President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry

Type of award

Scholarship

Managing department

Faculty of Humanities

Value

  • Tuition fees
  • An annual maintenance stipend at the UKRI rate plus a £1000 enhancement (£19,622 per annum for 2023/24)

Specified use

+3.5 - covering a full postgraduate research programme

Please note that existing postgraduate research students cannot be considered for this funding.

Tenable period

3.5 years full-time or 7 years part-time

Continuation of award

Continuation of the award is subject to satisfactory progress.

Number available

A number of awards are available on a competitive basis.

Funding provider

This award is internal.

Humanities Doctoral Academy

Level(s) of study

This funding is available to students undertaking the following types of study:

  • Postgraduate research

Allowed study options

This funding is available to students undertaking the following modes of study:

  • Full-time
  • Part-time

Subject restrictions

This funding is available to students undertaking study in:

  • Accounting and Finance
  • Anthropology, Media and Performance
  • Arab World Studies
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art History and Visual Studies
  • Arts Management and Cultural Practices
  • Business and Management
  • Chinese Studies
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Counselling
  • Criminology
  • Drama
  • East Asian Studies
  • Economics
  • Education
  • English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing
  • French Studies
  • Geography
  • German Studies
  • History
  • Humanitarianism and Conflict Response
  • Institute for Cultural Practices
  • International Development
  • Italian Studies
  • Japanese Studies
  • Law
  • Linguistics and English Language
  • Middle Eastern Studies
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Planning, Property and Environmental Management
  • Politics
  • Religions and Theology
  • Russian and East European Studies
  • Science, Technology and Innovation Policy
  • Social Anthropology
  • Social Statistics
  • Sociology
  • Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
  • Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies

Academic requirements

  • First Class Bachelor's (Honours) degree (or overseas equivalent); and
  • Master's degree - with a minimum overall average of 60%. Please note that awardees typically hold an average of 70% or above (or overseas equivalent).

Nationality restrictions

This funding is available to all nationalities.

Other eligibility criteria

Applicants must hold an offer of study at The University of Manchester before applying for this funding.

If your programme is based in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, to enter the President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Award competition, you must submit an application for one or both of the following competitions:

AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP)

ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP)

For programmes based in Alliance Manchester Business School; School of Environment, Education and Development; and School of Social Sciences, an AHRC NWCDTP or ESRC NWSSDTP application is not required to enter the PDS competition.

Application procedure

You must submit a completed application for your chosen PhD programme by the deadline for your school:
  • Alliance Manchester Business School:  1 December 2023
  • School of Arts, Languages and Cultures:  12 January 2024
  • School of Education, Environment and Development:  19 January 2024
  • School of Social Sciences:  1 December 2023

Your programme application should contain all necessary supporting documents.

Please note that there is no separate funding application form for PDS awards. If you meet PDS academic eligibility requirements, you will automatically be considered for a PDS award.

All decisions are based on the online programme application and supporting documents.

Application form

Additional documentation

Your full online application must include:
  • A PhD research proposal
  • Copies of the academic transcript and certificate from both your Bachelor's and Master's degrees. If your Master's degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript. 
  • An up to date academic CV, detailing your education and qualifications; employment history; publications; and any other relevant information. 
  • You must nominate two academic referees (including one from your most recent institution). Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following submission of your application form. You may wish to contact your referees to request they submit your reference in a reasonable timeframe as this forms part of the review process. 
  • English Language evidence (e.g IELTS). 

Selection criteria

  • Academic merit and preparedness for research
  • Quality and feasibility of research proposal
  • Consideration of ethical responsibility
  • Additional indicators of academic quality will include contributions to publications/articles, promoting your research to a wider audience, setting up research collaborations, prizes awarded and information supplied by your referees.

Selection body

Humanities Doctoral Academy Postgraduate Research Committees (PGRC)

Closing date

This competition has now closed for 2024 entry.  Deadlines for 2025 entry will be published here in due course.

Decision date

We expect to communicate the outcome to 2024 entry applicants by the end of June 2024.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide feedback on individual applications, as outcomes are determined by independent panels.

Deferral information

Offers of funding are not deferrable. If you cannot start your programme by the date mentioned in your studentship offer letter, the award will be withdrawn. You are permitted to re-apply in future.

Contact details for enquiries

Useful links