ucl phd funding opportunities

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Postgraduate opportunities.

• Data Science

--> UCL High Energy Physics --> If you have suggestions for sources of funding where the matching funds can be found, please contact us to discuss this possibility.

Scholarships

• UCL Graduate Research Scholarships (GRS) . Covers both fees and cost of living, and outstanding candidates have a good chance of being successful. From past experience, successful candidates had at least one research publication at the time of applying. Applicants for the GRS are automatically considered for the ORS as well, so international applications are encouraged!
• Departmental scholarships that bridge the gap between home and international fees and can be used in combination with one of the funded positions.
• UCL Overseas Research Scholarships (ORS) . Covers only the difference between UK and International fees. Due to the timing of the process these cannot be used togther with one of the funded positions, so some other funding is required to cover the UK-rate fees and cost of living stipend.
• UCL Dean's prize . Covers the difference between UK and International fees, to be used in combination with another competitive scholarship to cover the UK-rate fees and cost of living stipend. These cannot be used togther with one of the funded positions.
• Chinese Science Council (CSC) . These scholarships are open to Chinese nationals to carry out a PhD at UCL. More information, including the eligibility and conditions of the award, can be found in the link above.
• UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship . A new scholarship programme to support BME postgraduate research degree students, in partnership with the Windsor Fellowship. The scheme offers full financial support (fees and stipend) and a skills development programme, both designed to promote academia as a more attractive career option.
• Bell Burnell Gradudate Scholarhip Fund . Another new scholarship programme to support graduates who wish to study towards a doctorate in physics and are from groups that are currently under-represented in physics

Self-funding

• CONACYT UCL Graduate Fellowship - Mexican students
• Bodossaki Foundation - Greek students
• Onassis Foundation - Greek students
• Alban Scholarships are a programme of high level scholarships funded by the European Union and available for Latin American students wishing to undertake postgraduate study within Europe.
• The Anglo-Jewish Association offers grants up to £500 for non-British Jewish students who could not otherwise afford to enter university.
• Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarships are for US undergraduate students seeking to undertake a study abroad programme.
• Canada Student Loans Programme offers loans and grants to Canadian nationals who can demonstrate a financial need.
• Cannon Colins Scholarship Programme offers funds to students from Southern African countries undertaking a one year taught masters in the UK.
• Chevening  scholarships are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, administered by the British Council, available in some 150 countries and nearly 2,300 are available each year.
• The Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowship Plan offers a number of opportunities for funding study in the UK.
• Croucher Foundation Grants are intended to enable permanent residents of Hong Kong to engage in research work in Natural Science, Medicine or Technology overseas.
• Great Britain - China Educational Trust Grants offer awards for study of up to £2500 for Chinese nationals to study in the UK.
• Karin Rida Said Foundation Scholarships offer funding opportunities to Iraqi, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian students for postgraduate study in the UK.
• Lanekassen is the Norwegian student loans and grants awarding body and will support Norwegian students to study overseas.

UCL DOCTORAL SCHOOL

Funded research student support.

• Policy

This policy sets out the levels of support which must be offered to research students who wish to undertake a research degree at UCL and who are being offered financial support to do so - stipend, duration and minimum level of support costs. All offers of funding, including studentships covering full fees and stipend, and partial awards, should be made using the template letter provided (which can be edited to suit the particular circumstances).

• Research Studentship Offer Letter: Template

• Funded Research Student Support: March 2009

How to Apply -->

The Centre invites applications from applicants with a background in any relevant discipline. Typically, applicants will be expected to hold a masters degree in a relevant subject area, or equivalent experience. Applicants would also need to be able to demonstrate a strong motivation for doing a PhD at the LCN. 

To undertake a PhD within the LCN, applicants will be registered at one of the three partner institutions.   

Unless applying directly for a project indicated on the PhD Opportunities  page, to apply for a PhD within the LCN it is first essential that you identify a potential supervisor and discuss with them your chosen area of research. You should review the Our People and Research pages, where you will find details of the research undertaken within the LCN and contact details for supervisors. Email is the preferred method of contacting a supervisor, and we suggest that you include, as a minimum, the following details in your initial email:

• Proposed area of research and your experience/background in the chosen research area
• How your chosen supervisor’s experience or knowledge is relevant
• A copy of your CV

Once you have agreement in principle from a supervisor that they would be happy to supervise you, please make a formal application to the relevant institution:

• Apply for a PhD at UCL via their Admissions Webpage 
• Apply for a PhD at Imperial College London via their Admission Webpage 
• Apply for a PhD at Kings College via their Admissions Webpage

Funding Opportunities

If there are any projects available within the LCN, either with, or without funding available, these will be in the PhD Opportunities  section. Please also check findaPhD.com or each Institution’s funding pages for more funding opportunities. 

The LCN also has a number of associated  Centres for Doctoral Training  which provide a limited number of funded studentships each year. 

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UCL School of Management

University college london, phd programme in financial economics.

Start date:  September 2024 Duration: 5 years (1 year MRes + 4 years PhD) Fees:  We offer fully-funded scholarships to all admitted students who have applied by the 31 January 2024 (see details below)  Application deadline:  31 January 2024, 17:00 UK time (late applications submited by the 05 April 2024 may still be considered, see details below) Entry:  Applicants must hold a distinction in a master’s degree in Economics or a closely related subject. Applicants must demonstrate a high level of analytical and quantitative skills (such as in mathematics and statistics), evidenced by strong performance in relevant modules taken on previous degree programmes and/or through relevant standardised test performance (such as GRE Quantitative of at least 160). International students, please note that UCL’s English language requirement for this programme is a ‘ Level 2 ’ (IELTS and TOEFL are the preferred test, however others on the UCL recognised test list will be accepted if required) - further details regarding this can be found on the  UCL English Language Requirements  page.

The MRes and PhD in Financial Economics is a joint programme between the UCL Department of Economics and the UCL School of Management.

The MRes programme is the first year of the five-year integrated MRes/PhD programme in Financial Economics. The MRes programme will provide you with training in research methods together with an advanced understanding of financial economics, to enable you to conduct insightful and original PhD level research in financial economics. 

The MRes will firstly provide quantitative training in microeconomics, macroeconomics, econometrics, and finance. These will be taught in the context of cutting-edge research and relevant applications. Secondly, it will provide you with analytic frameworks and transferable skills that will allow you to identify relevant and promising research topics, present ideas in order to obtain feedback, and provide feedback yourself. 

The subsequent years (for students who progress from the MRes to MPhil) will focus on the skills you will need to run research projects to completion and to present completed research projects to various kinds of specialised audiences. Likewise, teaching skills will also be developed.

PhD Structure

• The MRes programme consists of taught modules (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics. Real Analysis and Probability with Economic Application), a hybrid module (Financial Economics) with taught components and research based components, and a research project in the final part of the year. For the MRes project, you work under supervision to design and carry out a substantial piece of original research. This enables you to gain a deep understanding of the entire research process.
• Superior performance is required for automatic progression from MRes to MPhil. In particular, students should achieve an average mark of not less than 60% in the independent, original research components of the programme, and not less than 50% in the taught element.
• Our highly selective and small-sized PhD programme ensures that each student receives personal attention and guidance from our faculty members throughout their doctoral study. The close mentorship process forms the foundations of a successful academic career. At the same time, you will be part of both the School of Management PhD cohort and the Economics PhD cohort, with which you will share most of the taught modules.
• We expect our PhD graduates to have as their goal an academic career as a faculty member in a top business school or Economics department or in the research group of an international institution or a central bank.

Students take a total of 180 credits in the MRes year. This is made up of the MRes Research Project (MSIN0135) and 75 credits of compulsory taught modules. 

All modules in the MRes year are core modules, there are no optional modules. 

• ECON0107 - Macroeconomics, 15 credits  
• ECON0106 - Microeconomics, 15 credits  
• ECON0108 - Econometrics, 15 credits  
• ECON0118 - Real Analysis and Probability with Economic Applications, 15 credits
• MSIN0234 - Topics in Financial Economics, 30 credits  
• MSIN0135 - MRes Financial Economics Research Project, 105 credits  

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, and class discussion. Student performance is assessed through presentations, coursework, projects, and examinations. 

Students will study 4 compulsory taught modules. A typical taught module is taught over two terms (2 x 10 weeks) with 4 hours of contact hours per week (3 hours of lecture + 1 hour of review session). In addition, students spend approximately 6-8 hours a week for each module on assessment and independent study to further develop the skills and knowledge covered in lectures and seminars.  

Students will also undertake a substantial research project, which would usually start in Term 2 and be completed over the Summer. The total number of weekly hours will vary according to the weekly activities being undertaken.

Why choose us

What makes us different:.

Unlike many PhD Programmes in finance, our programme has a full anchor in economics and econometrics. Hence, we offer a unique world-class environment that combines the best of a leading business school, located in Canary Wharf, the heart of London’s modern financial district, and the tradition of economic research and teaching of the Department of Economics, which is located in Bloomsbury, London’s historical intellectual centre.

If you want to become an academic economist conducting research in finance, this programme is for you.  

UCL School of Management and the Department of Economics  

Founded in 2007, UCL School of Management has forged a reputation for world-leading research in management studies with 95% of the School’s research deemed to be world-leading or internationally excellent, the second highest percentage of any business school in the UK, according to the 2021 REF . The PhD programme is an integral part of our School’s active and ambitious research environment where students receive rigorous academic training and personalised research mentorship. 

The UCL Department of Economics has an outstanding international reputation in key areas of current research. The Department ranked top in the UK for research environment and outputs in the field of Economics and Econometrics in the 2021 REF . 

