There are many ways to fund your PhD or research degree. Learn about the different routes to secure funding.
Understanding how your research degree will be funded is a key step in the application process. Depending on the type of project you want to apply for, there are different routes to fund your fees.
We offer:
fully funded projects that cover the costs of your tuition fees and an allowance (stipend)
projects that fund your tuition fees only
opportunities to explore your own research proposal where you’ll need to source your own funding
It’s important to know where your funding will come from before applying for a project.
Funded projects
For projects advertised as 'fully funded' or 'competition funded', your university fees will be paid and you will not need to apply for additional funding.
Competition funded projects will go ahead if the funding is awarded by the funding body. You can talk with the main supervisor to find out more.
Funding may also be available within the relevant school or faculty. Learn more in the fees and funding section of your chosen PhD topic areas.
Some projects come with an additional sum of money to cover things like accommodation, travel and maintenance expenses. This is called a stipend and is tax free.
Fees paid with no living allowance
Some project funding will only cover your university fees. You will need to cover your living expenses yourself.
If you need help to cover your living costs, UK students can apply for a doctoral loan through Student Finance England. International students can check if they are eligible to receive a scholarship or bursary.
Fees for 2026/27
You can find all our current fees for 2026/27 on our fees page.
Projects advertised with no funding yet
Some advertised projects do not have funding secured yet. The main supervisor will usually source funding once they have found a suitable PhD candidate.
Contact the main supervisor to find out about the specific funding options if there’s a project you’re interested in.
Funded doctoral training programmes
Our doctoral training programmes are sponsored by one of the UKRI research councils and partners across government, industry, the NHS and charities.
These types of programmes include:
Doctoral Focal Awards
Doctoral Landscape Awards
Doctoral Training Partnerships
Centres for Doctoral Training
You can also check the details in the advertised project or specific doctoral training programme for how to apply.
Funding your own project
You should tell your supervisor if you plan to self-fund your research project. You’ll need to say how you intend to pay your fees when you apply.
You could consider:
university scholarships
a postgraduate doctoral loan
external funding bodies (charities, government and the private sector)
combining different funding sources
Take out a doctoral loan
You can apply for a government loan to cover your fees. Doctoral loans are not means tested and you can decide how much you want to borrow.
