Art History postgraduate funding
Applicants to the Postgraduate Research Programmes in the School of Art History may consider applying for any of the relevant scholarship and funding awards listed on these pages.
A more extensive listing of scholarships, including scholarships administered by external organisations, is available in the University’s catalogue of Postgraduate Scholarships.
For further details on scholarships and funding, follow @StAfunding.
To apply for these scholarships, you must already be admitted onto the relevant degree programme.
The following PhD scholarships cover tuition fees and an annual stipend:
-
The Paul Mellon Centre funding programme, supporting research into British art history, includes our New Narratives Doctoral Scholarship which is an award of £32,000 per year for three years, designed to cover university fees and living costs of an individual embarking on doctoral studies at a UK based institution.
More information can be found here: Art History PhD Funding | Doctoral Scholarship | Grants & Fellowships | Paul Mellon Centre (paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk).
-
World-leading scholarships
St Leonard’s Postgraduate College will provide up to 13 fully-funded (tuition and stipend) scholarships to new UK, EU, or international doctoral students who will be starting their degree in the 2025-2026 academic year. The World-Leading Doctoral Scholarships are intended to contribute to the world-leading theme of the University Strategy. In particular, the scholarships are intended to attract students of exceptional ability and to help develop capacity that strategically strengthens Academic Schools.
The supervisor-led competition will open (and close) earlier this year, to allow for advertising relevant projects before the Christmas break. More specifically, applications must be submitted by email to stlc@st-andrews.ac.uk by Friday 25 October 2024, 5.00pm.
The process for the student-led competition is also tweaked this year, to reduce workload for Schools. PhD applicants will have the opportunity to apply for the scholarship directly, in a new single scholarships application form. Schools will be asked to recommend applicants during the assessment and nomination process of other PGR scholarships in February-March 2025.
For more information, please visit World Leading Scholarships 2025-2026.
-
In recent years, the School of Art History has enjoyed considerable success in securing Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Studentship Funding for doctoral students. For further information about eligibility and how to apply, please consult the University’s webpages on these awards.
If you are planning to apply to the SGSAH studentship you should inform your potential supervisor as soon as possible. You will then need to submit a draft Nomination application to the School. The School must receive SGSAH nomination application before noon on the 17th December, with earlier being better.If you do have any questions on this process please send these to pgarthist@st-andrews.ac.uk.
-
For postgraduate doctoral applicants who have previously attended a widening participation scheme or received a financial needs-based scholarship at St Andrews for their undergraduate degree. For further details, please consult the University webpages on this award.
-
Open to any applicant that meets one of the Home Office categories at fee assessment stage commencing a new course of study: Asylum Seeker, Refugee, Humanitarian Protection, limited or Discretionary leave to remain. For further details, please consult the University webpages on this award.
-
The University of St Andrews has a collaborative agreement with the China Scholarship Council to develop research collaborations between the UK and Chinese universities and research institutions. Available to Chinese students wishing to undertake a PhD at the University of St Andrews. For further details, please consult the University webpages on this award.
-
For candidates from least developed countries and fragile states in the Commonwealth, for full-time doctoral study at a UK university. For further details, please consult the University webpages on this award.
-
For students who are permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country and meet the application criteria. For further details, please consult the University webpages on this award.
-
For students from the USA who have applied to a UK university to study in the Arts or Humanities at doctoral level. For further details, please consult the University webpages on this award.
-
This scholarship is available to entrant taught or research postgraduate students from Poland. For further details, please consult the University webpages on this award.
The following PhD scholarships cover tuition fees in full:
-
The School of Art History is offering 3 scholarships for doctoral research in any field of art history, museum and gallery studies, or history of photography, for starting in September 2024.
These scholarships cover tuition fees for the three years of the PhD programme, and are available to both Home/EU and overseas students.
If you are interested in being considered for one of these awards, you must first complete the University’s application process to the School of Art History PhD programme by 1 April 2024.
Secondly, you must complete an Application form Application form Art History Fee Scholarship (Word) and send it to the School of Art History Postgraduate Administrator, at pgarthist@st-andrews.ac.uk. Application forms must be returned by 15 April 2024.
