AHRC DLA

Current PhD students are not eligible for this funding.

AHRC DLA studentships offer comprehensive, competitive funding for both Home/UK and International doctoral researchers. Each award covers full tuition fees alongside an annual, tax-free stipend for living costs (£21,805 for 2026/27, with annual cost-of-living adjustments).

Successful award holders will be expected to engage with the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award Hub delivered through the Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities (SGSAH). 

The call is open to all disciplines in the arts and humanities recognised by the AHRC. A list of eligible areas can be found here: Remit, programmes and priorities – AHRC – UKRI

AHRC and ESRC support different aspects of some research areas – for example, in anthropology and cultural studies. You can check if your research is within AHRC or ESRC’s remit.

Applicants for an AHRC DLA studentship must demonstrate sufficient academic qualifications and/or professional experience to undertake doctoral study. We typically require a minimum of a 2:1 in your first degree (or equivalent) alongside a Master’s qualification. Students currently completing a Master’s degree (or an equivalent postgraduate qualification) must have met all course requirements before commencing their studentship.

However, exceptions can be made where applicants without a Master’s qualification—or those with alternative academic profiles—can demonstrate readiness for doctoral research in other ways. This includes experience beyond undergraduate level directly related to your proposed research topic, such as performance in other postgraduate courses, professional placements, internships, or relevant employment. In these cases, you must provide clear evidence in your application that your prior training and development have prepared you for doctoral research. Such applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. 

We also offer flexible study arrangements, including part-time study (minimum 50% FTE), subject to the nature of the research project.

AHRC DLA studentships are open to both UK and International applicants. However, in line with UKRI funding guidelines, a maximum of one of the three available awards may be allocated to an International candidate, meaning competition for the international place is particularly strong.

Please review the following eligibility criteria carefully before applying:

All applicants are classified as either Home or International for fee purposes. To qualify as a Home candidate, you must satisfy residency requirements and meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Be a UK or Irish National (ordinarily resident in the UK or Republic of Ireland); or
  Hold settled status, pre-settled status, or indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK.

Applicants who do not meet these criteria remain eligible to apply but will be classified as International candidates, for which funded places are strictly limited.
As fee status assessments can be complex, we may request supplementary evidence during the application process to confirm your status.

Both home and international student must be resident in the UK for the majority of their studies and live within a reasonable commuting distance of the Research Organisation. This is to ensure that they can maintain regular contact with their department and their Supervisor. The only exceptions to these requirements are for periods of absence that are an essential part of their study such as fieldwork, study visits or attendance at conferences. 

The online application form can be accessed here: AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) Application Form (UoA) – Fill in form. Please ensure you complete this form only once.

You are strongly advised to prepare your responses in advance of completing the form using the Application Form Guidance section below.

Upon submitting the online application form, you will receive an automated email (sent to the email address you provided in the form) containing a link to an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) survey.

Completion of this survey is mandatory for your application to be progressed.

After you have completed the online application form, please email your academic transcripts (and references, if you already hold copies) to pgrc-studentships@abdn.ac.uk by the deadline of 12 noon (GMT) on Friday, 15 January 2027.

Please include your full name and AHRC DLA Transcripts – [Surname, First Name] in the email subject line. 

All applicants must submit two recent academic references. References can be provided in one of two ways:

• Submitted by the applicant: Emailed alongside your academic transcripts, if you already hold copies.

• Submitted directly by the referee: Sent via email to pgrc-studentships@abdn.ac.uk with the subject line and file name: AHRC DLA Academic Reference – [Applicant Surname, First Name].

It is your responsibility to ensure that both references are submitted by the deadline of 12 noon (GMT) on Friday, 15 January 2027.

We will not contact referees or request references on your behalf.

Applications will be assessed and scored by Schools at discipline level based on academic excellence and our scoring criteria. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview with a multidisciplinary, University-wide panel during the week commencing Monday, 1 March 2027. Decisions will be communicated to successful candidates by Wednesday, 31 March 2027. 

300 words maximum.

ONLY TO BE COMPLETED WHERE:

• You do not have and are not studying towards a Masters degree or equivalent
• or gained a Masters degree more than five years previously
• or if your Masters degree is not in a relevant subject
• AND you have significant professional experience, which is relevant to your research proposal. 

You should use this section to provide evidence that the training and development you have received is equivalent to that obtained through a relevant Masters course and, how this prepares you for doctoral study.

100 words

Please provide a summary of your proposed research project that will be comprehensible to non-specialists.

1000 words

This section must describe your proposal.  We are seeking original, innovative, cogent and coherent proposals, which are well-written in their entirety. The project should be designed to be completed within the supervised study period (typically 42 months).. The methodology should be demonstrably appropriate and the whole proposal well-grounded in current research literature and/or practice.

1. Research question(s)/problem:
2. Research context, methods and sources, originality/innovation and contribution to knowledge (academic impact):
3. Knowledge Exchange, Public Engagement & Impact: Who might be interested or involved in delivering or experiencing the change that may happen as a result of your findings? Why would these communities be interested?  How might they benefit? How will you engage/communicate/network with these communities?

300 words maximum

Please demonstrate how your previous study (UG / MA) and / or professional experience have prepared you for this particular doctoral project. This might include reference to your UG and Masters programmes of study and your dissertation topics, specific and appropriate methodological training and/or expertise (e.g. proficiency in a relevant language, particular IT skills etc.), work-based learning or employment in a relevant occupation, etc.

300 words

Are there any ethical or safety issues attached to this research project and/or its impact plans? If so, how these will be addressed.  

400 words maximum

AHRC DLA studentships are of 42 months duration for research activities and cohort activities, with an additional six months available for further bespoke training and development opportunities. It is expected that at least three months of this additional time is used for an internship or placement. The remining 3 months could be used to extend the internship or placement, or for additional funded research time, or other training and development opportunities, or reduce the length of the studentship (from 48 months to 45 months) to free up funds for associated accommodation and travel costs to be used during the 42-month research period.

Applicants should describe how they envisage using the additional six months of training allowance to pursue bespoke training opportunities necessary for the completion of the research project and professional goals.  This should be discussed within your supervisor during development of the research project. While there is some flexibility, plans need to be confirmed by the end of year one of the studentship.

250 words

All AHRC DLA funded doctoral researchers are required to participate in training opportunities provided by the DLA Hub for Scotland, delivered through the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH).

How will you engage with the cohort-wide training opportunities offered by the Doctoral Landscape Hub and the University? Include an explanation of how you will participate in the life of the Hub, noting the collaborative training opportunities, activities, and schemes in which you intend to take part within the Hub, the University, and – if applicable – elsewhere.

It is recommended students refer to the SGSAH and School webinar materials when considering how they will interact with the DLA Hub.