How to Fund a PhD in the UK and Ireland: Studentships and Stipends

How PhD funding actually works

Unlike a taught master's, a PhD is rarely paid for out of a single personal loan. Most fully funded doctoral places come as a studentship — a package that typically covers tuition fees at the home rate plus a living stipend, sometimes with a research training grant on top.

The key idea is that funders pay universities, which then award studentships to students. In the UK the main public funder is UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through its research councils; in Ireland, Research Ireland (Taighde Éireann) runs the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme, which it took over after the Irish Research Council was amalgamated into Research Ireland in 2024.

Funding is competitive and finite, so understanding the routes — and your eligibility — early is essential.

UKRI studentships and stipends

A UKRI studentship is usually delivered through a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT), or directly on a research grant. The package generally combines a tuition-fee contribution at the UKRI home rate, a tax-free living stipend paid monthly, and a Research Training Support Grant for project costs.

UKRI sets a national minimum stipend and minimum fee level each year, which universities draw down from their grant. These figures are updated annually, so check the current rates on the official UKRI website rather than relying on older numbers.

Many studentships are tied to an advertised project or a competition within a DTP/CDT, so you apply to the funded place itself. You cannot apply to UKRI directly — you apply to the university or partnership offering the studentship. Eligibility for the full award can depend on fee status, which we cover below.

• Typical package: home-rate fees + tax-free stipend + training grant
• Delivered via DTPs, CDTs, or directly on research grants
• Stipend is paid monthly and is not taxed
• Minimum stipend and fee levels are set annually by UKRI — verify current rates
• Often attached to an advertised, competitively awarded project

Funding routes in Ireland

In Ireland, the flagship national route is the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme, managed by Research Ireland. It is an individual, peer-reviewed award open across disciplines and provides a stipend plus a contribution to fees; it is highly competitive.

Universities also fund PhDs directly — for example through college or school scholarships, employment-based or structured-PhD funding, and projects attached to a supervisor's research grant. Some awards target specific fields or partner organisations.

Application routes and deadlines differ by scheme and university, so read the current call document on researchireland.ie and the funding pages on the relevant .ie university website.

Fee status, eligibility and what it changes

PhD funding eligibility often hinges on your fee status — broadly, whether you are assessed as a home/UK or EU/Irish student, or as an international student. Fee status affects which rate of fees a studentship covers and whether you can access certain awards.

UKRI studentships are open to both home and international students, but the number of international awards a programme can make may be limited, and the precise rules are set by each DTP/CDT. In Ireland, schemes set their own residence and eligibility criteria.

Because these rules change and vary by scheme, confirm your fee status and award eligibility directly with the university's admissions or graduate school and on the funder's official pages before you apply.

• Fee status (home vs international) affects which fee rate is covered
• International eligibility for UKRI awards can be capped per programme
• Each DTP/CDT and Irish scheme sets its own detailed rules
• Confirm your fee status with the university graduate school
• Read the funder's official eligibility page before applying

Other funding and a practical search plan

Beyond national and university funding, you may find charity and learned-society studentships, industry-sponsored projects (including collaborative awards), and government scholarships for international students such as Chevening, which can support eligible postgraduate study in the UK.

For self-funded doctoral study, the UK also offers a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan as a contribution toward fees and living costs — but it cannot normally be combined with a research-council studentship, so treat it as an alternative rather than a top-up.

Start your search several months ahead: look at university funding pages, DTP/CDT and Research Ireland calls, and advertised funded projects, then align your application and proposal with a willing supervisor.

• Check charity, learned-society and industry-sponsored studentships
• Consider Chevening and similar scholarships if internationally eligible
• The UK Doctoral Loan suits self-funders but cannot stack with a studentship
• Begin searching ~6+ months before your intended start
• Line up a supervisor before applying to most funded routes