Postgraduate Funding

The School offers a number of funding opportunities at MA and PhD level, including:

Type	Further Information	MA	PhD
MA scholarships	Postgraduate Taught Scholarships	X
PhD in Transformative Humanities	Transformative Humanities		X
Northern Ireland and North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership	NINE Doctoral Training Partnership Studentships		X
PhD scholarships in French, German, Italian, Russian and Hispanic Studies	Barker Doctoral Scholarships		X
PhD scholarships in French and Italian	Inventing Futures		X
PhD/MA scholarships for Russian students	The Khodorkovsky Scholarships	X	X
PhD scholarships for citizens of China	Durham-China Scholarships Council (CSC) Doctoral Studentships		X
MA/MSc/PhD scholarships for the study of Japan	The Sasakawa Japanese Studies Postgraduate Studentship Programme	X	X

The information on the dedicated web pages for the individual funding schemes takes precedence. For a more complete list of funding opportunities, please see Durham University’s Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries and the Faculty of Arts Postgraduate funding pages.

For most of the funding schemes below, students should apply via the University’s online application system and state that they wish to be considered for one of the studentships or grants outlined below when the form asks them to indicate how they intend to fund their studies. Please take note of the different funding scheme deadlines. Although the deadlines for funding applications are usually in January, applicants are strongly encouraged to be in touch with their potential supervisors well in advance of these dates.

Barker Doctoral Scholarships in Modern European Languages (Application Deadline: 15 April 2026)

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures intends to award one Barker Doctoral Scholarship to UK postgraduate researchers who demonstrate exceptional potential within the field of Modern European Languages for entry in October 2026.

Eligible languages areas will be French, German, Italian, Russian, and Hispanic Studies, as well as comparative projects that work across two or more of these fields. Projects should focus predominantly on literature and thought; those focused wholly or primarily on film and visual culture will not be eligible.

Benefits

Barker Doctoral Scholarships are tenable for a maximum of three years full-time or six years part-time, and offer the following financial support package:

• Full tuition fees at home rates.
• An annual maintenance allowance at UKRI rates.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for candidates with the following:

• A first-class or very good 2:1 undergraduate degree.
• An MA (completed or in progress) in a relevant subject area at distinction or near-distinction level.
• An outstanding academic record and exceptional research potential.
• A high-quality research project that can be completed within a maximum of three years full-time or six years part-time.
• A clear and credible link between the proposed research and the expertise of the supervisory team.
• A clear understanding of how the project fits with the research environments in which it will be carried out (you may wish to comment here on the relevance of research groups, centres or institutes). 

Eligibility

Applicants from the UK (home students) are eligible for Barker Doctoral Scholarships.

To be eligible for a Barker Doctoral Scholarship, you must have applied to the MLAC PhD Programme for the 2026-27 academic year.

*Please note: the award cannot be deferred and it is assumed that successful candidates will start in October 2026.

How to apply

To apply for the Barker Doctoral Scholarship, you will need to complete Durham University’s online application form and to state that you wish to be considered for the Barker Doctoral Scholarship when the form asks you to indicate how you intend to fund your studies. If you have already submitted an application, please contact MLAC and inform us that you wish to be considered for Barker Doctoral Scholarship funding.

All applicants applying for the Barker Doctoral Scholarship need to include within the relevant section of the online application form a summary of the research project they plan to conduct. The proposal should not exceed 750 words in length and must set out the following:

• The research questions or problems that the research will address.
• The research context, i.e. the past and current research and scholarship in the field.
• Bearing in mind the research context, the contribution to knowledge and understanding the project will make to the field, and a clear statement of the intellectual significance of the proposed research.
• The approach/methodology that will be employed and an explanation of why it is the most appropriate approach for addressing the research questions/problems.
• The resources and facilities that will be used during the research project, where they are located, and how they will be accessed.

Selection process

MLAC will review your application and decide whether or not to recommend it for funding. Results will begin to be announced by the University’s Scholarships, Student Funding and Student Immigration Office from the end of April 2026. Successful candidates will be contacted in the first instance by email, and unsuccessful applicants will be advised of the outcome by MLAC.

NINE Doctoral Training Partnership Studentships

The Northern Ireland and North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) invites applications for its annual studentship competition, offering fully-funded opportunities for postgraduate social science research. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), NINE DTP is a consortium of seven leading universities: Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Teesside, Sunderland, Queen’s University Belfast, and Ulster University. Our partnership delivers world-class postgraduate training across Northern Ireland and the North East of England, preparing students for careers in academia, policy, and beyond.

