PhD Studentships

Masters (MPhil) Widening Participation Fee Scholarship

This scholarship is for University of Salford graduates and was introduced for the 2023/24 academic year. The scholarship will cover tuition fees for the year (UK tuition fees). There is no bursary.

All research areas are eligible, you can study anything, but please note some research areas, such as laboratory work, come with additional costs that will need to be funded separately.

To apply, you need to be a UK applicant (i.e. eligible for UK fees) and a University of Salford graduate who is applying to undertake a research degree for the first time. You must first apply for an get an offer for the MPhil (or MSc by Research) programme, before you will be considered for the scholarship. In addition, these scholarships are targeted at increasing participation from groups currently underrepresented within research and priority will be given to students that meet one or more of the criteria below.

• Your home postcode (i.e. the postcode you used to apply to university through UCAS) is listed as a ‘1’ or ‘2’ in the POLAR4 column on the POLAR checking tool.
• You are from an ethnic group that is underrepresented in research careers (Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic).
• You identify as having a disability. The term ‘disability’ is quite broad, and further definitions of what might be considered a ‘disability’ can be found under the Equality Act 2010.
• You are a first-generation student (you are the first person in your family to go to university).
• You are a mature student (you were aged 21 or over when you started your first undergraduate course).
• You are care-experienced or an estranged student.

The application details and timeline for this scholarship are below.

PhD Widening Participation Scholarships

We are delighted to be offering 10 PhD widening participation scholarships each year for UK candidates.

For entry in September/October 2024, the scholarship will cover tuition fees (UK tuition fees), a stipend for 3.5 years of £19,367, and an annual research budget of £1,000 (years 1-3). Please note: these costs are based on the 2024/25 academic year and may change in future years.

All research areas are eligible, you can study anything, but please note some research areas, such as laboratory work, come with additional costs that will need to be funded separately.

Any UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) are able to apply, however these scholarships are targeted at increasing participation from groups currently underrepresented within research and priority will be given to students that meet one or more of the below criteria. Priority will also be given to University of Salford graduates.

• Your home postcode (i.e. the postcode you used to apply to university through UCAS) is listed as a ‘1’ or ‘2’ in the POLAR4 column on the POLAR checking tool.
• You are from an ethnic group that is underrepresented in research careers (Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic).
• You identify as having a disability. The term ‘disability’ is quite broad, and further definitions of what might be considered a ‘disability’ can be found under the Equality Act 2010.
• You are a first-generation student (you are the first person in your family to go to university).
• You are a mature student (you were aged 21 or over when you started your first undergraduate course).
• You are care-experienced or an estranged student.

How do I apply? 

All candidates who wish to apply for the MPhil or PhD widening participation scholarship will first need to apply for and be accepted onto a research degree programme.

As long as you have submitted your completed application for September/October 2024 intake by 28 February 2024 and you qualify for UK fees, you will be sent a very short scholarship application. This form must be returned by 28 March 2024.  

Your completed scholarship application form will be considered in conjunction with your research programme application (including your proposal, personal statement, CV, references, and interview outcome). The first stage will be a school level shortlisting process which will take place at the end of April/Start of May. Those candidates shortlisted by each school will be invited to meet the central selection panel, between 20 and 23 May 2024, for a short discussion (~20 minutes) about the candidate’s motivation for applying and their aspirations for the programme. The panel will meet to make final decision the following week.  

Arts and Humanities Research Council 

North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) 

Funded PhD Studentships for 2023-2024 entry 

The NWCDTP brings together the Universities of Salford, Manchester, Keele, Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the Royal Northern College of Music which between them award NWC PhD studentships annually. 

A full postgraduate award for full-time study provides funds to meet: 

• The payment of approved fees to the institution 
• A maintenance grant 

The level of the grant for the current academic year 2022-23 is as follows (the level of the grant for 2023-24 and the following years is subject to confirmation from the AHRC): 

• Maintenance Grant £17,668 (or part-time pro rata)  

The Consortium also provides access to additional funding for field research and further training. 
 
The studentships and training initiatives of various kinds and span the full range of the AHRC’s disciplines. As part of the scheme, the AHRC is also funding placement opportunities and additional skills training, working alongside partner organisations including museums, galleries, cultural organisations and businesses. 
 

Salford Pathway Representatives: 

NWC University of Salford Pathway Representatives: 

Creative Writing 

Professor Ursula Hurley  - u.k.hurley@salford.ac.uk

Dance, Drama and Performing Arts 

Dr Richard Talbot – r.talbot@salford.ac.uk  

English 

Dr Jade Munslow Ong – j.munslowOng@salford.ac.uk 

History 

Dr Brian Hall – b.h.hall1@salford.ac.uk

Law 

Ayesha Chowdhury  - a.chowdhury@salford.ac.uk

Linguistics

Dr  Jack Wilson – j.j.wilson@salford.ac.uk

Media and Cultural Studies 

Dr Leslie McMurtry – l.g.mcmurtry@salford.ac.uk

Dr Carole O’Reilly -   c.oreilly@salford.ac.uk 

Heritage  

Dr Juan Hiriart Vera – j.f.v.hiriart@salford.ac.uk 

Music 

Professor Alan Williams -  a.e.williams@salford.ac.uk 

Visual Arts 

Dr Toni Sant – a.sant2@salford.ac.uk 
 

Application  Process: 

The competition is now open for applications for the 2023/24 academic year and potential applicants are invited to submit to the University of Salford as follows: 

Stage 1: 

To apply for an NWC DTP award at the University of Salford, candidates must have applied for a place on a PhD programme at Salford by Friday 13 January 2023 

Please contact the relevant Pathway Representative at Salford with an expression of interest as soon as possible. 