Our research programme offers a unique education and research experience with the intent of preparing you for scholarly careers at the highest level. Our highly selective and small-sized programme ensures that you receive personal attention and an opportunity for guidance from our world-leading scholars. The close mentorship process forms the foundations of a successful academic career. 

As a research student you will join a highly active research environment which involves frequent research seminars and visits by leading scholars worldwide, reading groups, brown bag seminars and panels in which PhD students and faculty members present and discuss their ongoing work. Such forums provide an excellent opportunity to receive critical constructive feedback on your research and to develop academic, generic and transferable skills.

Applications

Applying for our mres/phd programme.

Entry requirements and admissions criteria:

Applicants to the MRes+PhD programme must hold a distinction in a master’s degree in Economics or a closely related subject. Applicants must demonstrate a high level of analytical and quantitative skills (such as in mathematics and statistics), evidenced by strong performance in relevant modules taken on previous degree programmes and/or through relevant standardised test performance (such as GRE Quantitative of at least 160). Submitting a GRE test result is encouraged but not compulsory and is only one of the components used to assess the strength of applications. 

We only have a single intake in September. We accept applications throughout the year. Successful candidates who have submitted their MRes application by 31 January 2024 will receive a scholarship (full fee waiver plus a stipend). Successful candidates who have submitted their application after this date may receive a scholarship subject to availability, or will come with their own funding.

In your personal statement you are expected to suggest one or more faculty members as potential supervisors. On the application form you may see that it states that it is preferred that you contact potential supervisors beforehand. However, we strongly discourage applicants from contacting individual faculty members or potential supervisors when applying to our programme. All applications are first evaluated by a joint admissions committee, so contacting potential supervisors separately will not increase your chances.

We also require you to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores if English is not your first language. Our School requires a “Level 2” English language qualification which corresponds to:

IELTS: Overall grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the sub-tests.

TOEFL: Score of 96 overall, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing subtests and 22/30 in the listening and speaking subtests. 

Application Deadline

The application window closes 31 January 2024 (17:00 UK time) and a late submission window closes on 05 April 2024 (17:00 UK time). We advise those interested in the programme to apply before 31 January 2024, as those applying in the late submission window will only be considered if there are still places remaining.

Application Procedure

Apply via UCL Postgraduate Admissions System here . When starting the application, you must select the MRes Financial Economics option. In addition to filling out the online application form, please upload a copy of the following documents:

• Official Transcripts of Grades / Course marks
• A 1 page personal statement that clearly indicates: (i) your research interests and preliminary research ideas, (ii) potential faculty member(s) you may want to work with (this is a suggested list, you don’t need to contact potential supervisors beforehand), and (iii) your motivation to do a PhD.
• Your  GRE  score report, if you took the test.
• Your IELTS/TOEFL score report, if English is not your first language.

Funding/Scholarships

We offer fully funded five year scholarships to all admitted students who apply before the 31 January 2024. The scholarship is open to all nationalities. It covers all tuition fees, and includes an annual stipend of £25,000 which is tax-free. 

Successful candidates who have submitted their application after 31 January 2024 may receive a scholarship subject to availability or will come with their own funding.

Additional Costs

This programme does not have any compulsory additional costs outside of purchasing books or stationery, printing, thesis binding or photocopying.  Students may have the opportunity to participate in conferences in the UK and internationally. The UCL School of Management provides MRes/PhD students with an annual budget for conferences, which students will use to cover the travel, accommodation, food and other costs whilst at conferences, in line with UCL’s expenses policy. 

Further Information and Contact Details

The full-time MRes/PhD programme runs from September each academic year. Entrance is therefore every September. While we may accept applications until 05 April 2024 we encourage candidates to apply as early as possible. Our programme is very selective and we only admit a limited number of students, so applying before 31 January 2024 increases your chances.

How to Apply

For queries about the MRes/PhD Programme that are not addressed on our web pages, please contact [email protected] .

Video Library

Frequently Asked Questions about the UCL School of Management MRes/PhD Programme

Programme Information

Application process, admissions requirements.

Students are required to possess a “Level 2” English language qualification if it is not their first language. This means: TOEFL: Score of 96, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing, and 22/30 in the listening and speaking subtests. IELTS: Overall grade of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the subtests.

Further Information

If you have any other questions regarding the programme that are not addressed on our web pages please email the programme team ( [email protected] )

PhD studentships in clinical trials and methodology

10 Feb 2022

We currently have opportunities to apply for fully-funded PhD studentships based at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit. Our students undertake research that aims to improve patient care by improving the way in which the healthcare evidence base is developed, often linked to current or recent clinical trials and supported by staff within the Unit. Our projects span a variety of topics related to improving clinical trials and the health of society including:

• Improving how clinical trials are conducted
• Developing new existing clinical trial designs
• Identifying better ways to analyses clinical trial data
• Understanding how the results of clinical trials can best inform practice
• Expanding evidence synthesis techniques to make the most of clinical trial data

Successful applicants, who will enrol in September 2022, will be funded at current MRC rates for 3 years, including tuition fees at the UK student rate, a Research Training and Support Grant (RTSG) and stipend (to include London Weighting). Overseas students are eligible to apply for additional funding to cover overseas fees.  

Further information:

• Details of available projects and how to apply

Science and Technology Studies

STS offers degrees at each university level: undergraduate, masters, and PhD

• Funding Your Doctorate

PhD programme: fees and funding

Fees and funding.

Information on tuition fees: UCL Tuition Fees

Part-time fees are pro-rata of full-time fees.

Scholarships

UCL scholarships available to STS applicants

UCL Research Excellence Scholarship

Open to exceptional applicants from any country.  Up to 40 scholarships are awarded across UCL

DEADLINE FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS: Friday 10th January 2025 (TBC)

If you are applying for UCL RES funding, you must also submit your PhD application by Thursday 2nd January 2025 23.59 GMT

UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship

UCL's Research Opportunity Scholarship (UCL-ROS) supports BAME postgraduate research degree students.  7 scholarships are awarded across UCL

If you are applying for UCL ROS funding, you must also submit your PhD application by Thursday 2nd January 2025 23.59 GMT

External scholarships for STS applicants:

London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP)

The  LAHP AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership  funds up to 80 research studentships per year across all subject areas covered by LAHP. Applications for funding should be made directly to LAHP, and open on 25th November 2024 (TBC)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS TO FUNDER:   5pm 24th JANUARY 2025 (TBC)

UK students with excellent academic records in history of science or philosophy of science are encouraged to apply. Please note that in order to be eligible for this funding you must have established your supervisor before applying to LAHP for funding. We strongly recommend that interested individuals contact potential supervisors by late November, and you will need to have submitted a standard UCL PhD admissions application complete with references, by the STS January deadline. However you are advised to submit a complete application earlier if possible.

More information can be found on the  London Arts and Humanities Partnership website.

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

The department has ‘+3’ and '1+3' recognition from the ESRC in the category of Science and Technology Studies. Studentships are available to UK and EU applicants intending to pursue a PhD and who have already received a foundation in research training (+3), or who wish to pursue a PhD after completing an ESRC-recognised MSc (including those within the department) (1+3). Applicants with such qualifications who are interested in the areas of public understanding of science, science policy research, social history of science, or the sociology of science and technology are encouraged to discuss the possibility of applying for an ESRC grant with the departmental graduate tutor at the time of their application. See the  ESRC Doctoral Training Programme website  for further details. You can also visit the  main ESRC Website  to find out more about the council itself.

DEADLINE FOR PRELIMINARY  APPLICATIONS    Monday 13th January 2025 23:59 GMT TBC  (Applications open October 2024).

If you are applying for ESRC funding, you must also submit your PhD application by Thursday 2nd January 2025 23.59 GMT

British Society for the Philosophy of Science

The British Society for the Philosophy of Science offers scholarships for doctoral work in the philosophy of science at a UK university. Scholarships are only available to students applying to degree programmes in philosophy or in philosophy of science. Further details are available from the  BSPS website .

The next scholarship competition will run in 2025

Overseas students are encouraged to apply for Commonwealth and British Council Scholarships in those countries where they are administered.

A list of other scholarships available to students applying to UCL is available via the  UCL Scholarships page.

Register your interest in studying at UCL and receive important information about open days, applications, and more.

Graduate Prospectus 2023/24

• Graduate Prospectus

How to Apply

Funding your phd, visiting doctoral students, support for current students: .

Can we help? support for current students  STS PhD Moodle site.

• Reading Groups

STS hosts a series of reading groups, run by current PhD students, to discuss interesting, thought provoking material in relevant fields.

STS Research Space

The STS Research Space is an initiative to assist PhD students with a wide range of academic and non-academic problems.

• The STS Research Space

London's Global University

Archive for the 'Funding' Category

• The role and value of joint seed funds in research collaboration

By Guest Blogger, on 1 July 2022

Contributors: Komal Bhatia, Dr Amit Khandelwal, Marilyn Aviles, Dr Ian Scott and Professor Monica Lakhanpaul

So here is a question (asked many times) in academia: What’s the best way to create an environment in which brilliant research can flourish and provide benefits for society at large?

Well, we don’t know what the best method is, but we do know of a really good one: joint seed funds.

Joint seed funds

These are a research funding mechanism in which two (or more) organisations pool financial and institutional resources to enable their researchers to work together.

