Engineering and Physical Science Research Council Studentships 2017, The University of Manchester, UK

About the program

The School of Law of The University of Manchester is pleased to welcome applications for postgraduate research studentship awards as part of the EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership for candidates wishing to start PhD study in September 2017. Each studentship comprises full-time tuition fees at RCUK approved rate, an annual stipend starting at approx. £14,500 (subject to confirmation) and £1,000/year research training support grant (RTSG) for the student. Projects aligned to EPSRC’s shortage areas (Engineering, ICT, Materials, Mathematics - particularly statistics and operational research) can be considered for an enhanced stipend.

Eligibility criteria

1. The awards are open to UK and EU candidates.
2. Candidates must have an upper second class honours degree or above and a masters degree with an overall mark of 60% or above, or an equivalent combination of qualifications and/or experience. Additionally, they are expected to meet the specific requirements of the intended PhD programme.
3. Depending on the candidate’s residential eligibility, the award can be made as full studentship or tuition fees only studentship.
4. The proposed research project must be within the remit of EPSRC’s research themes as follow:
   • Energy
   • Global uncertainties
   • Healthcare technologies
   • Living with environmental change
   • Manufacturing the future
5. Students who have started the PhD are not eligible    
6. January starters are eligible but they must meet the applications deadline below

Eligibility guidance

To find out how the eligibility rules apply to you please contact the university to which you are applying, e.g. the postgraduate admissions departments. If your prospective supervisor is unable to confirm, the graduate admissions office or equivalent would be the next place to ask.

Residence requirements

For purposes of residence requirements the UK includes the United Kingdom and Islands (ie the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man).

To be eligible for a full award a student must have:

• Settled status in the UK, meaning they have no restrictions on how long they can stay
  and
• Been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK for three years prior to the start of the studentship. This means they must have been normally residing in the UK (apart from temporary or occasional absences)
  and
• Not been residing in the UK wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education. (This does not apply to UK or EU nationals).

To be eligible for a fees only award:

• Students from EU countries other than the UK are generally eligible for a fees-only award. To be eligible for a fees-only award, a student must be ordinarily resident in a member state of the EU, in the same way as UK students must be ordinarily resident in the UK.

Note: These eligibility criteria are based on the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 and subsequent amendments.

Limited relaxation of student eligibility requirements

To enable universities to support the very best students, EPSRC allows universities to offer up to 10% of the new studentships in any one year with open eligibility. There is typically strong competition within universities to make use of this flexibility. If you want to apply for a doctoral studentship and want to know whether the flexibility might be available for you, you must contact the university that is advertising the studentship. There is no route for prospective students to apply to EPSRC for a studentship.

There are websites that include information about doctoral opportunities in the UK. These include:

• Education UK - website from the British Council to help international students interested in studying in the UK.
• Prospects - Provides careers advice and job and course opportunities to students and graduates
• UKCISA - The UK Council for International Student Affairs is the UK’s national advisory body serving the interests of international students and those who work with them

Academic qualifications

Students must be able to demonstrate a capability to undertake and benefit from research training through to completion, to qualify for a doctorate. This normally requires an upper second class honours degree, or a combination of qualifications and/or experience equivalent to that level. However, universities can use their discretion in deciding whether candidates are suitable for research training.

Application process

Expression of interest in EPSRC funding and all supporting documentation must be received in the School by Friday, 31 March 2017.  Please note that this is a strict deadline and applications received after this will not be included in the competition. Incomplete applications will also not be considered. 

To apply, email the following documentation to law.scholarship@manchester.ac.uk:

1. PhD application form
2. Degree certificate and transcripts
3. Research proposal maximum of 1,500 words excluding reference. Over-length proposals will be automatically excluded from the Faculty consideration.
4. A separate statement of fit to EPSRC research themes (maximum 250 words)
5. Two academic references  

For more information click "Further official information" below.

This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

http://www.law.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/funding/