Durham’s School of Modern Languages and Cultures, in addition to Geography, Anthropology, Law, and the Business School, is one of the lead departments for the Environment, Climate and Sustainability Pathway. You can find further information on the NINE DTP website: Environment, Climate & Sustainability - NINE DTP.

Why Apply?

NINE DTP studentships are awarded through an open, transparent competition that prioritizes the quality of applicants and their proposed research. Each year, we offer approximately 50–55 studentships across 18 disciplinary and interdisciplinary pathways. These awards include opportunities for collaborative projects with non-academic partners, projects using advanced quantitative methods or large datasets, and our Action for Equality initiative, which provides two full scholarships for underrepresented groups. International applicants are welcome, with up to 30% of awards allocated to students from outside the UK.

Award Options & Training

We offer several types of awards to suit applicants with varying research backgrounds:

• 3.5-Year Studentships: For those with substantial Master’s-level research training.
• 3.75-Year Studentships: For students with research experience requiring additional methodological training.
• 4-Year Studentships: For those with little prior research methods training; includes a Postgraduate Certificate in Research Training (PGCert).
• 4.5-Year (1+3.5) Studentships: For students who have yet to start a Master’s, combining one year of research training with a PhD.

All awards incorporate a three-month placement and are structured around our Research in Practice framework, integrating advanced training, collaborative engagement, and guided research to prepare students for diverse research careers. Part-time study options are available, with funding adjusted accordingly.

Pathways & Eligibility

NINE DTP offers 18 accredited research pathways across social sciences. Applicants may submit only one nomination per year, aligned with their chosen pathway. Current PhD students may apply only if they are in the first year and do not already have full funding.

For full eligibility criteria, application guidelines, and reference documents, visit the NINE DTP website. Join us to advance your research ambitions and become part of a vibrant, collaborative doctoral community.

How to apply

The deadline for this application is the 9 January by which all documents have to be submitted to the DsPGR (claudia.nitschke@durham.ac.uk; katrin.wehling-giorgi@durham.ac.uk)

Durham-China Scholarships Council (CSC) Doctoral Studentships

Eligibility

• Applicants must be citizens and permanent residents of the People’s Republic of China at the time of application. This excludes Hong Kong and Macau.  Chinese citizens studying PGT programmes at overseas institutions are eligible, as long as their permanent address is in PR China.
• Applicants must hold an unconditional offer for a PhD programme at Durham, including English language requirements by the time of application to the CSC.
• Successful candidates are required to return home upon completion of their studies.
• Students who have already commenced their doctoral degree at Durham are not eligible.

Selection criteria

• The economic and societal impact of the research will be taken into account when selecting nominees.
• Research proposals should be detailed, showing a clear timeline structured for completion in three years.

How to apply

To apply for the Durham-CSC Doctoral Studentship, you will need to complete the form on Durham University’s Postgraduate Applicant Portal and apply for postgraduate study.  Please state that you wish to be considered for the Durham-CSC Doctoral Studentship when the form asks you to indicate how you intend to fund your studies. If you have already submitted an application, please contact MLAC and inform us that you wish to be considered for Durham-CSC Doctoral Studentship funding.

Selection process

MLAC and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities will review your application and decide whether or not to recommend it for funding by the CSC. Results will begin to be announced by the University’s Scholarships, Student Funding and Student Immigration Office.

Further enquiries

More information is available from the Chinese Scholarships Council scholarships.

The Sasakawa Japanese Studies Postgraduate Studentship Programme

The Programme is designed to support the development of the study of Japan in the UK. Launched and administered by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, the Programme provides Durham University with up to three postgraduate studentships per year, each worth £15,000.

Eligibility

The Sasakawa Studentship is open to all disciplines whose main focus includes Japan. The grants are by no means limited to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and students working on Japan-related matters in the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Social Science and Health, and the Business School are also eligible for MA/MSc and PhD nominations. The studentship is meant to be for one-year, but PhD students can re-apply for up to three years during their doctorate.

How to apply

Durham University has its own internal deadline, typically in early March. Expressions of interest should be submitted in advance to the coordinator for this programme, Dr Dario Lolli.

Selection process

Following an internal selection, the three most promising nominations will be submitted to the Sasakawa Foundation on behalf of the applicants.

Further enquiries

For further enquiries about this programme, please contact:

Dr Dario Lolli, Assistant Professor in Japanese and Visual Culture
School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Elvet Riverside, New Elvet, Durham DH1 3JT.
Tel: +44 (0) 191 334 4349. e-mail: dario.lolli@durham.ac.uk