Arts and Humanities Research Council

Durham University has available a range of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Block Grant Partnership studentships for high-calibre students commencing their studies in the 2010/11 academic year.

15 Doctoral Awards - for PhD programmes;
7 Research Preparation Masters (RPM) Awards - for masters programmes that provide a foundation for doctoral study; and
2 Professional Preparation Master (PPM) Awards - for masters programmes that provide a foundation for professional practice.

The distribution of these awards in 2010/11 is as follows:

	Doctoral Awards	RPM Awards	PPM Awards
Archaeology	3		1
Classics & Ancient History	1	1
English Language & Literature	2	1
History	2	1
Communication, Graphics & Photography		1
Interpreting & Translation	1		1
Music	2	1
Philosophy	1
Religious Studies	3	2

AHRC Block Grant Partnership studentships provide the following annual package of financial support to award holders:

Full payment of tuition fees at the Home/EU rate; and
An annual, tax-free maintenance grant set at the UK Research Council's national rate (£13,290 in 2009/10) for full-time doctoral students. Maintenance grants for masters students are still to be confirmed by the AHRC.

Eligibility

Only Home and EU students are eligible to apply for AHRC studentships. EU students are only eligible for fees-only awards, unless they are able to prove a 'relevant connection' to the UK for three years immediately preceding the start of their course.

Applications from both full and part-time candidates are welcome and students already in their first year of doctoral study can apply. Candidates applying for doctoral studentships must normally already hold or be completing a masters degree or similar qualification.

Click here for full details of the AHRC's eligibility criteria for funding.

Application Process

To apply for an AHRC studentship you must complete and submit an online admissions application form. Part of this form asks you how you intend to finance your studies and in response to this question you must enter that you wish to be considered for an AHRC studentship.

If you are applying for a doctoral studentship within your online application form, you must provide a summary of your proposed research project. This should be up to 500 words in length and address the following questions:

What is the research question or problem that you will be addressing?
What is the research context in which the question or problem is located?
What contribution to knowledge and understanding do you hope to make?
What is the methodology that you will be employing to address your research question/problem?
What sources will you be using during your research, where are they located, and how will they be accessed?

If you are applying for a masters studentship you must detail within your online application form the different elements of your course that you plan to study. This should be up to 500 words in length and address the following questions:

What is the pathway that you will be following?
What modules, compulsory and/or optional, are you planning to take?
What research project are you intending to undertake for your dissertation?
For RPM applications, how do the different elements of your programme fit together to provide the foundation for a future PhD?
For PPM applications, how do the different elements of your programme fit together to provide the foundation for entry into a specific profession?

If you have already submitted your online application form and did not enter that you wish to be considered for an AHRC studentship you must notify your prospective department.

You are strongly encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible. The final deadline by which you must submit your application by is 5pm (GMT) Wednesday, 24^th March 2010. Any applications received after this date will not be considered.

[Please note that the University's online application system will not be available between 5^th and 15^th March due to essential maintenance.]

Selection of Candidates

The University's AHRC Block Grant Partnership Advisory Panel will be considering and offering awards to selected candidates in mid April 2010. Candidates who are selected will be contacted via email.

Candidates who have not been successful in their applications for AHRC studentships will be notified by their prospective departments in late April 2010. Due to the high volume of applications we receive we are not able to offer feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Further Information

For any questions about applying to study at Durham University please contact your prospective department. For specific questions about the AHRC studentships that we have available, please contact our Student Financial Support Office on 0191 33 46143 / financialsupport.postgraduate@durham.ac.uk.