Unlike large multi-million-pound consortia with an established track record of collaboration between organisations, researchers who apply for joint seed funds are looking for small pots of money for a team with little history of collaboration but lots of potential. A fundamental pillar is an innate desire to build relationships that will be equitable, bi-directional and ideally longer-term – positioned to advance knowledge and solve challenges local and worldwide

UCL has deployed such seed funds across the world with specific partners. For example, in India our current joint research seed partners include AIIMS, IIT-D, IISc and IIT Madras. Both parties contribute an equal amount of money (recognising the equal partnership between both institutions) which goes to the researchers in their respective institutes who submit competitively assessed proposals, ensuring that the project (i) is split evenly between researchers and (ii) draws on joint  and complementary expertise in both institutions. UCL are currently exploring whether joint seed funds can be expanded to include multiple partner institutions or even possibly in another continent.

As members of the UCL panel that reviewed applications for Joint Seed Funds 2021-22 to foster collaboration between researchers in the UK and India, we read, discussed, and scored dozens of proposals. We have learnt a few things about why such funding mechanisms matter, what makes an application stand out, and who can benefit from joint seed funds.

Making a difference – why joint research seed funds matter

Key message: Big, strategic research partnerships have a better chance of succeeding if there is a solid history of collaboration supported by small pots of seed funding.

There are many reasons why joint research seed funds can help UCL researchers to engage with their overseas counterpart not only because big, strategic research partnerships have a better chance of succeeding if there is a solid history of collaboration supported by small pots of seed funding, but also to use research to benefit civic society and the environment, and to expanding the international footprint of collaborations. Some of these are discussed below.

1. Anchoring institutional partnerships and building trust

Joint seed funds can help embed large collaborative programmes of research in strong teams and solid partnerships. Participating organisations can benefit from a history of smaller projects which demonstrate impact and successful completion across multiple areas of research and departments. A series of joint seed funding schemes can help build relationships and trust between researchers as well as institutions.

2. Lever to promote interdisciplinary research and public engagement

By requiring applicants to demonstrate interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration and outlining clear public engagement activities, UCL’s joint seed funding schemes promote researchers who already value these ways of working and encouraging others to really think through how interdisciplinarity can benefit their research and what they can do to involve participants, patients and the public (civic society) in the research process.

It can be difficult to launch into these practices in large research programmes, so small seed grants can be an excellent method to nudge researchers into thinking across disciplines and producing outputs for lay audiences.

3. Agile mechanism for equitable collaboration

The joint funding model has an in-built equity feature to ensure that collaborating institutions have an equal stake in each project. Small grant schemes can also enable more equitable collaboration if they specifically encourage and commend applications from groups which are gender-equal, promote the career development of early career researchers, and involve mutual learning and demonstrably equal power-sharing between the so-called developed and developing world.

4. Reputation and Image through impact

Seed funds offer a good opportunity to embed researchers’ international footprint and market their expertise. In turn this could have a longer-term benefit of enhancing their reputation not only within UCL and partner institutions, but also externally, for example, in support of strengthening bilateral engagement between the UK and India. In fact, multilateral organisations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and World Health Organisation are more willing to connect with researchers who are culturally adaptive, sensitive and reflective.

Why joint seed funds matter for you

Key message: Large grants can seem like the obvious solution to the most urgent research questions, but innovative research often needs modest amounts of money to get started. Seed funds are small but mighty.

If you are a research student…

Small, collaborative grants are a fantastic way to gain early experience in grant management, research governance, team building and publication, as well as to practices those core research skills. You can get involved in small projects led by your supervisors or colleagues, or if eligible, lead one of your own.

If you are an early career researcher…

Seed funds can be a steppingstone to bigger grants by helping you build a track record of funding success, find new collaborators, and most importantly, enabling you to conduct preliminary or formative work that can feed into applications for individual research fellowships or early career development schemes. If you’ve been looking for something to kickstart your journey towards independence, consider applying for a seed grant.

If you are on the review panel…

Enjoy the experience of learning more about the ideas of other researchers and the perspectives of other panellists. While you will almost certainly enjoy the power you hold over the future research plans of applicants, remember that seeing how others write and structure their proposals may also help you in your own work. Joining the review panel for small grants can be a useful way for early career researchers to gain some experience in assessing and scoring proposals, and bring a fresh perspective to the scheme’s priorities, so look out for the junior panellist who is keen to learn and keen to impress!

If you are a principal investigator…

Consider applying for one yourself, especially if you have a nascent idea that needs just that little bit more impetus to grow before it can take shape as a larger grant application. Seed grants can be useful at any career stage. If you are interested in supporting less experienced colleagues, encourage them to put forward an application and provide them with constructive feedback on their ideas and offer guidance throughout the process. Seed grants provide a structured mechanism to practice mentoring skills, and to encourage leadership training within your team.

If you are leading a department or institution…

There are many ways in which joint seed funds can help deliver your institutional strategy and research priorities. It allows your organisation to test emerging partnerships through small, impact-focused projects before investing in facilities and support for long-term, large-scale research programmes. Joint seed funds are also an excellent way to focus on priorities that require targeted work or a very visible commitment to wider institutional goals.

Joint research seed funds, even if the sum of monies offered is small in comparison to large multimillion pound grants, help to facilitate research internationally. They have a catalytic role in building relationships between the principal investigators and their teams, helping to enhance researchers’ expertise and the reputation of the institutions involved.

Crucially, they can also be a conduit to engage in citizen science, working with local communities or simply focusing on global research challenges.

The upshot is that joint seed funds can support your academic vision and hunger through research, knowledge exchange and transfer as well as develop the skills of the next generation of students in an increasingly globalised world.

See all UCL Research, Innovation & Global Engagement seed funding opportunities here.

Filed under Funding , Global Engagement Office , Opportunities , Partnerships and collaborations , South Asia

Tags: international collaboration , seed funding

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Ask an Academic: Aimee Spector

By Sophie Vinter, on 21 November 2019

Aimee has continued to supervise academic research on CST and other psychosocial interventions for dementia, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). In late November she visited Peking University to continue a collaboration with colleagues there into CST research.

Can you give us a brief overview of your research into Cognitive Stimulation Therapy?

The journey began in 1998, when I started my PhD here at UCL. My thesis aimed to develop and evaluate a non-pharmacological intervention for dementia, using similar methodology and outcomes to the drug trials, which at the time were the only recommended treatment for mild to moderate dementia. We ended up developing CST, a group intervention that stimulates different cognitive functions through fun activities. We found that its cognitive benefits were comparable to the dementia medication, whilst it also significantly improved quality of life. I have continued to be involved in CST research since then, including looking at its longer term effects, individualised CST and global implementation studies.

What got you interested in the subject in the first place?

When I was a psychology undergraduate, I did work experience in a care home for older people. I was shocked at the lack of stimulation that people received, particularly those with dementia, who spent so much time doing nothing. Their unmet needs and subsequent excess disability were palpable. I was very lucky to find a PhD project that so clearly matched a clinical interest of mine.

What kind of outcomes have you seen from implementing CST programmes around the world?

Several countries (including Brazil, the US, Hong Kong, Portugal, Germany and Tanzania) have subsequently translated, culturally adapted and evaluated the CST programme that we developed at UCL. Studies have repeatedly shown that CST leads to significant benefits in cognitive function, with many showing secondary benefits including significant improvements in quality of life, depression and carer well-being.

What will you be working on with your colleagues at PKU?

We are fortunate in that a Chinese CST manual is now published, and a team in Hong Kong have evaluated CST and published this work. We therefore are moving towards ‘implementation research’, which involves developing and testing methodology to bring an intervention into wide-scale practice. We will develop and publish an implementation plan for CST in China, which will involve interviewing a range of stakeholders (people with dementia and their families, health professionals and policy / decision makers). This plan will consider the barriers and facilitators of effective implementation, outlining mechanisms to overcome them. Our next step will be to collaboratively apply for grant funding to test out this implementation plan experimentally. We will use the methodology developed in a similar CST implementation programme (‘CST International’) that I currently lead in Brazil, India and Tanzania, funded by the MRC. We also plan to hold a conference at PKU on psychosocial interventions for dementia, develop the first cohort of CST trainers in China (as we have now done in Hong Kong) and are exploring opportunities for teaching and student exchange.  

How do you think the cross-cultural collaboration will support your work?

Dementia is an enormous, global problem. Bringing in a range of cultural perspectives and testing implementation in different cultures and environments can only enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of action in CST and best practice in service delivery. This perspective is particularly important given that the UK is multicultural and we are often delivering clinical interventions to people from a range of cultures and perspectives.

What would you say to other UCL academics who are thinking of applying for UCL-PKU Strategic Partner Funds ?

Go for it! These funds open up fantastic opportunities to search for new partners in your area of research, facilitate collaborations that otherwise might not happen, and enable cross cultural learning. My past UCL-HKU partnership supported by UCL Grand Challenges has led to long-term collaborations (and friendships), which I hope will continue to grow in years to come.

Find out more: International CST website 

International CST on Twitter

Filed under Blog , Funding , Global Engagement Office , Partnerships and collaborations , Staff

Tags: Global Engagement Office

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Ask an Academic: Dr Adriana Silva De Albuquerque

By ucypsga, on 22 March 2019

She was among recent recipients of the UCL Global Engagement Funds , and last year used the seed funding to travel to a lab at the Karolinska Institutet in Solna, Sweden. We caught up with her to find out more about her research and her partnership with scientists in Sweden.

What are you working on at the moment?

My current project aim is to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of a group of rare, inherited conditions where individual components of the immune system are missing – known as ‘primary immunodeficiency syndromes’.

Our clinical team cares for the largest UK cohort of adults with primary immunodeficiencies for which whole genome sequencing has been performed. I’m developing new immune assays on patients’ cells as well as in cell lines and genetically modified cells, in order to assess the impact of novel genetic variants on immune cell function. With this project, we hope to expand our understanding of the underlying causes of primary immunodeficiencies, as well as to contribute to the development of new diagnostic tests that will hopefully lead to improved treatment of patients.

