Arts and Humanities Research Council Studentship Funding
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) supports research that furthers our understanding of human culture and creativity.
The AHRC funds research on a wide range of subjects, from traditional humanities (such as history, English or philosophy) to creative and performing arts (such as drama, dance or music).
Research into these subjects helps us:
- interpret our experiences
- probe our identities
- interrogate our cultural assumptions
- understand our historical, social, economic and political context.
This research adds to the UK's economic success by contributing to the knowledge economy and innovation agenda. It can lead to improvements in social and intellectual wealth, community identity, learning skills, technological evolution and the quality of life of the nation.
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The University of St Andrews is a member of the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH). Our membership includes sixteen Scottish Higher Education Institutions from the oldest to the newest, and including our four art schools and national conservatoire. We cover Scotland’s geography from the Highlands and Islands to the Scottish Borders. It is the world's first national graduate school in the Arts and Humanities and offers unparalleled training and support for doctoral researchers in Scotland.
The SGSAH is home to the AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership for Scotland. It is funded jointly by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Scottish Funding Council.
Besides discipline-specific research training, the SGSAH funds training events, internships and residencies for doctoral researchers. These provide SGSAH students with opportunities to further develop their research, knowledge exchange, and transferable professional skills.
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The annual AHRC funded studentship competition opens in Autumn for students commencing the following September.
Successful applicants will benefit from:
Home Tuition fees and stipend at RCUK rates (£4,327 and £15,009 in 2019-2020)
Personal and professional development programme which focuses on complementing and adding value to the training already on offer at the University.
AHRC-funded students will have access to the rich resources available in all Scottish HEIs as well as unique training opportunities developed in partnership with SGSAH’s prestigious and internationally-renowned supporter organisations. These include the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland, the National Theatre of Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland, BBC Scotland, Scottish Opera, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Royal Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Edinburgh International Book and Film Festivals, the Scottish Sculpture Workshop and a diverse range of local and regional arts, culture and heritage organisations.
AHRC have committed to support students in a variety of ways including exclusive access to training events, mentoring, talks, visits and funded placements and internships. 2015 saw the launch of SGSAH’s new Internship programme, which includes an Artist-in-Residence element: students continue to receive stipends and can have their funded period extended to accommodate placements or residencies funded through the programme.
Applicants must have been accepted to study a PhD at one of the Doctoral Training Partnership members, which are The Glasgow School of Art, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Highlands and Islands, St Andrews, Strathclyde and Stirling, and must be nominated for an award by their HEI. SGSAH encourages and welcomes cross-institutional supervisory teams. Residency eligibility criteria apply. Full details and the application form are available on the SGSAH website.
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Apply to an eligible AHRC course at the University of St Andrews by completing the research application form. The Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities produces a list of eligible subjects.
The Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities also particularly values applications where there is carefully thought out joint supervision between two Scottish institutions, and St Andrews is keen to support this type of arrangement where it produces the best possible supervisory arrangement for a student.
You are encouraged to make contact with a potential supervisor prior to applying and noting your interest of funding via the internal Scholarships and Funding AHRC application form.
New applicants will receive an email with information on how to access the scholarships and funding portal after their fee status has been determined. Access the portal link to the Scholarships and Funding Catalogue to search for postgraduate funding. Apply to the AHRC Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities before 5pm on the deadline date.
Current students can access the Scholarships and Funding portal via their MySaint account, My Applications, Scholarships and Funding, Scholarships and Funding Catalogue. Apply to the AHRC Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities before 5pm on the deadline date.
Internal deadline dates for each school are advertised in the Scholarships and Funding Catalogue, on the internal application form and on the school web pages.
Applicants must have applied to an eligible AHRC course at the University of St Andrews at this stage and meet the AHRC eligibility criteria. Early contact with the supervisor or Director of Postgraduate Studies is encouraged as this will allow more time to refine the AHRC Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities application.
Following an internal selection process the top candidates will be asked to submit their application to the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (via the SGSAH website) where a cross university governance committee will make the final selection based on overall merit.
The Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities advise all students read the guidance for applying.
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As a doctoral student at the University of St Andrews you will be part of a growing, vibrant, and intellectually stimulating postgraduate community. St Andrews is one of the leading research-intensive universities in the world and offers a postgraduate experience of remarkable richness.
St Leonard’s Doctoral and Postgraduate College is at the heart of the postgraduate community of St Andrews. The College supports all postgraduates and aims to provide opportunities for postgraduates to come together, socially and intellectually, and make new connections.
St Leonard’s College works closely with the Postgraduate Society which is one of the most active societies within the Students’ Association. All doctoral students are automatically welcomed into the Postgraduate Society when they join the University.
In addition to the research training that doctoral students complete in their home School and the advanced training provided by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science, doctoral students at St Andrews have access to GRADskills – a free, comprehensive training programme to support their academic, professional, and personal development.
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All funding and reporting is via the University and students will be requested to provide project details for the AHRC annual submission via the student data portal (SDP) in October of the first year. Additional information may be requested at any time and any changes in status or the project should be forwarded to the finance advice and support office on AHRCfas@st-andrews.ac.uk.
Any issues with fees and funding should be reported to finschol@st-andrews.ac.uk in the first instance.
Current award holder should refer to the AHRC Training Grant Funding Guide for full details on RTSG claims, fieldwork expenses, maternity cover and any other LOA’s or extensions likely to affect funding or submission dates. Requests for these should be emailed to Registry and the financial advice and support adviser on AHRCfas@st-andrews.ac.uk.
It is the responsibility of the student to notify the University as soon as possible of any interruption to study and return to study thereafter. Guidance for a request can be found on our Leave of Absence page. Please refer to the AHRC terms and conditions regarding funding and interruptions.
If a student is prevented by sudden illness or accident from following their studies for a period of more than two weeks, they should inform Registry immediately and provide them with a medical certificate, even if a formal leave is not requested.
Students are reminded that they must comply with both the AHRC and the University of St Andrews terms and conditions whilst registered.
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The Cohort Development Fund scheme allows the SGSAH Panels to support training initiatives directed towards supporting the disciplinary & interdisciplinary training needs of doctoral researchers in the Arts & Humanities. For more information on this, please visit the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities website.
Applicants or current AHRC funded students can contact the finance advice and support office on AHRCfas@st-andrews.ac.uk for any additional information.