There are a variety of ways for you to fund your PGR research. Please note that, depending on various parameters, such as the funding source, there may be different entry requirements, lengths of study and requirements around completion, so do consider these carefully when deciding which is the best option for you.
Important advice:
In most cases, it’s best to discuss your funding options with a potential supervisor, as they can advise on the most suitable opportunities for you.(Exception: Some doctoral partnerships accept open applications without a named supervisor, particularly where the programme includes an initial period to explore different research areas. Please check the specific details carefully.)
We encourage you to review staff profiles on our department webpages and contact academic colleagues whose research interests align with yours. When making first contact, it’s helpful to:
Personalised, well-prepared enquiries with clear aims and relevant information are far more likely to receive a positive and useful response. Unfortunately, many academics receive high volumes of generic emails, which rarely lead to meaningful engagement.
A supervisor who is interested in working with you can guide you through the application process and may also identify additional funding opportunities.
Durham University has a number of partnerships and centres for doctoral training with a plethora of different organisations spanning many areas of research activity in the Faculty of Science. The remit, eligibility criteria, requirements and conditions for each type of funding differ, so please check their individual web pages for specific details.
A university-wide list (encompassing more than the Faculty of Science) can be found on our Doctoral Training Partnerships page.
To simplify the process for candidates and supervisors, Durham Faculty of Science offers a single application route for Faculty-funded studentships through the Science Comprehensive Offer for Postgraduate Education (SCOPE). This “one-stop-shop” approach ensures fairness and transparency and reduces the burden of navigating multiple schemes.
For the October 2026 entry, SCOPE studentships are currently restricted to EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Awards (DLA). If additional funding streams become available later, they will be incorporated under the same SCOPE umbrella.
Durham Faculty of Science is delighted to offer EPSRC-funded Doctoral Landscape Awards for October 2026 entry (at least 15 fully funded studentships available). This scheme replaces the former EPSRC DTP awards and supports high-quality doctoral education aligned with EPSRC priority areas and Durham’s Science Transformation Programme (STP) themes:
Key features of the DLA scheme:
Collaborative Studentships: At least 25% of awards will involve collaboration with partners beyond academia. Collaborative partners provide cash and/or in-kind contributions and typically host the student for a placement of at least 3 months.
Application process:
More details of exactly how to apply and the links for submitting your application for studentship funding is avaiable here: SCOPE Student Guidance 2026 .
To widen the body of studentships offered, in some years Durham Faculty of Science offers funding for Durham Science Studentships (DDS) - also delivered through the SCOPE. Application process. These are for exceptional students with excellent drive to join us at Durham and perform world-leading research, guided by our knowledgeable supervisory teams, but who could not be funded via external schemes, such the DLA. Regrettably, these will not be available for the October 2026 start cohort.
Industrial Cooperative Awards in Science & Engineering (ICASE) EPSRC provide funding for doctoral studentships where businesses and related organisations take the lead in arranging projects with an academic partner of their choice. Industrial CASE awards may support doctoral training in any areas of engineering and the physical sciences with relevance to the EPSRC remit. In 2024, EPSRC’s ICASE awards will evolve as doctoral landscape awards under the UK Research and Innovation Doctoral Training Investment Framework.
The STFC Industrial CASE (Cooperative Awards in Science and Technology) studentship competition provides support for PhD students to work in collaboration with a non-academic partner on projects that fall within the STFC core science programme in astronomy, particle physics, nuclear physics and accelerator science, or on projects that aim to apply technologies or techniques developed within the programme into other areas. Projects involve joint supervision of the student by a member of staff at an academic research organisation or related institution and an employee of a non-academic organisation, such as a UK industrial business, public sector organisation or charity (the non-academic partner).
Industrial Cooperative Awards in Science & Engineering (ICASE) EPSRC provide funding for doctoral studentships where businesses and related organisations take the lead in arranging projects with an academic partner of their choice. Industrial CASE awards may support doctoral training in any areas of engineering and the physical sciences with relevance to the EPSRC remit.
In 2024, EPSRC’s ICASE awards will evolve as doctoral landscape awards under the UK Research and Innovation Doctoral Training Investment Framework. These will typically be advertised on departmental websites or external portals such as FindAPhD when we have such studentships available.
The STFC Industrial CASE (Cooperative Awards in Science and Technology) studentship competition provides support for PhD students to work in collaboration with a non-academic partner on projects that fall within the STFC core science programme in astronomy, particle physics, nuclear physics and accelerator science, or on projects that aim to apply technologies or techniques developed within the programme into other areas.
Projects involve joint supervision of the student by a member of staff at an academic research organisation or related institution and an employee of a non-academic organisation, such as a UK industrial business, public sector organisation or charity (the non-academic partner). These will typically be advertised on departmental websites or external portals such as FindAPhD when we have such studentships available.
Additional supervisor-led partnerships with industry and other external partners to provide additional studentships are frequently available. These will typically be advertised on departmental websites or external portals such as FindAPhD when we have such studentships available. The application process will mirror some aspects of the SCOPE call (see above) and you will still need to be eligible for a place to study applied for via the University’s online portal. The project is likely to be designed more closely between industry and the supervisor, but will provide greater opportunities for collaboration and networking with industry partners. Typically these studentships are jointly funded between Durham and the external partner.
For industry or external partners: we always welcome new approaches from potential industry partners and can help identify suitable collaborators with in the university – contact us at science.engagement@durham.ac.uk .
At Durham, we are proud to support the Durham Doctoral Teaching (DDT) Fellowships, which enable students to study for PhD, whilst at the same time acquiring valuable teaching skills that will support their career progression. Typical Fellowships include a 1-year teaching position alongside a PhD studentship of 3.5 years, lasting 4.5 years in total.
This studentship is appropriate for those who would want to follow a university career, or are interested in a higher level of responsibility in teaching, beside their research. Please note that a limited level of teaching is possible even for other studentships. The DDTF Fellow will be entitled to a total of 42 months of stipend (UKRI value) and 12 months of salary at Grade 6 during the duration of the fellowship, and is currently for home students only. These will typically be advertised on departmental websites or external portals such as FindAPhD when we have such studentships available.
The China Scholarship Council (CSC) scholarships are available thanks to a partnership between Durham University and the China Scholarships Council. The scholarships are open to applicants from Mainland China wishing to study for a PhD at Durham.
In the Faculty of Science, these are 4-year scholarships, covering a monthly stipend (as set by CSC) and a return airfare to the UK and visa application fees. University fees are waived for these students, and funding for equipment and conferences is supplied by departments (please note that departments have different caps on this).
To apply for this scholarship, you should generally first approach a supervisor. You also need to
Durham University holds a general information page on this scholarship: Chinese Scholarships Council - Durham University.
Information about alumni scholarships (a discount scheme for postgraduate course fees for students who studied previously at Durham) is here: Alumni Fee Scholarship 2024-25 and 2025-26 - Durham University.
Durham keeps a page of other funding sources for postgraduate scholarships at: Postgraduate - Durham University. See also specific information for International PGR Funding - Durham University. Finally, departments in the Faculty of Science may have specific departmental funding or further doctoral consortium funding – for this information, please visit departmental pages or look out for additional adverts.
PGR applicants with self-funding are welcome. Alternatively, PGR loans can be also considered, see PhD Loans – A Guide for 2024. These options offer maximum flexibility in terms of starting time of the PGR research, type of PGR degree (full-time or part-time) and conditions regarding submission.
Return to Durham Faculty of Science Postgraduate Training and Funding.
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