These are competitive awards, and selections will be made based on your academic record, and the merits of the research proposal.
For all enquiries, please contact the School of Art History Director of Postgraduate Research, arthistdopgr@st-andrews.ac.uk.
-
The Lise Meitner Group “Decay, Loss, and Conservation in Art History” at the Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History in Rome (BHMPI) and the School of Art History at the University of St Andrews are pleased to offer a:
Joint Doctoral Research Position
This call is for a prospective doctoral candidate who wishes to enrol in the School of Art History at the University of St Andrews starting in September 2025 to work under the joint supervision of Dr Francesca Borgo and Dr Elsje van Kessel. The doctoral project is partly executed in Rome and partly in St Andrews. While in residence in Rome, the candidate will join the Lise Meitner Group as a predoctoral fellow.
Project Theme
The doctoral project must address European and colonial art histories from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. The project must centre on the broad theme of art and war. Loot, plunder, piracy, and their legal ramifications are potential desirable topics in the candidate’s project, along with their opposites (repair, restitution, and peace-making).
We welcome applications from aspiring doctoral students in every field within the history of art, technical art history, conservation history, and museum studies, with preference given to projects crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries. Excellence in research, commitment to pursuing new insights through original scholarship, and willingness to become part of a group of rising, international scholars are essential.
Dates and funding
The candidate will first spend 18 months (from 1 September 2025 to 28 February 2027) at the BHMPI, followed by 18 months (1 March 2027 to 26 September 2028) at St Andrews.
During the period at the BHMPI, the Max Planck Society will offer a fixed-term contract of employment. Stipend and benefits are determined according to the German Civil Service Collective Agreement (65% TVöD Bund E 13) or equivalent, depending on individual personal circumstances. No tuition fees are charged. Fellows enjoy all the privileges of the institute, including library access seven days a week, a research budget, and their own desk.
During the period at St Andrews, the candidate will receive a full tuition fee waiver provided by the School of Art History at St Andrews. Postgraduate research students are entitled to shared desk space, a modest research budget, full library access, and teaching opportunities and benefit from the lively and welcoming intellectual environment of the School.
In both instances, all living costs (including travel, immigration, medical, and accommodation costs, etc.) are the responsibility of the candidate.
Background
The Max Planck Society is Germany’s premier research organization. The eighty-six Max Planck Institutes conduct research at the highest level in the service of the general public in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
The University of St Andrews is Scotland’s oldest university. In 2024 it was ranked first in the UK by both The Times and The Guardian.
Applications are particularly welcome from people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and with other protected characteristics who are under-represented at the University. Equality, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of the St Andrews experience and form a central pillar of the University Strategy. We strive to create a fair and inclusive culture demonstrated through our commitment to diversity awards (Athena Swan, Carer Positive, LGBT Charter and Race Charters). For more information, see our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion pages.
Eligibility
The candidate must:
- Hold a Master or equivalent degree in Art History or other relevant discipline
- Not hold a doctoral degree or be matriculated for a doctoral degree elsewhere
- Be highly proficient in English and conversant in one other European language (preferably Italian, German, or Dutch)
How to apply
To apply, the candidate must upload the following documents as separate PDF files to the application portal https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae
- Description of proposed research project (max. 1500 words), accompanied by a one-page bibliography. Where appropriate, proposals should be accompanied by properly captioned images.
- A sample of academic written work in English (max. 3000 words)
- Two signed reference letters
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates. Please only send certified copies with official English translations if applicable. Do not mail original documents, as they cannot be returned.
- If applicable, English language requirements certificate
You will then need to email pgarthist@st-andrews.ac.uk to indicate you have submitted your application, and it is for this opportunity.
Applications are due on Monday 31 March 2025. Online interviews on MS Teams will be held in late April.
Further information
For any questions, please email Editorial-LMG@biblhertz.it at the Bibliotheca Hertziana and/or ejmvk@st-andrews.ac.uk at the University of St Andrews.
The following scholarships for Research Postgraduates provide part cover for tuition fees:
-
The School of Art History at the University of St Andrews invites applications for the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust Museum and Gallery Studies (MGS) Award. The award is worth £5000, and is open to those aiming for a future career as a curator of art. A condition for the scholarship is that the applicant's curatorial focus relates closely to art history.
