loans and scholarships All disciplines Ongoing Applicants from Canada

Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund

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
China Scholarship Council Studentships
Students from China, see external website for eligible areas
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October 2023 for details of any funding for 2024/25.  Applicants from China
University International PhD Studentships 
All disciplines
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October 2023 for details of funding for 2024/25. 
Open to international applicants 
ESRC SeNSS Social Sciences Studentships
Agriculture, Policy and Development | Built Environment | Economics | Education | Human Geography | Law | Linguistics | Management and Business Studies | Politics and International Relations | Psychology | Real Estate and Planning
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October 2023 for details of any funding for 2024/25.  Open to applicants worldwide
AHRC SWW Doctoral Training Partnership Studentships for the Arts and Humanities
Archaeology | 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
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October 2023 for details of funding for 2024/25. 
Open to applicants worldwide
NERC SCENARIO Doctoral Training Partnership (environmental science-related areas)
Agriculture, Policy and Development | Archaeology | Biological Sciences | Chemistry | Geography | Environmental Sciences | Mathematics and Statistics | Meteorology
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October/November 2023 for details of funding for 2024/25. 
Open to applicants worldwide
BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership in FoodBioSystems
Agriculture | Biological & Biomedical Sciences | Chemistry | Food and Nutritional Sciences | Geography  and Environmental Sciences | Pharmacy 
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October/November 2023 for details of funding for 2024/25. 
Open to applicants worldwide
Earth System Prediction Doctoral Training Programme
Meteorology, Mathematics and Computer Science
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October/November 2023 for details of funding for 2024/25. 
Open to applicants worldwide
Felix Scholarships
Many disciplines 
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October/November 2023 for details of funding for 2024/25. 
Open to Indian nationals
PhD Scholarships in the Henley Business School
Henley Business School
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October/November 2023 for details of funding for 2024/25. 
Open to applicants worldwide
Regional PhD bursaries (supporting residents of Reading and the surrounding area to undertake a PhD)
All subject areas
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October/November 2023 for details of funding for 2024/25. 
Applicants must be resident in Reading or the surrounding area
Wilkie Calvert co-supported PhD Studentships (supporting professionals to undertake PhD research on a part-time basis)
All subject areas
Closed for applications for 2023/24. Please check here in October/November 2023 for details of funding for 2024/25. 
Applicants must be in employment and looking to undertake a part-time PhD