PhD students

Funding opportunities for PhD candidates in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures.

Postgraduate study can be expensive, and the funding available is highly competitive.

Some scholarship schemes are open to candidates on PhDs in any subject in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC). Others are only open to candidates in specific subjects. See individual scholarship listings for details.

Application processes and deadlines vary from scholarship to scholarship and you should carefully check the Terms and Conditions of any funding sources.

Generally speaking:

  • the scholarships we have listed on this page are for applicants starting in September 2025 and January 2026.
  • students who commence their programme in January 2025 will not be eligible for scholarships offered to applicants starting in September 2025 and January 2026.
  • to increase your chances of being eligible for a range of scholarships and other awards, you are strongly encouraged to apply for your PhD by early December the year before you wish to start your PhD. Applications open in October each year.

Where a deadline has passed, we have indicated this in our listings and tried to give you an idea of when the next application window will open. We have also indicated where a link to further information takes you to an external website, or to a different part of the University's website.

This scheme funds a limited, and highly competitive, number of awards in Literatures, Languages and Cultures covering full tuition fees with an annual stipend (set to the UKRI level) for a maximum of three years.

The application window for 2025 entry is now open. It will close on Monday 3 February 2025. You apply for this award through the University of Edinburgh’s application portal (EUCLID) at the same time as applying to study on the PhD programme of your choice.

Find out more about the College Research Student Awards [University website]


Awarded by the University of Edinburgh, these scholarships are for UK and overseas candidates applying to start their first year of on-campus PhD study. The scholarship covers tuition fees and provides a stipend for between three and four years as agreed by the School/Deanery (or pro-rata for part time).

The application window for 2025 entry is now open. It will close on Monday 3 February 2025. You apply for this award through the University of Edinburgh’s application portal (EUCLID) at the same time as applying to study on the PhD programme of your choice.

Find out more about the Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships [University website]


For entry in September 2025 or January 2026, we hope to offer one student on our Korean Studies PhD programme a prize of up to £5,000. 

We also hope to offer additional prizes to two students (PhD or MSc) of £3,000 each.

These prizes have been made possible by the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS).

You do not need to apply for these prizes. For 2025 entry, it is likely that all eligible candidates who apply for the Korean Studies PhD programme by 5 May 2025 will be considered. If you are offered a prize for 2025 entry, we hope to advise you by the end of July 2025. Details to follow for January 2026 entry. 

Find out more about the PhD in Korean Studies


The University of Edinburgh is part of a consortium of Scottish institutions awarded funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) via the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) to support postgraduate studentships and training in the Arts and Humanities in Scotland. The award on offer is a fully-funded PhD with stipend, a robust three-and-a-half year training programme, and access to Scotland's resources through SGSAH’s strong links and national networks.

The application window for 2025 entry has now closed. If you applied, you will be notified by the end of December 2024 if you have been nominated by the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) to go forward to the next round of the funding competition. 


We're part of the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS), a consortium of 16 universities funded by the ESRC to support postgraduate studentships and training in the Social Sciences in Scotland. PhD studentships are typically available for candidates on our Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (IMES) PhD and Chinese PhD programmes within the SGSSS Linguistics Unit of Assessment.

The application window for 2025 entry has now closed. The award decision will be communicated to applicants by May 2025


What else is out there?

The University publishes details of other funding sources that may be of interest, including UK Government Loans and studentships sponsored by external organisations.

Find out about UK Government loans and other funding sources on the University's webpages

Related links