You were among recent recipients of UCL’s Global Engagement Funds (GEF). What led you to apply for the funds?

The possibility of visiting another lab [at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden] and the chance to become involved in the cutting-edge research they are doing. Having a curious mind and being very enthusiastic to learn more about immunology, I thought this would be a great opportunity for me on a professional level.

  Could you give a brief summary of the project that the funds supported?

We are interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying ‘LRBA deficiency’. LPS-responsive beige-like anchor (LRBA) deficiency is a severe primary immunodeficiency characterised by increased susceptibility to infections associated with autoimmune and inflammatory complications. The immune dysregulation caused by this disease results in a significant morbidity and mortality. The only curative approach is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which has only been done in a small number of cases.

How did your partnership with the Karolinska Institutet work?

UCL’s Global Engagement Fund s enabled me to visit Dr Lisa Westerberg lab at the Karolinska Institutet, our collaborators on this project. Dr Westerberg has a strong expertise in primary immunodeficiencies and I was able to learn and exchange experiences with the PhD students and Post-Docs working in her lab. The time I spent in their lab was very rewarding as I was able to learn new techniques important for our current projects. I also had the opportunity to discuss our data with them, which contributed to the development of new research ideas.

During my stay in Sweden, I also visited the clinical lab based at the Karolinska University Hospital that does all the immunological tests for the diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies. This was very interesting as I was able to learn some of the tests they are performing and also participate in the daily routine of a top level diagnostic lab.

How did you find the experience of collaborating overseas?

The experience of spending some time in the Karolinska Institute was very positive for me. What contributed most for the success of my stay was that I was able to analyse the LRBA knock-down cells we have genetically modified by electron microscopy, as the Karolinska Institute has a strong expertise in this technique and it was key for this project.

What would your advice be to anyone else hoping to collaborate globally?

Try to identify specific groups you might be interested because of their expertise, knowledge of specific techniques you want to learn or specific projects and ideas you would like to discuss with them. I would say the best way of approaching them would be in international conferences. Try to engage in discussions with scientists of different backgrounds and different levels of expertise. From my experience, scientists are very receptive to this kind of approach.

Filed under Blog , Europe , Funding , Global Engagement Office , News

Tags: global , Global Engagement Funds , Sweden , UCL Division of Infection and Immunity

Ask an academic: Dr Jennie Golding

By ucypsga, on 28 January 2019

Jennie regularly works with teachers, policy makers and teacher educators in developing countries to support the growth of evidence-based, effective maths education. We spoke to her to find out more about her recent work in East Africa, supported by a UCL Global Engagement Fund (GEF) grant.

You started out as a mathematician and moved into teaching – what interested you in education?

I had enjoyed working with three-18 year olds on a voluntary basis – and I think enjoying being with young people is really important. Then I began to analyse the different functions my teachers at school and university had played, and to appreciate the difference a good teacher makes to clarity and enjoyment of the subject I love.

The rest is history – except that after a long career classroom-based, but working in teacher development alongside that, in this country and the developing world, I felt I wanted to capitalise on that by moving into HE.

You were among recent recipients of UCL’s Global Engagement Funds (GEF) . What led you to apply for the funds?

I have a passionate belief in the power of education to transform individuals and society – and in equitable access to that. In particular, young people can’t access 21st century science and technology without knowing mathematics in a meaningful way – and yet, many developing countries have an education tradition that majors on rote learning, and teacher as authoritarian and source of all knowledge.

The initial GEF funding enabled me to engage with, and visit, a range of teachers in Tanzania so I better understood their context – but more importantly in the long term, to meet and begin to work with teacher educators and mathematics education researchers in the region.

In August 2018 I was able to build on that visit by working with researchers from across East Africa, who identified the development of teacher educators in the region, together with the policy-related local research capacity, as the most effort-effective focus.

You were recently in Uganda, following up on the project. How did the visit go?

I was running a course for primary mathematics teacher educators from across East Africa, alongside teachers from each of Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda, focusing on developing active learning with meaning-making – in ways that can be enacted in low-resource classrooms with sometimes up to 180 learners.

That took quite a lot of preparation and background work, and needs to be refined further, but was exciting, stimulating – and as always, humbling. And Uganda is such a beautiful country!

How will you measure the project’s success?

We know from a multiplicity of sources that it’s important for embedding of course learning that teacher educators and teachers take this back to their local contexts, explore, adapt and experiment with it in manageable ways; are supported to reflect on what they’re finding at frequent intervals; and gradually commit to new ways of working in collaborative ways. So all the course participants now have three months’ supported distance learning, during which they have three assignments.

Already participants are talking of the course as ‘life-changing’ for both them and their learners, but of course, the proof of any success will lie on the ground in their home contexts. Importantly, I’m also following up these teacher educators’ experiences in a systematic way together with a Ugandan mathematics education researcher, to mutual benefit since I have more research expertise than she does, but she can access participants’ experiences through use of their home language.

Along with Tanzania and Uganda, you’ve worked in countries including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Armenia and Jordan. Why do you think it’s important to work on a global scale?

Essentially, I do believe we are global citizens − and in this country, we’re exceptionally privileged in the opportunities we’ve had available to us, especially in education. So I think there’s a moral imperative to share the fruit of those opportunities. But I also believe there is always so much to be learned from working in different contexts and cultures, so that although I’ve been lucky enough to have a variety of overseas opportunities, I’ve always returned having learned at least as much as I’ve given.

Professionally, working in low-resource contexts has helped me focus on what are the essentials, the core of my work as a teacher and mathematician, and that’s been really exciting.

What’s your best memory from these global experiences?

Where to start? I think the core satisfaction has been when the mathematics has begun to make sense to teachers and teacher educators in ways they’ve not expected or experienced before.

One teacher educator in Uganda said at the end of the face to face course, ‘I had no idea there was a mathematical world out there that’s just so beautiful – and such fun’ – and if teacher educators have ‘caught’ that, there’s hope then for it to spread to young people in classrooms. That’s immensely satisfying.

Filed under Africa and Middle East , Blog , Funding , Global Engagement Office , Global Engagement Strategy , News , Partnerships and collaborations , Staff , Uncategorized

Ask an Academic: Daisuke Kawata, Professor of Astronomy

By ucypsga, on 5 November 2018

Daisuke Kawata is Professor of Astronomy at UCL’s Department of Space & Climate Physics, based at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory.

He was among the recipients of th e inaugural UCL-University of Toronto seed funding in 2017, to encourage collaboration between academics at the two institutions. A year on from the initial funding, we caught up with him to hear more about how the collaboration is progressing.

How did you first become interested in astronomy?

My undergraduate degree was actually in Engineering, but when computer simulations started getting bigger and bigger, I became interested in using computers to understand physics and how the universe is made up. I then became fascinated with the evolution of the Milky Way. So I moved from undergraduate Engineering to a master’s course in Astronomy, and I did a PhD in Astronomy in Japan.

Where has your research taken you?

After my post doc in Japan, I worked in Australia for about four years, and I then went to California in the USA. I worked there for three and a half years or so. Now, at UCL, I feel lucky to be part of this research-intensive institution. The research level in the UK is very high and lots of people gather in London: it’s an international environment. At the moment I’m working with colleagues in the Computer Science department, so the opportunities to work with people elsewhere in the UCL family is exciting.

You were one of the recipients of the UCL-University of Toronto seed funding for collaboration with academics at Toronto in 2017. What are you working on together?

Our research aims to understand the structure of the Milky Way, as well as how it formed and evolved. It’s quite an exciting moment for us because the European Space Agency launched a space craft called Gaia in December 2013, which is observing the motion of over a billion stars in the Milky Way, and they release intermittent data to the community so that we can use the satellite data for our research.

As you can imagine, if you’re in the forest looking out at the trees, it’s very difficult to understand how big the forest is and how the trees are distributed – and the same applies for our galaxy. You need a physical, computer model to understand the Gaia Data. So that’s what our collaboration has set up. It’s a computer simulated Milky Way model, and our hope is that this computer model will be used to picture the whole structure of the galaxy.

How did the connection with Toronto first come about?

We met Jo Bovy, my counterpart in Toronto, at a conference about the Milky Way about eight years or so ago, when he was still a PhD student. I knew him because he was making quite advanced statistical models to understand the Milky Way. I knew he was a rising star in our field, but it was two years ago when I was at one of the institutes in New York and he was doing a sabbatical there that we were able to spend a week in the same location and really discuss this modelling technique, ‘Made-to-measure.’

We talked about advancing this computer simulation model, which my PhD student Jason hunt and I had already made a prototype of. We had an intense discussion with Jo on how we could improve it and made a big road map for how we could do so. So that was the starting point, almost two years ago.

What was the outcome of your recent visit to Toronto?

We visited at the beginning of October, and had a series of meetings almost every day, which meant lots of discussion time. We came up with ideas for improving the Made-to-measure technique and other ideas about using Gaia Data to understand the structure of the galaxy. We also started working on some papers together.

Do you have advice for anyone who hasn’t collaborated on such a global scale before? How do you make an international partnership work?

Conferences are always a good starting point – with a couple of hundred people there, there are plenty of people to talk to. And tea time is a good time to start! The next step is, if you’ve met a scientist you want to work with, try and spend an extended period of time at the same location to talk about a specific topic.

What are next steps for the project with Toronto?

