Arts and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Landscape Awards at the University of Essex

What does the AHRC DLA studentship provide?

You will receive subject-specific and advanced training, whilst undertaking your research in an innovative, ground-breaking and empowering research environment, amongst our thriving postgraduate community.

You will also be provided with opportunities to attend world-class training, attending and presenting at conferences and events, academic publishing and work placement opportunities.

The University of Essex will award two student-led AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award studentships for October 2027 entry. Student-led studentship funding is for a duration of 3.5 years (pro-rata for part-time study) and includes:

• An annual Stipend at the UKRI minimum rate (e.g. £21,805 for academic year 2026/27).
• Payment of your PhD tuition fees (regardless of whether Home or International status).
• Access to funding from the Research Training Support Grant fund (to support the costs of your research training and some direct costs of research).
• Access to funding from the Collaborative Support fund (i.e. for placements)

There will also be one Collaborative Doctoral Award – further information about the CDA will be added to this webpage once the CDA studentship competition is launched.

Am I eligible?

AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards are open to both UK and International students (EU and non-EU students who do not have residency). To be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria and the associated residency requirements:

• Be a UK National, or
• Have settled status, or
• Have pre-settled status, or
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter
• be an Irish National*

*Irish Nationals eligibility is derived from the UK Ireland Common Travel Area Agreement

Further guidance on residential eligibility is provided in Annex B of the UKRI Training Grant Guidance.

UKRI policy places a cap of 30% on the proportion of international students that can be recruited. Therefore, the University of Essex is permitted to award one of three AHRC DLA studentships to an international student.  Although the AHRC DLA student covers only the home fee, the University of Essex will waive the fee difference for the internal student who is awarded an AHRC DLA studentship.

Eligible candidates will typically hold both an undergraduate and Masters degree, or be studying for their Masters at the point of application. However, we do welcome applications from candidates who do not hold a masters-level qualification but have sustained experience (beyond their undergraduate degree) that is directly relevant to their proposed research topic and who demonstrate capacity to undertake doctoral research.

Students who have already commenced their doctoral study (doctoral students commencing ahead of October 2027) are not eligible for AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards.

AHRC DLA studentship applicants must apply for a place to study for their doctoral research in a department or school at the University of Essex, and have secured an offer, in order to be eligible for the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards.

Widening participation

Essex is committed to its widening participation (WP) strategy and seeks to increase representation of underrepresented groups at PhD level. One mechanism we use to support our aim of having a postgraduate researcher cohort that represents the diversity in our communities is to allow each academic department to make one additional WP nomination to the institutional selection stage. We particularly invite home status applicants who meet at least one of the following criteria to apply for a studentship.

The following Widening Participation Criteria will be used for determining additional nominations:

• First generation student (those whose parents/guardians/carers did not go to university);
• Black and minority ethnic groups (particularly i) of African or Caribbean origin, for example, ‘Black British’, ‘Black-African’, ‘Black-Caribbean’, ‘Other Black’ background (including people of ‘Mixed’ heritage) or, ii) ‘Asian’ background (including people of ‘Mixed’ heritage e.g. ‘Mixed Asian and White heritage’), or iii) any other minority ethnic background);
• Students from a deprived area of the UK, as indicated by data collected for the home postcode where they lived the longest before first attending university  (POLAR4 Quintiles 1 and 2);
• Students with a disability as defined under the Equality Act 2010;
• Students who have caring responsibilities (i.e. responsible for the long-term care and support of a child, a disabled, elderly, or sick partner, relative, or friend, who is unable to care for themselves);
• Care-experienced (students who have been in public care e.g., foster care, residential care or other arrangements outside the immediate or extended family);
• Refugee, asylum seeker or humanitarian protection status.

To be considered for an additional WP nomination, applicants must ensure they complete their equal opportunities form as part of their studentship application, as this form will be used to identify their application as eligible for a possible additional nomination at the departmental assessment stage.  The detailed information you provide on the EDI form is not shared with the assessors; once the assessment takes place, departments/schools are provided with a list of applicants who have met the WP criteria and are eligible to be considered for the additional nomination.

How to apply

1. Apply to your chosen PhD course.
2. Discuss your research proposal and DLA studentship application with your proposed supervisor(s) who will be required to provide you with advice and write a supporting statement for your DLA studentship application.NB: The link to the AHRC DLA studentship application form will be provided by your planned supervisor or PGR Director, if they intend to support your application.
3. Apply for the DLA studentship (your planned supervisor will provide you with the AHRC DLA Application Form and the EDI Formif they support your application). Print outs and other forms of the application will not be accepted.  [NB: The Application Form contains detailed guidance on how to submit your application.]This is a separate application from the one you must make to your chosen PhD course. The deadline for submitting your DLA studentship application is Midday (12pm) Monday 16 February 2026. In drafting your application, we advise you to read the Guidance for Applicants, and refer to the assessment criteria below, as your application will be judged according to these criteria.
4. Request a supporting statement from your planned supervisor (please refer your planned referee to the Guidance for Supervisors)

How is my application assessed?

AHRC DLA studentship applications will be judged against the criteria listed here.

Indicative timeline for application and selection

A presentation for applicants and supervisors is available – please email Laura Ruddick (laura@essex.ac.uk) for copies.