What is Research Council funding?
The University of Birmingham works with all seven of the UK Research Councils, who are publically funded non-departmental government bodies. The Research Councils support research and postgraduate training, primarily through funding studentships for research degrees.
Research Council awards for postgraduate study are available to home and EU students with EU migrant worker status, and individuals who are deemed to have normal residence in the UK. Due to the nature of the funding, overseas students are only ever accepted when specified by the individual funding competition.
Research Council funding covers the cost of tuition fees and provide a maintenance grant to support you during your study, although depending on residency status, some EU students may be only eligible for a fees-only award. Owing to the prestigious nature of Research Council funding, competition for studentships are fierce.
Further information on available PhD studentships and funding competitions can be found on our doctoral researcher funding webpages.