We’re going to try and apply this Made-to-measure model to the Gaia Data. Before this application we will try to understand it in a more local neighbourhood: we still don’t know much dark matter is around us, and using this technique we hope we can get more accurate measurements of the dark matter density in the solar neighbourhood.

Filed under Blog , Funding , Global Engagement Office , Global Engagement Strategy , News , North America , Staff

UCL film collaboration in India featured at Bloomsbury Festival 2017

By uclqjle, on 20 October 2017

Bloomsbury Festival is is a five-day celebration of the area’s pioneering creativity. A recent collaboration between UCL’s Theo Bryer and Rebecca Wilson and partners in India was among work featured at this year’s festival, which ran from 18-22 October.

UCL Institute of Education’s Theo Bryer and Rebecca Wilson ran drama and filmmaking sessions with young people in and around Bengaluru for two weeks in July 2017, as part of a project supported by the UCL Global Engagement Funds.

Theo and Rebecca meeting with meeting Ms Kalpana Singh (L), head of Parikrma Humanity Foundation

They collaborated with Sangam, a local education centre, and worked with young people from Parikrma Humanity Foundation School, Delhi Public School and Baale Mane girls’ home.

Together the team ran a series of workshops, developed for groups of thirty, after which the participants were invited to produce short films in small groups.

Lecturer Theo and ICT Teaching Support Analyst Rebecca said they were particularly interested in finding out how approaches to filmmaking using iPads worked in these very different contexts.

“We were given a very warm reception in all our partner organisations” said Theo. “Sharing ideas with the incredible teachers, educationalists and young people that we met was a highlight of this trip.”

Filming a Melodrama at Parikrma Humanity Foundation School

Students at Parikrma Humanity Foundation made melodramas based on the stimulus of the arrival of a letter.

At Delhi Public School, they made documentaries based on the model of the AJ+ news items (made by Al Jazeera) that are designed for social media.

At Baale Mane girls’ home, the older girls made melodramas and the younger girls, horror films.

Theo and Rebecca also made three films with a group of homeschooled children based in the local area.

“We were struck by the way in which the visual and cultural aspects of filmmaking facilitated this creative endeavour, so that even the youngest children were able to understand what was expected of them,” added Rebecca.

Filming a documentary about skirt length at Delhi Public School

The outcomes of the project were largely positive. Theo noted: “The touch-screen technology proved as accessible in India as in our projects in the UK, although not all the children have ready access to this kind of technology – not all of them own phones, for example.

“All the young people seemed motivated by the opportunity to share what they had made with their peers, carers and teachers and this awareness of a final audience helped them to shape their work in specific ways.”

Filming a horror film at Baale Mane girls’ home

Theo said a total of 24 films were made.

“One of our favourites, Perceptions , is 36 seconds long.

“We suggest that you watch Valuables , Perceptions and The Mummy 2 as examples from each of the places that we worked in.”

• All the project’s films can be viewed here.
• Bloomsbury Festival website
• Learn more about the UCL Global Engagement Funds

Filed under Funding , Opportunities , Partnerships and collaborations , Regional network , South Asia

Tags: Bloomsbury Festival , Global Engagement Funds , India

UCL-HKU collaborations offer solutions to the world’s Grand Challenges

By By Guest Blogger, on 25 September 2017

By Greg Tinker, Communications Manager, Office of the Vice-Provost (Research)

A new partnership between UCL and Hong Kong University (HKU) was established during academic year 2016-17 to encourage joint research relating to the UCL Grand Challenges.

The joint scheme encourages cooperative projects on pressing global issues, as identified by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Its highlighted priorities include urbanisation and sustainable cities, healthy ageing, global health, translational medicine, food and water safety and security, transformative technology, transcultural studies including China studies, and justice and equality.

UCL’s Grand Challenges programme – addressing Global Health, Sustainable Cities, Cultural Understanding, Human Wellbeing, Transformative Technology and Justice & Equality – provides an inter-institutional strategic framing for the joint scheme.

The first awards were made in April this year, to two projects:

• ‘Writing in the City’ – to Professor Li Wei of the Culture, Communication and Media department at the UCL Institute of Education, collaborating with Professor Adam Jaworski at HKU’s School of English
• ‘Non-pharmacological interventions in dementia’ – to Dr Aimee Spector, of UCL Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, collaborating with Dr Gloria HY Wong and Professor Terry YS Lum of HKU’s Department of Social Work and Social Administration

Dr Spector has already begun work on her project, focusing on treatments like Cognitive Stimulation Therapy for dementia sufferers. The collaboration will result in a conference in Hong Kong to be held in December, featuring presenters from China, Hong Kong, the US, New Zealand, Italy, Brazil and Denmark. It will also include CST training for attendees from around the world.

The joint UCL – HKU team has also been working on a joint publication, involving a systematic review of Mindfulness-based interventions for people with cognitive impairment. The collaboration has built a close relationship between Dr Spector and her HKU counterparts, leading to exchanges of doctoral students between London and Hong Kong. The students will benefit from working and studying abroad and their engagement will hopefully lead to further joint publications.

Dr Ian Scott, Director of the UCL Grand Challenges and cross disciplinary development, said: “It’s good to know that the first projects in UCL’s joint scheme with Hong Kong University are making great progress. At UCL we are confident that there will be strong downstream research and societal benefits from bringing UCL and HKU researchers together to address globally significant issues from London and Hong Kong perspectives.

“The HKU-UCL joint scheme holds promise to be an important model for other international strategic partnerships between UCL and other world-class universities like HKU, framed by a mutual determination to harness the best expertise in the world in actions designed to prepare now for the challenges of the 22nd  century.

“While the 2016-17 UCL-HKU projects are still in progress, we look forward to the outcome of the current call for the next proposals for joint work in academic year 2017-18, to support further high quality joint initiatives in tackling and finding novel pathways to solutions to the world’s Grand Challenges.”

• Applications for the 2017-18 call close on 30 September 2017 – find out more and apply now.

Filed under East Asia , Funding , Opportunities , Partnerships and collaborations , Regional network

Tags: East Asia , Grand Challenges , HKU , Hong Kong University

Innovative approaches to faculty exchange: UCL MAPS and SNU

By uclqjle, on 25 July 2017

UCL Professor Nikos Konstantinidis (Vice-Dean International, MAPS) recently facilitated a new student exchange with Seoul National University (SNU) in South Korea, with support from UCL Study Abroad.

The students will work with each institution’s academics on their ongoing research projects, learning more about the local culture and research landscape.

In this short video, he explains how the exchange came about and considers the opportunities available to UCL faculties wanting to develop similar links with international institutions.

Filmed and edited by UCL graduate Jason Lewis.

The idea was sparked during a fruitful visit to UCL by a delegation from SNU in December 2016.

Nikos was able to explore the possibility further during a GEO-supported visit to SNU in January 2017. It was then that talks were finalised and an agreement was made to trial the exchange between the two physics departments, with scope for extending to others.

UCL Study Abroad worked in collaboration with colleagues from Physics and Astronomy at UCL and SNU, to ensure that there was a framework in place to support the research exchange.

The team provided support to the participating students through pre-departure guidance and continues to offer support to the students while they are abroad.

Commenting on the support available from UCL to facilitate such exchanges, Nikos said: “It was originally thanks to the Global Leadership Funds from the Global Engagement Office that I covered my expenses for my visit to Seoul. Also, it is thanks to the same funds that we were able to find some bursaries for the three students from the UCL department of Physics and Astronomy who are currently in Seoul. If there is interest and we have enough funds, we will extend this to other departments.”

He added: “I think there is a lot of interest from our students wanting to take up this type of opportunities, and we should really try our best to pursue these types of opportunities with universities of good reputation.”

Owain Evans, Short Mobilities Coordinator at UCL Study Abroad, said: “The feedback we have received from the students so far has been extremely positive; we look forward to hearing more about their experiences at SNU and in Seoul when they return to London at the end of the summer.”

The Global Leadership Funds are provided to UCL’s academic leadership network of Vice-Deans International and Regional Pro-Vice-Provosts to deliver activity aligned with the Global Engagement Strategy.

• To explore international undergraduate research opportunities on behalf of the students in your department through existing or new collaborations, contact UCL Study Abroad on [email protected] or +44 (0)20 3108 7773.

Filed under East Asia , Funding , Opportunities , Partnerships and collaborations , Regional network , Staff

Tags: East Asia , MAPS , Seoul National University , Study Abroad

Second Year of UK – Mexico Visiting Chair Mobility Grants

By ucypcbu, on 30 May 2017

The Consortium of Higher Education Institutions that are part of the United Kingdom-Mexico Visiting Chair (UK-MX Visiting Chair) are pleased to announce the launch of this year’s Mobility Grants scheme.

The UK – Mexico Visiting Chair scheme provides mobility funding for a research visit of up to two weeks to visit a new potential collaborator within a Consortium of 12 Mexican and 12 UK universities. A full list of participating Mexican institutions can be found in the Guidance Notes .

The scheme was created with the support of Mexican and UK governments to increase research collaboration and strengthen relations between HEIs in Mexico and the UK. UCL researchers interested in working with partners in Mexico can apply for funding to support their collaboration.

To be eligible, applicants need to hold a doctorate degree in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) or Social Sciences and Humanities as well as being employed by any of the HEIs included in the scheme.

Activities accepted and encouraged include attendance at workshops, research symposia and conferences, as well as meetings to scope collaboration, share best practice or develop new initiatives. Please note: there is a minimum requirement to spend at least four days at the allocated HEI.

Costs covered under the scheme include flights, accommodation, workspace, insurance, internal travel and incidental expenses.