The award will be granted to a student who is commencing their studies in September 2024 on one of the following MGS/MHS postgraduate options:
- Full time MLitt
- MSt(Res)
- MPhil
- PhD in Museum and Gallery Studies.
The funds will in the first instance be used to cover tuition fees. Any outstanding funds may be used to cover research expenses including travel, materials, rights and reproductions, etc.
Applicants must have been offered a place on the MGS/MHS postgraduate programme and have a first degree in Art History or related subject or have other supporting evidence of a commitment to a career as a curator of art.
Applicants will be required to upload a personal statement, academic transcript and a CV.
This award is available for application through the Scholarships and Funding catalogue.
If you have applied for the MLitt, you can access the catalogue by logging into My Application. You should wait until the next working day after submitting your MLitt application before attempting to access My Application.
If you have applied for the MPhil or PhD, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the Scholarships and Funding catalogue.
The application deadline is 29 April 2024.
-
For postgraduate students who have graduated from the University of St Andrews in the last three years. For further details, please consult the University webpages on this award.
The following bursary provides support towards living costs:
-
Through a generous bequest of the late Mrs Dinah Coyne, the Richard III Society has made £30,000 available for a bursary fund to support postgraduate students in the study of medieval art from 1350 to 1500.
The Bursary is administered through the St Andrews Institute of Mediaeval Studies (SAIMS) and the School of Art History.
The Bursary is intended to support eligible students of outstanding promise. It will be awarded in sums not exceeding £10,000 (to students beginning a PhD, where no other funding, or only partial funding, has been obtained from another source) or up to £5000 (to PhD students who need financial help to finish a PhD after their funding has expired). The phasing of the payments will be discussed with successful applicants.
MPhil students may also be considered eligible for support if their work is of truly exceptional promise. In this case smaller sums may be judged appropriate by the St Andrews Institute of Mediaeval Studies and recommended accordingly.
The Bursary is intended to support research in the eligible areas, including fees, maintenance or other expenses that contribute to the successful completion of a recipient’s degree. It may not be used for other purposes, including research unrelated to the degree.
Application is by the attached form (below) and must be accompanied by a reference from the applicant’s supervisor or else a respected medievalist who knows the applicant’s work. Applications will not be considered on a rolling basis but only within specified periods advertised on the website of the St Andrews Institute of Mediaeval Studies.
Eligibility
Applicants must be studying for a research postgraduate degree (normally PhD) at the University of St Andrews.
Applicants must be resident in the UK.
In accordance with Dinah Coyne’s intentions, and the interests of the Richard III Society, an applicant’s degree must have a complete or substantial focus on art history of the period c.1350-c.1500. ‘Art’ as used here is not necessarily the same as ‘material culture’. Anyone requiring advice on the eligibility of their research will be encouraged to ask Professor Julian Luxford (School of Art History) about it before completing an application form.
Financial circumstances will be considered in relation to applications.
Requirements of successful applicants
By accepting a Bursary, an applicant agrees to acknowledge support from the Richard III Society-Dinah Coyne Bursary in their thesis and any publication directly deriving from it.
Recipients of the Bursary will be required to write a short report (at least 1,000 words) on the use made of the Bursary for publication in the Richard III Society magazine, The Ricardian Bulletin (or, if appropriate, produce an article for publication in The Ricardian journal).
The application period for 2023 is 1 November – 15 December.
Queries should be directed to under the Director of SAIMS, Prof. Margaret Connolly (mc29@st-andrews.ac.uk), or Prof. Julian Luxford (jml5@st-andrews.ac.uk).
Applicants are advised that no member of staff will be involved in assessing the application of anyone he/she/they are currently supervising.
Submitted applications are considered final and resubmissions cannot be accepted.
The Richard III Society - Dinah Coyne Bursary Application form (Word)
On completion, please submit this form to Margaret Connolly (mc29@st-andrews.ac.uk) and Julian Luxford (jml5@st-andrews.ac.uk).
-
This scholarship can be used in either private or University accommodation. Prospective students can apply for financial support towards their accommodation costs.