College of Social Sciences PhD Scholarship
The College of Social Sciences will soon invite applications to its doctoral scholarship competitions. In 2026/27, we will again be running two competitions: one for supervisor-designed projects for which a PhD candidate may not yet have been identified, and one for student-designed projects, supported by supervisors. There will be a number of CoSS PhD Scholarships available across the two competitions.
The main criterion for eligibility is that:
- Applications must be submitted to an SGSSS competition (i.e. either the SGSSS Student-Led Open Competiton, or any of the Supervisor-led SGSSS Competitions: Steers, Open Collaborative or SDS Collaborative).; and
- The intended projects Lead/Primary Supervisor and intended PhD Programme must be from within the College of Social Sciences.
CoSS PhD Scholarships will be standard 3-year PhD awards, with the expectation that the PhD projects will be designed and supervised to allow for completion of the research and submission of the thesis by within the funded period.
Benefits
All CoSS PhD Scholarships provide a stipend at the UKRI Stipend level; a 100% Tuition fee waiver and access to a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG).
CoSS PhD Scholarships do not provide any funds for relocation or commencement (e.g. any costs incurred for travel, visa and international health surchages and any other commencement costs would be the funding recipients own responsibility).
Supervisor Led Competition
Supervisor Led Competition
- Applicants must have applied to an SGSSS Supervisor-Led studentship competition (e.g. ESRC Steers, ESRC Open Collaborative, ESRC SDS Collaborative).
- Lead/Primary supervisor and intended PhD programme of the SGSSS submitted proposal must be within the College of Social Sciences, where the PhD researcher will be based. Proposals where the lead supervisor, or intended PhD programme, is based in another College will not be considered for the CoSS PhD Scholarships.
- The College Graduate School will obtain a list of all SGSSS Steers/Open Collaborative/SDS Collaborative applicants from the SGSSS.
- The Graduate School will contact the applicants and ask if they also wish to be considered for a CoSS PhD Scholarship, if yes, they will be asked to send a copy of their SGSSS application (Stage 1/Expression of Interest only if applicable) to the Graduate School.
CoSS supervisor-led competition timelines
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| TBC | Deadline for SGSSS Steers Stage 1/Expression of Interest applications |
| TBC | Deadline for SGSSS Open Collaborative and SGSSS SDS Collaborative applications |
| TBC | SGSSS outcomes of Stage 1 Steers competitions |
| TBC | CoSS Graduate School begins contacting applicants to the SGSSS competitions to lodge their project to the CoSS Graduate School |
| TBC | SGSSS outcomes of Collaborative competitions |
| TBC | |
| TBC | Applications circulated to College Assessment Panel (CAP) - made up of Dean of Graduate Studies + PGR Director from each School |
| TBC | CAP to meet to select successful supervisor-led projects |
| TBC | Award outcomes communicated to project teams |
| TBC | Student recruitment adverts due to CoSS Graduate School |
| TBC | Student recruitment goes live |
| TBC | Deadling for student applications to successful projects |
| TBC | Deadline for references. Applications circulated to Project Teams for assessment/shortlist/interview |
| TBC | Deadline for Project Teams to identify preferred applicant |
| 01 October 2026 | Funded students to commence PhD |
Student Led Competition
Student-Led Competition
- Applicants proposed PhD programme and lead supervisor must be within the College of Social Sciences, where you will be based. Applicants whose proposed PhD programme or lead supervisor are based in another College will not be considered for the CoSS PhD Scholarships.
- The main eligibility criteria is that applicants must have lodged a complete, eligible and on time application to the SGSSS Student-Led Open Competition
Application process
- Lodge an complete, eligible and on time application to the SGSSS Student-Led Open Competition.
- SGSSS Student-Led Open Competition applicants who are shortlisted by the SGSSS HEI Review (or Stage 1), will be contacted by the CoSS Graduate School with guidance as to how to ensure their SGSSS application will be considered for the CoSS PhD Scholarship competition.
- SGSSS Student-Led Open Competition applicants who are not shortlisted by the SGSSS HEI Review (or Stage 1), will not be contacted and will not be considered for CoSS PhD Scholarships.
Closing Date: TBC
Competition timelines:
|
Date |
Action |
|
TBC |
Applications for SGSSS Student-Led Open Competition must be lodged to the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) |
|
TBC |
SGSSS updates all applicants of their shortlisting (or final outcome) from HEI Review (Stage 1) |
| TBC |
CoSS Graduate School contacts applicants shortlisted by HEI Review (Stage 1) with further guidance on being considered for the CoSS PhD Scholarships |
|
TBC |
|
|
TBC |
CoSS PhD Scholarship applications sent to College Assessment Panel (Dean of Graduate Studies and PGR Director from each School) |
|
TBC |
College Assessment Panel to finalise scoring of shortlisted Student-led applications |
|
TBC |
SGSSS Global Review (Stage 3) meets to make final award decisions for SGSS Student-Led Open Competition |
|
TBC |
College Assessment Panel meets to consider and award Student-led CoSS PhD Scholarships |
|
TBC |
SGSSS Outcome & Preliminary Award released to applicants |
|
TBC |
CoSS PhD Scholarship final outcomes and awards. Successful applicants invited to apply to relevant PhD programme. |
|
01 October 2026 |
Successful applicants commence their CoSS PhD Scholarship-funded PhDs |