Am I eligible for Research Council funding?
Studentships are allocated based on academic excellence. You should have qualifications of the standard of a good honours degree at first or upper second class level. If applying for an award without an undergraduate degree, you may be accepted for doctoral funding if you have achieved a Master’s degree. Membership of professional bodies or learned societies usually requires students to have achieved, through formal training or work experience, a level of experience which can be equated to that achieved by an honours degree student. A Research Council may accept such a professional qualification providing the candidate has also undertaken three years’ subsequent full-time relevant professional work experience.
Home (UK) students are eligible for a full award. EU students who have lived in the UK continuously for the three years prior to the start date of the award are eligible for a full award. EU students who have not lived in the UK for the three years prior to the start date of the award are eligible for fees only funding (ie, no maintenance stipend). International students and EU students who do not meet the above residency criteria can only be considered for full awards in very exceptional circumstances.