AHRC fully funded Doctoral Landscape Studentship Awards

About

University of the Arts London (UAL) Doctoral Landscape Awards offer fully funded Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Studentships for PhD students joining UAL in September 2026.

The studentship research topics will be co-designed and advertised with external partners, within the broad theme of place.

Mode of study: full time or part time

Place-based research and place-making in the Arts

Place offers a lens for understanding complex, interdisciplinary and lived issues. It is grounded in research in the experiences, histories and relationships of particular communities, environments and organisations. Working with our partners, PhD researchers will explore how creative and artistic practices engage with, emerge from and create specific geographical, social and cultural contexts.

We support arts, design and communication researchers who are committed to making a difference through theoretically oriented or practice research. The research programme at UAL prepares you for professional success both within and beyond academia. Our doctoral graduates go on to shape their academic and arts practice fields. They make critical contributions in a vast range of other sectors as well.

Researcher Development Programme and Doctoral Landscape Hubs

Successful candidates will join a vibrant and inclusive research community. They will benefit from exceptional supervision, professional development and cross-institutional collaboration.

UAL’s extensive Researcher Development Programme provides support and training for doctoral candidates. Its goal is to create the next generation of ‘creative critical autonomous and responsible intellectual risk takers’ (Towards a Global Core Value System in Doctoral Education, 2022).  The offered regular sessions and events prepare Doctoral researchers for advanced scholarship in a complex and shifting world.

Candidates will also be actively engaged with Doctoral Landscape Hubs. These are regional groupings of Higher Education Institutions. They deliver cohort training and development activities across the region. This gives you access to:

• a multi-institutional cohort of PhD researchers, with extensive skills, leadership
• professional development opportunities (residential workshops, writing retreats, careers events, mentoring and conference events).

Receiving payment

Fees: fully funded for 3.5 years.
Maintenance Stipend: £22,780 per annum full time, £11,390 part time.

Please note:

AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards are offered under UKRI terms and conditions. In line with funder requirements, the majority of awards will be allocated to Home (UK) candidates. One-third of the awards are available for overseas applicants per year.

• AHRC will only fund places at the home (UK) rate.
• Candidates who have a PhD award or are currently registered on a PhD degree cannot apply.
• Some awards may be offered for up to 4 years. This may depend on the level of engagement with external partners and the time spent on placements.

Supporting your training

As an AHRC funded student, you will be able to apply for extra funds. Research Training and Support Grant (RTSG) is available to you.

UAL's PGR Student Support Fund can support students to undertake research activities. Activities can include attending conferences, undertaking study and research trips.