StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The Leeds Doctoral Scholarship is the University of Leeds’ main funded PhD award for home students: up to five scholarships for Session 2027/28, available for research degree study in any Faculty — Arts, Humanities and Cultures; Biological Sciences; Business; Environment; Medicine and Health; and Social Sciences. You can propose your own research project or apply for an available linked PhD project, and you are encouraged to identify an appropriate supervisor and School or Faculty before you apply.
The funding is genuinely full: full academic fees plus a tax-free maintenance grant of £21,805 a year (the 2026/27 rate, rising in line with UKRI rates), for 3.5 years of full-time study. But the eligibility is narrow in one decisive way: the award is for Home fee-rated students only. International students on a Student visa are not eligible for this scheme, and should look instead at the university’s international routes — for example the China Scholarship Council / University of Leeds Scholarships, which close on 6 January 2027.
Eligibility
- Be eligible for UK/Home fee status.
- Be a new postgraduate researcher undertaking a PhD — not already registered on a PhD, and not previously awarded a PhD. Students who started a PhD but did not complete it may be considered.
- Hold a first undergraduate degree equivalent to at least a UK First Class Honours degree; final-year undergraduates expected to achieve it may apply.
- Candidates with a lower undergraduate degree may be considered if they have, or expect to obtain, a Distinction in a relevant Master’s degree. Relevant professional experience may also be considered.
- Meet the English-language requirements for postgraduate research study — normally IELTS 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in each component, or an equivalent qualification. Some Schools or Faculties may require a higher score.
- Live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds while receiving the scholarship.
- Take up the award by 1 October 2027.
Benefits
- Full academic fees for three years of full-time study (pro-rata part-time).
- A tax-free maintenance grant of £21,805 a year (2026/27 rate), rising in line with UKRI rates, for 3.5 years full-time.
- Available in any Faculty — propose your own project or apply for a linked PhD project.
- Full-time or part-time study (part-time awards are pro-rata).
- Note that the award is initially for one year and renewable on satisfactory academic progress.
Documents to prepare
- Stage 1 (PhD programme): PhD application form, research proposal, academic transcripts, CV, and two references.
- Stage 2 (scholarship): the online scholarship form, which needs your 9-digit student ID from the PhD application.
- English-language evidence (for example IELTS 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in each component) as your programme requires.
How to apply
- Choose a PhD programme and supervisor at the University of Leeds and check the programme’s requirements.
- Submit your PhD application with your research proposal, transcripts, CV and two references, and receive your 9-digit student ID.
- Submit the online scholarship form using that student ID.
- Your School nominates candidates — there is no financial-need criterion, and selection is on academic merit and ability.
- Submit the scholarship form by 23 March 2027, 17:00 UK time.
FAQs
No. It is for UK/Home fee-rated students only. International students on a Student visa are not eligible for this scheme.
Full academic fees plus a tax-free maintenance grant of £21,805 a year (the 2026/27 rate, rising in line with UKRI rates), for 3.5 years of full-time study. Up to five awards are available.
23 March 2027, 17:00 UK time. Some trackers give 1 April 2027, but the University of Leeds’ own funding pages list Tuesday 23 March 2027, which is used here.
The Computer Science studentship on "Mixed precision methods for numerical linear algebra at exascale" was a different award with one funded place, open to UK and international students, whose deadline passed on 30 September 2026. This article covers the Leeds Doctoral Scholarship only.
A first undergraduate degree equivalent to at least a UK First Class Honours degree. If your undergraduate degree is lower, a Distinction in a relevant Master’s degree (or relevant professional experience) may be considered.
1 October 2027. The award must be taken up by that date.
Verified 26 Oct 2026: phd.leeds.ac.uk (official funding search) — up to 5 Leeds Doctoral Scholarships for Home fee-rated students for Session 2027/28, application deadline Tuesday 23 March 2027; researchersjob.com — full fees, £21,805 maintenance grant (2026/27 rate), 3.5 years, funding start 1 October 2027, First Class Honours or Master’s Distinction, IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each component; ehsaskafaalat.com, scholarshiproar.com — corroboration. CORRECTION: Bright Scholarship’s page describes the School of Computer Science studentship ("Mixed precision methods for numerical linear algebra at exascale"), whose deadline passed 30 September 2026 and which was open to international students — that is a different award and is not covered here. Some trackers give a 1 April 2027 deadline; the official page lists 23 March 2027, which is used here.
