To be considered for the studentship, applicants must:
Students who have already commenced their doctoral study are not eligible.
Many successful applicants will hold, or be completing, a Master's degree.
However, eligibility is determined by the admissions requirements of the relevant department, and equivalent qualifications or experience may be considered where appropriate. Please see the webpages of each department for further information
Yes.
Applicants may apply while completing their current programme of study, provided they are expected to satisfy entry requirements before registration.
In many cases applicants may be considered for multiple funding opportunities, although eligibility and application arrangements vary by scheme. If you intend to apply for more than one studentship, please indicate so in your online application, in the ‘Programme Related Information’ section when asked ‘Have you or do you intend to apply for a scholarship or studentship to fund your studies’
Applicants should review the requirements of each funding competition carefully. [dur.ac.uk]
You should discuss your situation with:
Early advice can help avoid delays and ensure applications are submitted to the most appropriate scheme.
The Transformative Humanities competition includes:
The award covers tuition fees at the appropriate fee level for the category you are assessed as belonging to. [dur.ac.uk]
Durham assesses fee status in accordance with UK Government regulations and guidance.
The assessment may consider factors such as:
Applicants may be asked to provide supporting evidence during the admissions process.
No.
Fee status is determined through the University's assessment process and cannot be selected by the applicant.
Not necessarily.
Nationality alone does not determine fee status. Residency history and other eligibility factors may also be considered during the assessment process.
Possibly.
Fee status assessments consider immigration status alongside other criteria. Applicants should submit all requested evidence so a formal assessment can be completed.
You should submit your PhD application before the advertised deadline and provide any fee status information requested during processing.
Applicants who have questions about their assessment should contact the relevant admissions team and provide any additional supporting evidence requested.
You should complete any fee assessment forms as soon as they are requested to avoid delays to the processing of your application and funding eligibility review.
The University will normally work to complete the assessment during the application process, but applicants should respond promptly to any requests for information to minimise delays.
Transformative Humanities is described as research that enriches, shapes and transforms lives, nurtures thoughtful and engaged citizens, is inherently interdisciplinary, and is methodologically plural. Applications should demonstrate how their project contributes to these aims. PhD Studentships in Transformative Humanities - Durham University
Projects should align with one or more of the six Transformative Humanities themes:
Applications should clearly identify their primary theme and any interdisciplinary connections.
No, applications often demonstrate interdisciplinary connections and are "more than the sum of their parts." Projects may engage with multiple themes where there is a clear rationale.
A strong proposal will clearly define the research questions and context, the intended approach and methods, the data or source materials to be considered, the relevant to the project to Transformative Humanities, and the fit with Durham University. Please join our Information and Q&A session on 10 November 2026, at 11am (UK time) via the link above; the recording will remain available on this page.
The selection panels will assess the academic quality of the project, the pertinence to Transformative Humanities, the feasibility of the project in 3.5 years full time (or 7 years part time), and the viability of the project in terms of available support and match to Durham expertise and resources. An excellent project alone is not sufficient. It must be competitive within the wider Transformative Humanities framework.
You may want to reflect on:
Applicants should contact supervisors as soon as possible, while proposals are still being developed, rather than waiting until a final draft is completed. Staff profiles can be viewed on the departmental webpages and research centre information is available on the Faculty website PhD Studentships in Transformative Humanities - Durham University. Please note the Faculty PGR team are unable to suggest or secure supervisors for your projects.
Ideally send:
Having ideas "on paper" before contacting supervisors is specifically recommended.
You should expect:
Be prepared to revise your project on the basis of their feedback.
The funding scheme requires supervisory collaboration across at least two Durham departments, making interdisciplinarity a key feature of the studentship.
Interdisciplinarity is one of the defining features of the scheme.
Review panels are likely to look for evidence that:
Simply naming multiple disciplines is unlikely to be sufficient.
Applicants should highlight any relevant prior experience
Successful applicants will be eligible for funding in support of research and training activities, community-building resources, placement opportunities, and a wide range of academic training programmes. These benefits sit alongside the tuition fee waiver and a tax-free https://www.ukri.org/manage-your-award/support-for-ukri-funded-students/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.
Please note the studentships cover tuition fees and a stipend for international award holders, but they do not include additional costs such as visa fees, the NHS surcharge, or relocation expenses. These must be met by the applicant. We recommend you factor these into your planning when considering study in the UK.
UKRI-rate stipend of £21,805 per year (2026/27 rate, tax free). Stipend rates can change annually in line with UKRI updates.
Depending on the project, opportunities may include:
Our dedicated DCAD (Durham Centre for Academic Development) team offers academic development training.
Students in full-time employment are not eligible for an award of any kind from UKRI. A Student in part-time employment may be eligible for a part-time award, which should not be less than 50% of the full-time equivalent.
Students are expected to be registered at Durham University, live within a reasonable travel distance and to engage fully with their supervisory team, department, research community, training and other studentship activities. This will normally require regular attendance in Durham, although research travel, fieldwork and periods working elsewhere may form part of an approved project. You cannot reside abroad unless they are completing field work.
Yes. The studentship may be held on a part-time basis, subject to approval and the relevant programme requirements. UKRI guidance confirms that funded students may request part-time study and that the stipend is paid on a pro-rata basis. For example, a student studying at 50% of the full-time rate would normally receive 50% of the annual stipend over a correspondingly longer funding period. UKRI guidance
For most students, your College team will be your first point of contact for wellbeing support.
If you have an academic-related concern or an issue is having an impact on your studies, you may choose to contact a Department team first.
Both College and Department support staff can help you access other specialist services like Disability Support and Counselling.
Applicants wishing to study part-time should indicate this in their application and discuss the proposed arrangement with their supervisory team and the Arts & Humanities PGR Team. International applicants should also check whether part-time study is compatible with their visa conditions.
Before submitting your application, ask yourself:
✅ Have I identified a suitable lead supervisor?
✅ Is there supervisory input from at least two departments?
✅ Does my project align with Transformative Humanities themes?
✅ Have I drafted a research proposal of no more than 1,000 words (excluding bibliography)?
✅ Have I prepared my CV (max. 2 pages)?
✅ Have I identified two referees?
✅ Have I considered my fee status (Home or Overseas)?
✅ Have I typed "PGR – Transformative Humanities Studentship" within the funding section of the PhD programme application form?
If, after reading through these FAQs you still need further guidance contact view the webpages here or contact artsandhumanities.pgrteam@durham.ac.uk
/filters:quality(70)/prod01/prodbucket01/media/durham-university/departments-/faculty-of-arts-and-humanities/77666.jpg)