How to apply

Applicants must read the Guidance Notes  in full before completing the research project proposal form . They will need to list their top three possible destinations for their proposed visit to Mexico – this should include confirmation from the host academic/department in each institution.

Applications should be submitted to Clare Burke by 17.00 on Friday 18 August 2017 . They must be made in English and include the documents below:

a.    A completed research project proposal form b.    Curriculum vitae, including relevant publications c.    Confirmation from the host institution

The results will be announced on Monday 2 October by email and published online thereafter.

Applicants should be aware that if successful, the location of their placement will depend on finalisation by the Commissions of both their home country and that of their partner.

Filed under Funding , Latin America , Mobility , Opportunities , Partnerships and collaborations , Regional network , Staff

Tags: Latin America , Mexico , United Kingdom-Mexico Visiting Chair

UCL Research Catalyst Award Winners – 2016/17

By uclqjle, on 4 April 2017

Congratulations to this year’s winners of the Santander Universities Research Catalyst Awards!

We wish our UCL colleagues best of luck, and look forwarding to seeing the outcomes of these exciting collaborations.

Here’s the full list of winners:

The Santander Universities Research Catalyst Awards, in line with UCL’s Global Engagement Strategy, seeks to engender innovative research collaborations between UCL and universities and research institutions abroad.

While the Research Catalyst Awards focuses solely on collaborations with universities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico, UCL provides various other global engagement funding opportunities for its academics and researchers.

Filed under Funding , Global Engagement Office , Global Engagement Strategy , Latin America , Mobility , News , Opportunities , Partnerships and collaborations , Regional network , Santander Universities

Tags: Argentina , Brazil , Chile , Colombia , Funding , Mexico , Research Catalyst Awards

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Africa Health Research Institute

• Adrie Steyn
• Alison Grant
• Collins Iwuji
• Frank Tanser
• Guy Harling
• Henrik Kløverpris
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• Till Bärnighausen
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• Zaza Ndhlovu

Applications are open for the 2024-2025 AHRI/UCL PhD Studentship

This is an exciting opportunity for up to three potential candidates to register for PhD at UCL while undertaking their research project at Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI).

The award is funded by UCL’s   Division of Infection and Immunity   and is open to applicants who permanently reside in South Africa. The AHRI/UCL PhD Studentship award covers tuition fees and living costs for candidates to undertake a PhD at UCL.

The proposed PhD research must be in the field of  medical sciences  and/or  population health . This covers everything from single molecules through to cells and tissues, to whole organisms and animal and human populations for improved human health and wellbeing worldwide.

Students will be expected to spend most of their time in South Africa, conducting their research at AHRI. Students will also spend time at UCL and while there they will be expected to attend seminars, postgraduate club meetings, and other UCL doctoral student events.

Eligibility:

Applicants must:

• Be domiciled in South Africa at the time of application
• Have completed, or be about to complete, a Masters degree or equivalent
• Hold a letter of recommendation from a proposed supervisor at UCL*
• Be working with AHRI already or hold an approved letter of support to complete a PhD at AHRI*
• Be willing to stay in London for up to one year during their PhD studies. This time can be split into two periods of six months if required
• Must hold a valid passport at the time of application

Applications to the PhD studentship are competitive. The selection panel will look at academic achievements of the applicants, their research experience, the quality of the supervisory team and strengths of the proposed project.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a formal interview with the selection panel.

Women are particularly encouraged to apply.

Conditions:

• If awarded, applicants must be able to take up the award immediately
• MPhil/PhD students registered at UCL cannot be registered to any other course, undergraduate or postgraduate
• Applicants are required to apply to both AHRI and UCL

The PhD studentships will fund:

• All fees for a three-year doctorate at UCL
• Two round-trip economy air fares to and from SA to UK (per award)
• Support for reasonable London living costs for up to one year
• UCL bench fees
• Support for Durban living costs for two years

How to apply:

1. Please complete the AHRI/UCL PhD Studentship Application form in detail and upload the following documents:

• Letter of recommendation from your proposed supervisor at AHRI
• Letter of recommendation from your proposed supervisor at UCL
• A copy of your academic CV
• Certified copies of your academic transcripts and original certificates

2. Please also complete the UCL application form and upload all relevant documents.

Closing date is 12 April 2024

*For further information or assistance with identifying an AHRI supervisor and letter of recommendation from UCL, please contact Kamini Gounder via [email protected] or Aruna Sevakram via [email protected] with ‘AHRI/UCL PhD Studentship’ in the subject header.

• Postgraduate Funding

Student Finance

If you are a UK or EU resident, you may be able to apply for a loan that will help you pay tuition and maintenance costs. There are two loans available:

Postgraduate Master’s Loan

Student Finance England  offers loans to home and EU students to study a postgraduate master's course. The size of this loan does not depend on your or your family's income.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

If you are starting a doctoral course on or after 1 August 2018, you can apply for a loan from  Student Finance England  to help you pay tuition and maintenance cos. The size of this loan does not depend on your or your family's income.

You will not need to start re-paying either of these loans until you are earning over £21,000 a year. 

You may also be able to find funding from other places:

Research Councils

Based on the course that you intend to study, there are several research councils that may be able to help you, including:

-  Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). -  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). -  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). -  Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC). -  Medical Research Council (MRC). -  Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). -  Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

You will need to be a "home resident" of the UK to apply. IF you are a EU resident, you are only able to apply to councils for tuition fees, not maintenance.

UCL Scholarships

You may be able to win an award or scholarship, which is open to students from the UK, EU and overseas. Go to  UCL’s Scholarships and Funding page  to find out more about how to apply and how much is available to you.

Sponsorship

If you're employed and considering a course, your employer may consider funding your studies. Many companies also sponsor students, as long as the course is linked to the business and you plan to work in this field after graduating. You can find out more about sponsorship by employers through  UCL Careers Service .

Career Development Loans

Career Development Loans  are available to UK residents, and generally last for two years. You can borrow up to £10,000 interest-free, but you will need to start re-paying the loan and paying interest a month after the end of the course.

Other Organisations

You may be able to find other bodies that offer funding for graduate students. If you are an overseas student, try contacting your own Ministry of Education to find out more. Organisations such as UNESCO, the EU Commission and the British Council often offer scholarships.

Furthermore, If you are a postgraduate research student and have completed your registration period, you will not be registered as a full-time student as you will no longer be paying any fees. Whilst you are writing up your thesis, the University will provide you with 'writing-up status' which will therefore allow you to apply for benefits if you meet the eligibility requirements. You may be able to claim Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit. This includes PhD students (part-time and full-time) who are in the writing up stage of their thesis. Please contact our Advice Service .

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How to Apply -->

The Centre invites applications from applicants with a background in any relevant discipline. Typically, applicants will be expected to hold a masters degree in a relevant subject area, or equivalent experience. Applicants would also need to be able to demonstrate a strong motivation for doing a PhD at the LCN. 

To undertake a PhD within the LCN, applicants will be registered at one of the three partner institutions.   

Unless applying directly for a project indicated on the PhD Opportunities  page, to apply for a PhD within the LCN it is first essential that you identify a potential supervisor and discuss with them your chosen area of research. You should review the Our People and Research pages, where you will find details of the research undertaken within the LCN and contact details for supervisors. Email is the preferred method of contacting a supervisor, and we suggest that you include, as a minimum, the following details in your initial email:

• Proposed area of research and your experience/background in the chosen research area
• How your chosen supervisor’s experience or knowledge is relevant
• A copy of your CV

Once you have agreement in principle from a supervisor that they would be happy to supervise you, please make a formal application to the relevant institution:

• Apply for a PhD at UCL via their Admissions Webpage 
• Apply for a PhD at Imperial College London via their Admission Webpage 
• Apply for a PhD at Kings College via their Admissions Webpage

Funding Opportunities

If there are any projects available within the LCN, either with, or without funding available, these will be in the PhD Opportunities  section. Please also check findaPhD.com or each Institution’s funding pages for more funding opportunities. Applications for LCN @ UCL Funding opportunities can be submitted via the PhD Portal .

The LCN also has a number of associated  Centres for Doctoral Training  which provide a limited number of funded studentships each year. 

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King's College London

Doctoral opportunities & funding.

King's is a world-renowned research-intensive university with over three thousand postgraduate research (PGR) students across its nine faculties.

Ranked 7th in the UK for its research and named 35th in the world top research institutions (Times Higher Education World Rankings 2023), King's College London offers PGR students a unique chance to work with top class researchers in a city that offers unrivalled opportunities for collaboration.

• Discover why we are ranked as a world-leading research university
• Funding opportunities for doctoral students

Cohort-based funded doctoral training

As well as world-leading research and supervision, King's Centre for Doctoral Studies provides university-wide support, advice, and training for PGR students, ensuring our doctoral students are equipped to excel as research leaders in the academy, in industry, and beyond.

To find more information about PhD opportunities at King's, browse this page's links to search our research areas, find a potential supervisor, browse our range of MPhil/PhD courses, and explore your funding options.

Equipping research students to excel

Funding, Scholarships & Other Doctoral Opportunities

Home students

More information about Home students

Home/EU Funding

Funding opportunities for prospective PGR students with Home or EEA status

International PhD Scholarships

Funding opportunities for international postgraduate researchers at King's

More information about Cohort-based funded doctoral training

• PhD Study in Sweden – A Guide for 2024

Written by Mark Bennett

A PhD in Sweden is an opportunity to study in a country that combines a historic higher education system with a culture of ingenuity and invention. The country’s universities date back to the fifteenth century, whilst Swedish brands and technologies such as Spotify, IKEA and Bluetooth continue to shape the modern world.

