About this opportunity
Durham University has opened a competition for up to eleven PhD Studentships in Transformative Humanities, supported by the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award together with the Faculties of Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences. The awards back candidates beginning a doctorate in October 2027 on projects that speak to the Transformative Humanities framework.
Each studentship carries a tuition fee waiver and a stipend for 3.5 years full time or seven years part time at the level set by UK Research and Innovation, plus additional funding opportunities and access to training and placement resources. Up to nine awards are open to home students at home tuition level and up to two are open to overseas students at overseas tuition level, which keeps a funded route in reach of applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom.
To be considered you must be accepted onto a Durham PhD programme with a supervisory team led by Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences, and because the scheme is cross disciplinary by design, your supervision has to run across at least two departments. Durham recommends contacting potential supervisors before you apply so the project, approach and fit can be discussed first. At doctoral level the university expects most applicants to hold at least a UK 2:1 honours degree or an international equivalent, and departments set their own further requirements.
The funding application rides on an ordinary Durham doctoral application. You apply to the PhD programme of the lead supervisor through the university postgraduate applicant portal, then type Transformative Humanities under Scholarship details in the funding section, and list any other schemes you want to be considered for at the same time. Durham holds an online information session on 10 November 2026 at 11am UK time, closes the competition at noon UK time on 15 January 2027, and notifies successful applicants in March 2027.
What you receive
- Tuition fees covered at home level on up to nine awards, or at overseas level on up to two awards
- A stipend for 3.5 years of full time study or seven years part time, at the level set by UK Research and Innovation
- Additional funding opportunities on top of the fees and stipend
- Access to training and placement resources through the scheme
- Supervision across at least two departments, built around the Transformative Humanities research framework
- Backed by the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award and the Faculties of Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences
- An online information and question and answer session on 10 November 2026 at 11am UK time
Who can apply
- Accepted onto a Durham University PhD programme with a supervisory team led by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities or the Faculty of Social Sciences
- A project related to the themes of the Transformative Humanities framework, with supervision including collaboration across at least two departments
- Open to both home and overseas students, with up to nine awards at home level and up to two at overseas level
- Most doctoral applicants are expected to hold at least a UK 2:1 honours degree or an international equivalent, with further requirements set by the department
- International applicants should check Durham country specific entry requirements, English language guidance and visa support
- Study begins in October 2027
Who should not apply
- Only candidates Durham has accepted onto a PhD programme with an Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences led supervisory team can be considered for this funding
- There is no separate funding form, the scheme is nominated inside the Durham doctoral application through the funding section
Documents to prepare
- Research proposal of up to 1,000 words including footnotes but excluding bibliography, defining the research questions and context, the intended approach and methods, the relevance to transformative humanities and the fit with Durham
- A CV of up to two pages
- Completed equal opportunities monitoring form, keeping the code issued after submission as proof
- Contact details of two referees, with reference letters submitted through the online application site
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates, plus English language evidence where applicable
How to apply
- Read the Transformative Humanities framework and shape a project that clearly connects to its themes, with a supervisory team spanning at least two departments.
- Contact potential supervisors in the lead department before you apply to discuss the project, since the scheme recommends this step.
- Create an account on Durham postgraduate applicant portal at https://studyatdurham.microsoftcrmportals.com/en-US/ and apply to the PhD programme of the lead supervisor, saving and completing the form in stages.
- In the funding section under Scholarship details, type Transformative Humanities, and list any other Durham schemes you want to be considered for.
- Add your research proposal of up to 1,000 words, a CV of up to two pages, the equal opportunities monitoring code and two referee contacts, then upload transcripts, degree certificates and English language evidence where needed.
- Submit before noon UK time on 15 January 2027. Questions go to the departmental postgraduate team at artsandhumanities.pgrteam@durham.ac.za.
Selection process
- Entries are assessed in an open competition for up to eleven studentships, with up to nine home awards and up to two overseas awards.
- Candidates must also hold admission to a Durham PhD programme with a qualifying supervisory team, since the funding competition only considers accepted students.
- Successful applicants are notified in March 2027, for study beginning in October 2027.
Sources and verification
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Questions applicants ask
Can I apply from outside the UK?
Yes. The scheme is open to both home and overseas students, with up to two awards reserved for overseas candidates and covering tuition fees at overseas level.
Do I need a supervisor before I apply?
Durham recommends contacting potential supervisors first to discuss the project. Beyond that, only candidates accepted onto a Durham PhD with an Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences led supervisory team can be considered for the funding.
Is there a separate funding form?
No. You apply through the Durham postgraduate applicant portal and type Transformative Humanities under Scholarship details in the funding section of that application.
When will I hear the outcome?
Successful applicants are notified in March 2027, and the studentships support PhD study starting in October 2027.
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