Stage 2: 

Candidates must then submit an NWCDTP funding application by Friday 3 February 2023 (17:00).  

Ring Fenced Studentships 

The NWCDTP is committed to equality of opportunity and working to ensure our cohort of postgraduate researchers reflects the diverse community we serve. We have introduced a range of positive measures to assist in achieving these commitments, recognising in particular that postgraduate researchers from Global Majority, Disabled, and Socioeconomically Unequal communities are currently underrepresented on our programmes and across the UK university sector. The introduction of these measures follows a review of our recruitment processes and forms part of a three-year plan we have developed to achieve greater diversity and better equality outcomes.

One of the steps we have taken as part of that plan was to introduce ring-fenced studentships during a 2 year period (2021-2023). In 2022/3, we will guarantee one candidate from Global Majority (including heritage) communities a studentship. Applicants from these groups will, of course, also be considered as part of our recruitment to all of the available studentships. Students who consider themselves to be from socioeconomically unequal backgrounds are able to apply for our Broken Pipeline scholarship. Finally, as a means for addressing problematic disparity within the discipline, we are offering one ring-fenced studentship to a Female (female in this context meaning anyone identifying as a woman) Philosophy student. These ring-fenced studentships, apart from the Broken Pipeline scholarship, are open to International applicants.

Applicants wishing to apply for one of the ring-fenced studentships will have the opportunity to identify themselves on the application form as wishing to be considered for these targeted studentships. Their applications will be considered as part of the standard award competition and will be subject to the same assessment criteria and schedule (see how to apply above).

Applications workshops

The NWC  will be running an online application workshop via Zoom for those who are interested in applying:

• Tuesday 11 Jan 2023, 10-11 (GMT): https://zoom.us/j/96352771217 (Passcode: 323935)

Applicants are strongly advised to discuss their interests with the relevant Pathway Representative and prospective supervisors before submission of a formal application to the University and to the NWC. 

For general advice concerning the NWC studentship competition, please contact pgr-supportsam@salford.ac.uk,  in the first instance. 

About the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Prosthetics and Orthotic

The Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in prosthetics and orthotics combines expertise from the University of Salford, Imperial College London, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Southampton with more than 25 global industry partners and national facilities.
We have assembled a world-leading set of research organisations to address important global health challenges in the prosthetic, orthotic and wider healthcare technology sector.

Our aim is to create a new generation of highly skilled researchers who are able to deliver the technology and service innovations needed to meet the aspirations of prosthetic and orthotic users.

Our training enables students to work across the continuum of skills required in the sector, understanding how high-quality and interdisciplinary science and engineering research can improve the everyday lives of people across the globe.

Did you know?        

• 80-90% of prosthetic and orthotic users do not have access to appropriate services and devices (World Health Organisation 2018).            

There is a wide range of health problems that require prosthetic and orthotic devices and services:  

• Globally, 1.2 million people each year experience a major amputation due to trauma, the vast majority are of working age, with average age in some areas being 35 years of age.          
• In the UK a record high of 25,527 diabetes-related major/minor amputations occurred between 2013-2016 (Diabetes UK 2017), and many of these will require a prosthetic limb.          
• There are 1.2 million stroke survivors, the UK's leading cause of disability and many use orthoses to support walking and use of hands (Stroke Association 2017).          
• There will be 6.5 million people in the UK with knee arthritis by 2020 and 2.6 million of these will be of working-age . Many could benefit from specialist orthoses (Arthritis Research UK, 2014)          
• Some 400,000 people in the UK have rheumatoid arthritis and rely upon orthoses to protect there upper and lower limb joints          
• 30,000 children have cerebral palsy and use orthoses to help them walk (Arthritis Research UK, 2014).          

The EPSRC  Centre for Doctoral Training in Prosthetics and Orthotics aims to address these important health care needs, producing a new generation of highly skilled researchers who can help deliver technology and service innovations needed to meet the aspirations of users, and the industry and  third  sector  agencies  supporting them.
Students study over 4 years at one of either the University of Salford, Imperial College London, University of Strathclyde or the University of Southampton. Students are immersed in authentic real-world academic, industry and clinical experiences, working directly  with  users  and  future employers from the outset.
Staff, students and partners will be excepted to commit to our EDI mission: to create an inspirational, inclusive learning, research and working environment, celebrating the diversity of our community in our everyday conversation.

Contact us

Contact us: cdt@salford.ac.uk