Research Degrees & Scholarships Office
Current Students - Find Funding

UK Research Councils (for UK/EU students)

It is sometimes possible for currently registered students to apply for funding from a Research Council for years two and/or three of a research degree programme (or part-time equivalent).
If you are thinking of applying for such funding, please consult the relevant Research Council in the first instance to check your eligibility. Competition for Research Council awards is extremely fierce, so you should also seek advice from your main supervisor before deciding to apply and completing an application form.
Please contact us for further guidance on how to proceed and for information on the University’s internal submission dates for applications.
Telephone: 0113 343 4007/4077
Email:pg_ scholarships@leeds.ac.uk
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Trusts, Charities and Foundations

There are many trusts, charities and foundations that award partial funding for postgraduate study (they rarely award total funding). However, with huge numbers of applications for these small sums of money, you will need a strong case to make a successful application.
Trusts, charities and foundations range widely in size and the type of scheme available (studentships, scholarships, grants, bursaries, competitions and prizes). Some organisations make several hundred awards each year while others make just one. The majority of awards made by the smaller bodies amount to a few hundred pounds a year and will only cover research expenses such as travel and fieldwork.
Reference books such as The Grants Register and the Directory of Grant-Making Trusts are usually available from main libraries and university careers services. To make searching easier, some publications are available on CD-ROM (e.g. The Grants Register). Some organisations are, however, increasingly using database-driven websites such as researchresearch.com opens in a new window to advertise funding opportunities as they arise.
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The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding – Win Grants from Charity

The purpose of this guide (pdf) is to explore the alternatives available through the voluntary sector - i.e. from charities, trusts, foundations and professional bodies - which will consider funding postgraduate students’ fees, maintenance, research, travel, and conference expenses.

Faculty of Arts  - Additional sources of funding for postgraduates

The Faculty of Arts has a list of funders (by subject) who provide bursaries for study, conference grants and research projects, available in the ‘Arts Graduate School’ VLE organisation (https://vlebb.leeds.ac.uk/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp).  For more information contact Ed Kirby (e.n.kirby@leeds.ac.uk)

 

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Researchresearch.com opens in a new window

Research research.com is essentially a vast database of national and international funding opportunities that institutions and individuals can subscribe to. A wide range of funding bodies advertise on this site, including Research Councils, Charities, Trusts and Foundations and other external bodies. 
As a research students at Leeds, you can set up a personal account with Researchresearch.com which enables you to register for weekly e-mail alerts about funding matching your interests. There’s funding available for fieldwork trips and conferences for research students, as well as studentships and other forms of funding for postgraduate research. 
You can set up a personal account from a computer connected to the Leeds network and this will then give you access to researchresearch.com when working off-campus (i.e. access from any pc, anywhere).  
If you have the desire and time to actively search researchresearch.com for current funding opportunities according to your areas of interest, then you can do this without needing any kind of user-name or password if you are accessing Researchresearch.com via a computer connected to the Leeds network.
For further information about researchresearch.com or to apply for a personal account under the University of Leeds licence, please visit the Research Support Unit opens in a new window website.
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Prospects.ac.uk/funding opens in a new window

The Prospects website opens in a new window provides information about funding postgraduate study in the UK. It offers guidance on finding funding from public funding bodies as well as charities, trusts and foundations.
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PostgraduateStudentships.co.uk opens in a new window

PostgraduateStudentships.co.uk opens in a new window brings together all the different types of funding opportunities open to potential and current postgraduates, at both taught and research level, all in one place. 
Funding providers, including academics, administrators, charities, trusts and commercial organizations that have studentships, scholarships, bursaries, grants and other awards students can compete or apply for to help them undertake postgraduate study.
Registration to the website is free and gives you instant access to the database of funding opportunities, regular email alerts, postgraduate news stories and specially written advice articles.
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