This covers what you need to know about PhD study in Sweden , including information on applications, funding opportunities and doctoral fees (spoiler: there aren’t any).

PhD opportunities in Sweden – what’s on offer for 2024?

If the goal for your doctorate is to produce original and potentially innovative work (it should be) then a PhD in Sweden may well be the ideal choice.

Like its Scandinavian neighbours, Sweden is also a highly tolerant country, with progressive and inclusive laws that support LGBT rights and welcome international students and visitors.

Here's some reasons to consider a PhD in Sweden for international students:

• Creativity and originality – You may not discover the next big music streaming solution (and even a PhD may not help you understand *that step* in those IKEA instructions) but your doctoral research will be right at home in a country that celebrates free-thinking and supports new ideas
• Prize-winning research - Sweden's status as the home of the Nobel Prize (with 34 winners) reflects its proud history of recognising and rewarding research, excellence and innovation
• No PhD fees – Swedish PhD programmes normally charge no tuition fees to their students (regardless of nationality)
• Historic (and respected) universities – Higher education in Sweden dates back to the 1400s and the country’s universities are well placed in modern rankings, with particular specialisms in Medicine, Life Sciences and related subjects

We’ve studiously avoided making any ABBA references in this section, but if you want a university to take a chance on your research proposal and eventually give you, give you, give you a PhD without charging much money, money, money for fees*. . . well, there are worse destinations to choose than Sweden.

*We're sorry.

Swedish universities

There are 39 state-funded universities and equivalent institutions in Sweden, alongside a smaller number of privately funded higher education providers.

Degrees are organised using a three-cycle system , in common with the wider European Higher Education Area . Your PhD in Sweden will be a third-cycle qualification , usually taking place after Bachelors (first cycle) and Masters (second cycle) study.

Universities and university colleges

Higher education providers in Sweden are divided into two types:

• Universities ( universitet ) are large institutions awarding degrees in a broad range of subjects. They carry out original research alongside academic teaching and therefore have the capacity to support and train PhD students.
• University colleges ( högskola ) focus on technical and professional training, often in applied sciences and related subjects. They are less likely to award PhDs but may do so in certain subject areas.

The distinction between these two categories isn’t always obvious or clear from an institution’s name (university colleges may simply refer to themselves as universities). The good news is that you don’t need to worry too much about it. As a PhD student you’re likely to end up studying at a university, but the smaller number of doctoral programmes offered by university colleges are equally rigorous and respected.

Swedish university rankings

Sweden is home to one of Europe’s top-performing higher education systems, at least so far as university rankings are concerned. Of the 38 universities in Sweden, 10 rank within the current Times Higher Education world top 400.

Do rankings matter for PhD study?

University rankings can help you choose a PhD project or programme, provided you know what to look at. Our guide explains how to use rankings as a prospective postgraduate.

PhD structure

A PhD in Sweden represents the highest level of academic achievement for students. As in other countries, the emphasis is on your independent research towards an original thesis that makes a new contribution to knowledge in your field.

Swedish doctoral degrees

Doctoral level study in Sweden takes one of two forms:

A standard PhD in Sweden requires a minimum of four years full-time work (equivalent to 240 ECTS credits ) and awards a full doctorate (along with the all-important title of ‘doctor’).

Alternatively, you may choose to study for a shorter licentiate degree. This generally only requires two years of full-time work towards a shorter and less ambitious thesis (equivalent to 120 ECTS credits ). The Swedish licentiate is similar to the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) offered in the UK or other countries and some students initially enrol for this qualification before upgrading to become full PhD candidates.

The academic year in Sweden runs from August to June with two teaching terms (August to January and January to June) separated by summer and winter holidays. As a PhD student you’ll normally work more flexibly throughout the year, but some additional courses and other activities may be linked to specific teaching periods.

Supervision

You’ll complete your PhD (or licentiate) with the support of two or more expert supervisors whose job it will be to guide your work. Their roles will vary slightly depending on your field:

• Supervisors for Arts , Humanities and some Social Science projects will serve primarily as mentors. They won’t be directly involved in your research, but they will be able to advise on the direction your project is taking.
• Supervisors for Science , Technology , Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) projects may also be carrying out similar research as the lead or principal investigator for the laboratory or research group your PhD is part of. This means they may also work alongside you or even collaborate on some experiments. However, your PhD thesis will still be an independent piece of work, based on your personal findings and analysis.

You’ll always have at least two PhD supervisors, one of whom will be the principal supervisor for your PhD. Some universities also appoint additional assistant supervisors with responsibility for specific tasks (such as training or pastoral care and support).

Your supervisors’ roles and expectations will be set by your university. As a minimum they’ll usually include arranging regular progress meetings, reviewing results and drafts and supporting you as you prepare to submit your thesis. Some additional responsibilities might include identifying and fulfilling training needs or assisting with other aspects of your professional and academic development.

PhD supervision

Our guides explain how to choose (and contact ) a PhD supervisor and introduce the working relationship you'll have with yours as a doctoral student.

Programme structure

Your main focus during a PhD in Sweden will be the original research required for your thesis. You’ll normally begin by assessing the scholarship in your subject (a literature review) before moving on to collecting sources or experimental data and eventually writing up your conclusions and results.

Some universities also offer more structured training alongside your research. This may involve attending short courses and / or attending short courses on research methods and other useful skills for your project.

It’s also common for PhD students at Swedish universities to serve as junior academic staff within their departments or faculties as part of their funding arrangements. If so, you’ll also have additional duties such as teaching or demonstrating.

Assessment and examinations

The assessment of a Swedish PhD is based on the quality of the doctoral thesis you submit at the end of your research. This needs to demonstrate that your work has been original, that it has made a significant contribution to your subject and that you have personally been responsible for designing and carrying out the research involved.

All of these qualities will be formally assessed during a final public defence of your thesis.

This is similar to the viva voce used in the UK and other countries but follows a slightly different procedure. Instead of being examined in private, you will present your thesis to an examining committee in front of an audience that may include other academics, fellow PhD students and your family and friends.

One of the committee will be an external expert (from outside your university) appointed to serve as your ‘opponent’. They will ask questions about your thesis and challenge you to explain your findings and conclusions. Other members of the committee (and audience) may also ask questions.

At the end of the examination your committee will decide whether or not you have successfully defended your thesis and can be awarded your PhD. This ‘live’ examination process may seem daunting, but you should think of it as an appropriate climax for your research, allowing you to assert your expertise and prove your qualification. It’s also quite rare for students to fail at this stage.

Masters study in Sweden

Looking to study a Masters in Sweden? We have all the information you need on our sister site, FindAMasters .

Fees and funding

There are no fees for PhD study in Sweden at state-funded universities (note that this doesn’t apply to Masters or Bachelors degrees). Doctoral programmes are free for EU, EEA and international (non EU) students.

The same applies to application fees – you don’t need to pay these for a PhD in Sweden.

You will need to cover your accommodation and living costs, but support may be available from your university to help with this.

Study grants

It’s common for PhD students in Sweden to also be recognised as staff, subject to an employment contract with their university. If applicable, this pays you to a salary known as a study grant ( utbildningsbidrag ) worth approximately €1,500 per month (but subject to tax).

Your employment status may vary during your PhD. For the first two years you will receive your study grant, but not be entitled to benefits and social security. For the final two years you will normally hold a full employment contract ( anställning ) and be entitled to support during illness, parental leave or other circumstances. More information will be available from your university.

In return for your study grant you will normally be required to carry out some responsibilities within your department, such as teaching undergraduates or assisting with administrative work.

PhD funding

Other scholarships and bursaries for PhD study in Sweden may also be available to help top up (or substitute for) a study grant.

The main source of PhD funding for international students in Sweden is the Swedish Institute (SI). They offer scholarships for students from specific regions including Turkey, the Balkans and the Baltic. More information is available on the official Study in Sweden website.

Other funding may be available from universities in Sweden, or from specific academic organisations and research charities relevant to your subject area. Our guides provide information on a range of PhD scholarships and other funding options .

Applying for a PhD in Sweden

You should apply directly to universities for PhD study in Sweden. How you do so will depend on the kind of project you are interested in:

• PhDs in Science , Technology , Engineering and Mathematics will often be advertised as specific projects. You should view current opportunities and apply according to the guidelines set by specific adverts. This will often mean submitting a personal statement along with your academic CV and references .
• Students in Arts , Humanities and Social Sciences are more likely to put forward their own project ideas. You’ll need to submit a strong research proposal , perhaps after contacting a potential supervisor for guidance and advice.

However you apply, make sure you check the specific requirements and procedure with your university.

Admissions requirements

Swedish universities are free to set their own entry requirements for PhD study . The minimum qualification will usually be a Bachelors degree in an appropriate subject, but a Masters is also desirable – particularly if you’re applying for funding.

Just as important as your previous qualifications will be your ability to demonstrate previous research experience . This could simply be the dissertation project for one or both of your previous degrees, but it’s important that you can show some preparation for the independent research you’ll be doing on your PhD.

The general eligibility criteria for PhD applications in Sweden is similar to most other countries in the EU.

Language requirements

A large proportion of teaching at Swedish universities takes place in English. This means you won’t necessarily need to know Swedish to study abroad in Sweden, but it’s worth checking with the specific university or department you plan to study within. Even if English isn’t required, picking up some language skills will help you settle in and enjoy your degree.

If English isn’t your first language you may need to submit a recognised test score . Exceptions might be made if you’ve completed a previous university degree taught in English.

Your university may invite you for an interview as part of the admissions process (in person, or online). This is a good sign! It means your application is suitably interesting and impressive and the university wants to hear more from you.

Student visas

Visa information for uk students in sweden.

