Funding for PhD applicants is available from a range of sources on a competitive basis.
Follow the links in the table to find full details regarding eligibility, available finance, application methods and closing dates. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Blue Sky to hear when we have added new studentship opportunities.
Download our comprehensive guide to PhD study
| Funding opportunity | Subject area |
Application deadline | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
|
PhD Studentship in Food Science: Individual differences and preferences for sweetness within the UK |
Food and Nutritional Sciences | 23 October 2026 | Open to applicants worldwide* |
| EPSRC Mathematics for our Future Climate Centre for Doctoral Training |
Mathematics | Meteorology | Physics |
8 November 2026 (1st deadline) 10 January 2027 (2nd deadine) |
Open to applicants worldwide* |
| Magdalen Vernon PhD Studentship in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences |
Psychology, Neuroscience, Psycholinguistics, or Clinical Language Science |
4 December 2026 | Open to Home/UK/Republic of Ireland candidates |
| ESRC SEDarc Doctoral Training Partnership (social sciences) |
Agri-food Economics | Development Studies | Architecture and Built Environment | Business and Management | Economics | Education | Linguistics | Geography and Environmental Studies | Politics and International Relations | Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences | Real Estate and Planning | Social Anthropology |
11 December 2026 |
Open to applicants worldwide* |
| University of Reading China Scholarship Council Studentships |
All disciplines |
11 January 2027 | Open to applicants from China |
| University International PhD Studentships |
All disciplines |
15 January 2027 | Open to International applicants |
| University Sanctuary PhD Studentship |
All disciplines |
26 February 2027 | Please check eligibility criteria |
| AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards |
Archaeology | Architecture | Art | Classics | Cultural Geography | English Language and Literature | Film, Theatre and Television | History | History of Art | Law and Legal Studies| Modern Languages and European Studies | Philosophy | Political Studies and International Relations | Political Philosophy | Typography |
Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to applicants worldwide* |
| NERC Climate System and Biodiversity Science CROCUS Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) |
Agriculture | Built Environment | Chemistry | Computer Science | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Geography and Environmental Sciences | Mathematics and Statistics | Meteorology and Climate Science |
Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to applicants worldwide* |
| NERC AI-INTERVENE Doctoral Focal Award (DFA) in AI and Biodiversity |
Computer Science | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Biological Sciences) | Meteorology |
Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to applicants worldwide* |
| BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership in FoodBioSystems |
Agriculture | Biological & Biomedical Sciences | Chemistry | Food and Nutritional Sciences | Geography and Environmental Sciences | Pharmacy |
Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to applicants worldwide* |
| BBSRC Engineering Biology EngBio4GBP Doctoral Focal Award | Agriculture | Crop Science | Food and Nutritional Sciences | Geography and Environmental Sciences | Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to applicants worldwide* |
| The Food Consortium Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA) | Food and Nutritional Sciences | Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to applicants worldwide* |
| Earth System Prediction Doctoral Training Programme with ECMWF |
Meteorology | Mathematics | Computer Science |
Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to applicants worldwide |
| Henley Business School PhD Scholarships |
Digitalisation, Marketing and Entrepreneurship | Finance and Accounting | International Business & Strategy | Leadership, Organisations, Behaviour and Reputation | Real Estate and Planning |
Please check the Henley Business School webpages for details. |
Open to applicants worldwide |
| Felix Scholarships |
Many disciplines |
Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to Indian nationals |
| University Centenary PhD Bursaries |
All disciplines |
Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to Home/UK/Republic of Ireland candidates |
| Wilkie Calvert PhD Studentships (for part-time study) |
All disciplines |
Currently closed for applications. Please check back in Autumn 2026 for information on funding for 2027/28. |
Open to Home/UK/Republic of Ireland candidates |
| ANID BECAS Scholarships | Any discipline | Please check external website for details about scholarships |
Applicants from Chile |
|
Apply for a loan of up to £31,122 for 2026/27 |
All disciplines Full or part-time study, including by Distance |
Ongoing | Open to UK nationals, Irish citizens and EU nationals settled under the EU settlement scheme |
| School of the Built Environment PhD Scholarships |
Architecture | Built Environment | Construction Management Engineering |
Ongoing | Open to applicants worldwide |
| Department of Meteorology PhD Scholarships |
Meteorology | Ongoing | Open to applicants worldwide |
| Alumni Discount |
Current undergraduate and master's students at Reading Alumni of the University |
Ongoing | Open to University of Reading alumni |
| Any discipline (see external website for further details) | Please check external website for details about scholarships | Open to applicants from low and middle income Commonwealth countries | |
|
Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships
|
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (Awards in biological sciences are limited to interdisciplinary research between physical and biological sciences) |
Please check external website for details about scholarships | Female applicants only |
| Archaeology | Climate, environmental sciences and sustainability | Food security | Human nutrition | Language, cognition and the mind | See external website for further details | Applicants from the USA | |
| All disciplines | Ongoing | Applicants from the USA | |
| Canadian grants, loans and scholarships | All disciplines | Ongoing | Applicants from Canada |
| Various | Please check external website for details about scholarships | Applicants from Canada | |
| Inlaks Scholarships | Many disciplines | Please check external website for details about scholarships | Applicants from India |
| The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding | Web resource for candidates who have already applied to study at the University of Reading | Various | Varies depending in funding scheme |
*Please note that UKRI-funded schemes only provide tuition fee support at the Home fee level. International candidates would be required to cover the difference between the Home and International fees themselves in each year of study.