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Spärck AI Scholarship

There are 11 scholarships available covering full tuition fees and a yearly living allowance of £20,780 inline with UKRI stipend rates. The Spärck AI Scholarships are open to UK and International students applying to study an eligible postgraduate course.

You'll also get:

  • national AI-related networking opportunities with leading academics, government contacts and industry leaders
  • access to priority work placements with leading UK artificial intelligence companies and government institutions  

Deadline to apply: 

 

Applications for the 2026 scholarship are now closed.
The information on this page is for reference only.

We will update this page with details for 2027 entry in autumn 2026.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship you must:

  • apply and receive an offer to study an eligible University of Southampton course
  • be able to start your studies in the UK when the academic year starts in September 2026
  • not receive any external sponsorship covering 100% of tuition fees
  • not receive any other form of UK government funding
  • be able to attend the national in person Spärck AI Launch Event in Manchester on the 9th and 10th September 2026, (reasonable costs for travel expenses will be provided)

Scholarship application guidelines

Please make sure you read the following documents before starting your application: 

How to apply

To apply for this scholarship:

  1. apply and receive an offer to study an eligible University of Southampton course by completing our programme application form, which you can find on our course pages
  2. familiarise yourself with the scholarship application guidelines and summary documents provided on this page
  3. complete and submit the online scholarship application form by 15 April 2026, 11.59pm (UK time)

Apply now

We will contact you by the end of June 2026 to confirm the outcome of your scholarship application. If your application is successful you'll receive confirmation in an email with an attached letter. We cannot accept late applications.

How we award scholarships

There are 6 stages to the award process:

  1. we check you meet the eligibility criteria
  2. your academic record and qualifications on your postgraduate application form are scored
  3. your personal statement and essay in your scholarship application form is assessed against the core attributes required for this award
  4. we consider the reference you provided to support your application
  5. shortlisted applicants will then be invited to an interview
  6. a selection panel will decide on who gets the scholarships

The selection panel may also consider balancing scholarship awards across the eligible courses available. Consideration will also be given to those coming from underrepresented and minoritised groups.  

This is a competitive process and not all applications will be successful. The decision of the scholarship panel is final.

Help and advice

Have a question about this scholarship? Our friendly scholarships team can support and guide you.
international-scholarships@soton.ac.uk
We’re open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, UK time

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