UK students will no longer be EU citizens from the 2021-22 academic year onwards. This means you may be considered as an international student when studying in Sweden. You may be subject to different visa requirements and fee rates, unless otherwise stated.

You won’t need a visa to study in Sweden as a PhD student (student visas are required for visits of less than three months, but your PhD is guaranteed to take longer than this!).

EU, EEA and Nordic students

If you’re a citizen of an EU, EEA or Nordic country (a group that includes Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Norway as well as Sweden) you won’t need a residence permit to live in Sweden during your PhD. However, you will need to register with a local branch of the Swedish Tax Agency ( Skatteverket ).

You’ll need to bring your passport plus any marriage or birth certificates (if you are married and / or have children). You’ll also need to bring proof of admission to a Swedish university and a signed declaration that you have sufficient funds to live on during your PhD (the minimum requirement is €826 per month ).

Other international students

Students from countries outside the EU, EEA and Nordic group must formally apply for a residence permit in order to study in Sweden for longer than three months.

You can do this online. You’ll need to provide copies of your passport, along with proof that you have been admitted to a Swedish university, have paid the first instalment of your tuition fees and can support yourself financially during your PhD the minimum requirement is €826 per month ).

Health insurance

All students in Sweden will need full health insurance. If you already hold a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) you will normally be automatically covered. Alternatively, your university may provide cover as part of your study grant, or offer an affordable policy for you to purchase.

Sweden is a multicultural and inclusive country with plenty of opportunities for talented PhD graduates to apply their skills and expertise. Who knows – your work could be part of the next great Swedish innovation.

Can I work in Sweden after my PhD?

EU, EEA and Nordic students can live and work in Sweden without restriction. Other international students will need to apply for a post-study residence permit , allowing you to stay in Sweden for another six months as you look for work. To obtain this you’ll need to have completed your degree, still be in Sweden and hold a valid passport.

If you are successful in finding a job within six months, you can go on toapply for a work permit. Further information is available from the Swedish Migration Office .

Find a PhD in Sweden

Ready to start browsing some current PhD opportunities in Sweden ? Alternatively, you can look at our other guides to PhD study abroad .

Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice

You may also like....

Interested in studying your PhD in Sweden? In this guide we've collected some of the global university rankings to help you decide the best university to study at in Sweden.

What's it like to live in Sweden during a PhD? Our guide covers accommodation, student living costs, working and other key information.

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• Free money first

Types of grants and scholarships

Comparing school costs with and without aid, employer assistance and fellowships, federal student aid, private student loans, other options, affording your graduate degree: a comprehensive guide.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate student loans to write unbiased product reviews.

• If you plan to attend graduate school, it's important to understand the costs up front. 
• Grants, scholarships, and fellowships help pay for school without unnecessary loans. 
• Other options to pay for school include an assistantship or a part-time job.

Free money first: grants and scholarships

You may be considering graduate school to further your education. But the high costs to attend grad school might make you think twice about committing to more classes. 

The good news is that grad students have plenty of options to cover those costs. However, the best options are funds you don't have to repay.

Research is key

Grants, scholarships, and fellowships are all forms of gift aid — meaning they allow you to fund grad school without having to pay the money back. 

In general, students who qualify for state or federal grants will access the funds by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In contrast, scholarships are often targeted at specific groups, like athletes or women in STEM. Most scholarships require you to submit a unique application to share your qualifications for the award. 

Finally, fellowships are typically awarded by schools and other organizations to students on a merit basis. Many fellowships go beyond covering your tuition to provide a stipend for living expenses. 

"Utilizing grants, scholarships, and fellowships as financial aid options enables students to substantially minimize or even completely eradicate the necessity for student loans," says Trinity Owen, NFEC Certified Financial Education Instructor and owner of The Pay at Home Parent .  

As a graduate student, relying on grants, scholarships, and fellowships is better than taking out loans to pay for school. When you graduate from your program, repaying your student loans can have a substantial negative impact on your financial situation. Graduating without any debt — or with a smaller debt burden — can lead to a more comfortable life after graduation. 

The first step is to fill out the FAFSA. Depending on your financial situation, you may qualify for need-based financial aid. Even if you didn't qualify for this type of aid as an undergraduate, a change to your dependency status or a lower income could have a big impact on your access to gift aid. 

Merit-based 

Merit-based scholarships are often awarded for academic or other achievements, often pertaining to the field you're going into.

Subject-specific

Subject-specific fellowships are usually merit-based opportunities to study a particular subject. The length of a fellowship might range from a few months to several years. Typically, you'll get a stipend for living expenses on top of your tuition costs.

Paying for graduate school is often not as simple as finding a single grant to cover the entire cost. Instead, you might piece together smaller grants and scholarships to make your graduate school experience financially feasible. 

The reality is that any free money you obtain will have a positive impact on your financial future. Below we will explore how much you stand to save if your entire graduate education costs $50,000:

Employer tuition reimbursement

Many large companies offer educational assistance to their employees. While you might have to go to school at a different pace, getting through school debt-free might be worth it.

Graduate assistantships

Many graduate programs offer assistantships to their students. In exchange for teaching classes or conducting research, the school may waive your tuition and possibly provide a living stipend. You can find out more about these opportunities directly from the administrator of your program. 

Fellowships

Fellowships are usually merit-based opportunities to study a particular subject. The length of a fellowship might range from a few months to several years. Typically, you'll get a stipend for living expenses on top of your tuition costs. 

Start with the FAFSA

File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, to determine eligibility for federal loans and work-study. The FAFSA is a form that determines what types of student aid you qualify for. You'll need to provide various documents to determine how much financial aid you'll receive. 

Types of federal loans

Direct unsubsidized loans: With direct unsubsidized loans , you are responsible for the interest that accrues during all periods.

Direct PLUS loans (for graduate or professional students): A Direct PLUS Loan is the federal option for parent loans. PLUS stands for Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students. You can use them to pay for expenses not covered by other financial aid offered by your child's school.

You can find scholarships available through countless organizations targeted to specific groups. Consider using a scholarship search engine, like Big Future by College Board , to find opportunities.

Before committing to a loan, shop around for the best rates and repayment options — not all private loans are created equal. For borrowers with limited credit history or lower credit scores, consider having a cosigner on your loan .

TEACH grants

If you are planning to pursue a career in teaching, you can tap into up to $4,000 per year in grants. At the end of your education, you must teach in a high-need field as a full-time teacher at a school that serves low-income students for at least four years. If you don't meet the service obligation, the grant will be converted into a loan. 

Fulbright grants

Fulbright grants allow U.S. citizens to pursue graduate school abroad. 

State-sponsored grants

Many states offer grants to students based on financial need or to those pursuing education in a specific field. Your school's financial aid office can highlight any state-sponsored grants you may qualify for. 

Organizational grants

Many organizations offer grants to their members. If you or your family is part of an organization, find out if they have grants available for graduate students.

If you can't afford grad school, don't give up! Explore all options, consider part-time programs, or research schools with lower tuition.

Make sure you remain cautious of taking on too much debt. Borrow only what you need and research affordable programs.

Yes, there are some student loan forgiveness programs for graduate school, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and certain state-based programs.

Paying for grad school: Conclusion

Paying for graduate school requires careful planning and research. By exploring multiple funding options, prioritizing free money and lower-cost loans, and managing your finances wisely, you can reduce your debt burden and focus on your academic goals.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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North Georgia teachers eligible for grants up to $20K from McDonald’s

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - McDonald’s is offering grants of up to $20,000 to K-12 teachers in North Georgia through its Golden Grants program.

Franchise owners and operators will select 12 winners from applicants across North Georgia. One winner will receive a $20,000 grant, one winner will receive a $10,000 grant and 10 winners will receive a $1,000 grant.

According to McDonald’s, “Activities that qualify for a Golden Grant include arts and crafts programs, education initiatives, mentorship and empowerment programs, after-school programs, community service outreach, sporting programs, and technology.”

Applications are being accepted through Oct. 13. The winners will be announced in November.

Teachers can apply here .

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning, Critical Studies in Education: Race, Justice, and Equity

CSERJE prepares highly qualified scholars to affect change in society. The specialization bridges theory and practice and deeply engages students in liberatory research practices (i.e. decolonizing, emancipatory, and humanizing theories, methodologies and methods) while also offering space for critical interrogation of historical practices that have harmed and disenfranchised communities. Faculty ask students to engage in deep reflexive understanding of the ways their selves are in relation to their worlds (both global and local and the interactions between those two) that provide critical implications for policy and practice. CSRJE prepares students to build with families, social groups, schools, organizations, and communities to interrupt and disrupt injustices while re-centering experiences and knowledges often held at the margins of society.

Students who began the T&L PhD program in AU24 or prior should follow the curriculum of one of the 8 areas of study associated with the PhD program prior to its redesign. This specialization only pertains to students who began in AU25, or, those who began prior and have already discussed and executed a specialization change with their faculty advisor. If you have any questions regarding which plan of study is most appropriate for you, please consult with your faculty advisor.

Funding Opportunities

Key to teaching, research and learning in the college, associateships provide students with professional experience and financial support.

These financial awards are made by Ohio State to students based on academic merit through a university-wide competition.

The college annually awards scholarships to its students to support their academic goals.

Degree Requirements

Prerequisites

Master’s degree.

Program start

Autumn Semester 

Deadline to apply

Minimum Program hours

(30 of which can be transferred from the student’s Master’s degree)

View Critical Studies in Education: Race, Justice and Equity (TCHLRN-PH-CSERJE) Curriculum Sheet

Apply to Ohio State

Application checklist

View application checklist