Scholarships and Funding Opportunities

Browse suggestions for scholarships and student funding that are of relevance for postgraduate research programmes delivered by the School of Health in Social Science.

Application processes and deadlines vary from scholarship to scholarship and you should carefully check the Terms and Conditions of any funding sources. Where the University of Edinburgh is the funding body, the University reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend or withdraw any of the advertised scholarships, without notice.

In order to be eligible to apply for funding, you must have submitted your application to study at the University of Edinburgh and have been issued with a University User Name (UUN number).

Please make sure to check the specific deadlines for the funding opportunities you wish to apply for and make sure that you submit your application in good time. Where a deadline for an award has passed, we have indicated this in our listings. 

Funding for Masters Students

Some scholarship schemes are open to candidates on masters programmes in any subject in the School Health in Social Science. Others are only open to candidates in specific subjects. See individual scholarship listings for details.

The Burdett Trust for Nursing is providing funding for a 1 year, full-time, Scholarship for the MSc by Research (Nursing) for a Home (UK student) and an International student for a September 2025 start.

The Studentship is for 1 year full time. For UK (Home) students this will cover a stipend of £10,506 per annum and University fees. For International students this will cover a stipend of £17,860 per annum and University fees. Funding will cease at the end of Year 1. 

The application deadline for 2025 entry has now closed. 


Funding for PhD Students

Some scholarship schemes are open to candidates on PhDs in any subject in the School Health in Social Science. Others are only open to candidates in specific subjects. See individual scholarship listings for details.

Applicants looking to apply for the below funding opportunities must apply for their PhD by the 1st gathered field deadline, which generally falls in early November the year prior to starting the PhD. Applications open in October each year. Please see our Postgraduate Research page for more information on specific deadlines relating to the gathered fields. 

Awarded by the University of Edinburgh, these scholarships are for UK and overseas candidates applying to start their first year of on-campus PhD study. The scholarship covers tuition fees and provides a stipend equal to the UKRI minimum rate for the relevant academic year of study (for 2025/26 is £20,780). Subject to satisfactory progress, the scholarship is offered for 3 and a half years (or pro-rata for part time).

The application window for 2025 entry has now closed.


Candidates for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Award must be seeking to start their first year of full-time or part-time, or distance PhD study in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences within the academic year 2025-2026. 

The award provides full tuition fees with an annual stipend equal to the UKRI minimum rate for the relevant academic year of study (for 2025/26 is £20,780) for a maximum of three years.

The application window for 2025 entry has now closed.


The University of Edinburgh is a member institution of the Scotland-wide Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) which is funded and accredited by the Social and Economic Research Council (ESRC). The DTP provides world-class postgraduate research and training in the social sciences across a wide range of disciplines. 

The application window for 2025 entry has now closed.


What else is out there?

The University publishes details of other funding sources that may be of interest, including UK Government Loans and studentships sponsored by external organisations.

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