Postgraduate Funding Opportunities

The University provides information on scholarships and bursaries, giving you a list of available sources of funding. The following are more specific sources of funding for Law postgraduates.

Funding available to Postgraduate Research Students

Funding available to all Law Postgraduates

Funding available to Taught Postgraduate Students only

Post-doctoral funding

Funding available to Postgraduate Research Students

To be considered for any of the funding opportunities below you will first need to apply for the appropriate research degree in Law, namely the Master of Jurisprudence or Doctor of Philosophy. Prospective applicants should discuss their research proposal with a possible supervisor before submitting a formal application. Deadlines for October 2025 entry will be provided below once they have been confirmed by the funding bodies.

Please note that your college may also have some scholarship or bursary options, so please also consult your college website.

Global Challenges Studentships: Climate Action

The Law School invites applications for funded PhD studentships on Climate Action as part of the University's Global Challenges Studentships initiative. The scheme is aimed at new PhD students working on research aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 13.

If you are interested in applying, you must submit an application to undertake a PhD in Law by 3rd February 2025. You should approach potential supervisors to help you with this. You will, additionally, and working with your supervisory team, need to complete and submit the Global Grand Challenges Studentships Nomination form (your supervisors will have received a copy of this circulated to them via email, alternatively if you still need it please email law.researchofficer@durham.ac.uk) and submit this with your PhD application. Please note that all application documents are required by this February deadline, including references – so please make your referees aware well in advance.

Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership

Final closing date for applications to be made to Durham: 7th January 2025 (please note details of additional deadlines below)

The Law School invites applications for PhD studentships through the AHRC-funded Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership. Further information about Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership schemes is available here: Northern Bridge Consortium | Northern Bridge Consortium | Newcastle University

In order to facilitate the best level of support throughout the application process, we kindly ask that you adhere to the below internal deadlines, in addition to the final deadline specified above.

Please send an informal expression of interest to law.researchofficer@durham.ac.uk, copying in your intended supervisor, by 9th December 2024. We ask that you submit your application to Durham by 2nd January 2025 if possible. If there are any issues with any of the documents submitted, these can then be picked up and resolved between then and the final deadline of 7th January 2025. Please note that all application documents are required by this deadline, including references – so please make your referees aware well in advance.

NINE DTP ESRC Studentships

Final closing date for applications to be made to Durham: 20th January 2025 (please note details of additional deadlines below)

The NINE DTP is an exciting collaboration between seven universities producing world-class research across the full range of social science disciplines. NINE DTP builds upon the previous North East Doctoral Training Centre. These studentships require use of a social science methodology, e.g. an element of empirical research. For full details, please see the NINE DTP website and in particular the section on how to apply.

In order to facilitate the best level of support throughout the application process, we kindly ask that you adhere to the below internal deadlines, in addition to the final deadline specified above. 

Please send an informal expression of interest to law.researchofficer@durham.ac.uk, copying in your intended supervisor, by 9th December 2024. We ask that you submit your application to Durham by 7th January 2025, along with the student section of the NINE DTP nomination form completed. The nomination form can be downloaded from this page: Making your Application - NINE DTP. If there are any issues with any of the documents submitted, then these can be picked up and resolved between then and the final deadline of 20th January 2025.

China Scholarships Council

Final closing date for applications to be made to Durham: 15th January 2025 (please note details of additional deadline below)

These important scholarships are available thanks to a partnership with the China Scholarships Council. The scholarships are open to applicants from China wishing to study for a PhD at Durham. Further Information about scholarships from the China Scholarships Council is available here.

In order to facilitate the best level of support throughout the application process, we kindly ask that you adhere to the below internal deadlines, in addition to the final deadline specified above.

Please send an informal expression of interest to law.researchofficer@durham.ac.uk, copying in your intended supervisor, by 9th December 2024. We ask that you submit your application to Durham by 7th January 2025 if possible. If there are any issues with any of the documents submitted, these can then be picked up and resolved between then and the final deadline of 15th January 2025. Please note that all application documents are required by this deadline, including references – so please make your referees aware well in advance.

Commonwealth Scholarships

Closing date: TBC

Commonwealth Scholarships for Master’s and PhD study in the UK are offered for citizens of developing Commonwealth countries. Further Information about Commonwealth Scholarships is available here.

MLR Scholarship

Closing date: TBC

The Modern Law Review has financial support available for students engaged in doctoral research on any subject broadly within the publishing interests of the Review; these scholarships are awarded by annual competition. 

Nominations are submitted by the Dean of Durham Law School. Please note that to be eligible for nomination, students must have completed the first year of their PhD research at Durham Law School and passed any necessary annual reviews at the time of the award (though not necessarily the time of application). Students who have not yet commenced their PhD at the time of nomination are not eligible for consideration.

Full details can be found here.

Funding available to all Law Postgraduates

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships

Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships provide a flat grant of US$25,000 or its equivalent for one academic year of study in another country. These awards are intended to help defray costs associated with round-trip transportation, tuition and other fees, room and board, and some educational supplies. Applications are to be made through your local Rotary club. Use the Club Locator to find contact information for Rotary clubs.

Funding available to Taught Postgraduate Students only

The Ralph Whitell Waggett Bursary Fund

The Ralph Whitell Waggett Bursary Fund has been gratefully bequeathed and awards funding biennially from 2023 onwards. This fund will be open to applicants from Summer 2023 for students preparing to study on an LLM programme. Find out more here.

The British Chevening Scholarships

These awards enable overseas students to undertake postgraduate study in the UK. Further information about The British Chevening Scholarships is available here.

The Hatfield Lioness Scholarship

Thanks to alumni generosity, Hatfield College offers a fully funded PGT scholarship (fees, stipend, travel etc expenses) for a woman from a developing country, the Hatfield Lioness Scholarship.

Post-doctoral funding

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships

This scheme provides funding to cover the costs of a 36 month fellowship at a host institution of your choosing. The purpose of this award is to enable the award holder to pursue an independent research project, towards the completion of a significant piece of publishable research. For more information, including eligibility, please see full guidance on the British Academy website.

If interested in this scheme, please email law.researchofficer@durham.ac.uk.

ESRC NINE DTP Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme

Deadline: 4pm 5th April 2024

This scheme is for students that have recently completed their PhD and wish to consolidate their research through developing publications, their networks, and their professional skills. It provides one year of funding (two year if done part-time).

To be eligible students must have had their viva (and either passed or passed with minor revisions) no later than 16 May 2024, and they also may have had no more than 12 months of postdoctoral research experience.

Our internal Expression of Interest deadline is 4pm, 5^th April 2024. Candidates will be expected to submit (1) their CV and (2) a one page summary of their research questions, methods/plans for the period of funding, and their proposed academic mentor. This must be sent to Vicky at law.researchofficer@durham.ac.uk

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships

Internal Closing date: 8th January 2024

The scheme is expected to open in January 2023 for early career researchers, with a research record but who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post. The expectation is that fellows will undertake a significant piece of publishable work during their tenure, and that the fellowships should lead to a more permanent academic position. They are available for up to 3 years full time. For more information please see full guidance on the Leverhulme website.

For enquiries on these schemes contact law.researchofficer@durham.ac.uk.