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The Department hosts a range of competitively awarded studentships and scholarships from within UCL and beyond.
Contents
- Doctoral School Fellowship
- UCL - CSC Visiting Research Student Award
- Economic and Social Research Council UBEL DTP scholarships
- NERC TREES Studentships
- UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Funding
- China Scholarship Council (CSC)-UCL Joint Research Scholarship
- UCL Research Opportunity Scholarships (UCL-ROS)
- Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships
- Research Excellence Scholarship for Cross-disciplinary Training (RXD)
- Reach Alliance Project 2024-26
- LAHP Open Studentship Competition
- Visiting research students
UCL scholarships you can apply for include:
- UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES)
- UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship
- UCL Research Excellence Scholarships for Cross-disciplinary Training (One-Year)
Along with research training studentships from:
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
The Department is a NERC London Doctoral Training partner and co-hosts the UCL ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership pathways in (1) Human Geography and Sustainability and (2) Urban Studies, Planning and Spatial Science’.
Scholarships and Studentships
Details of all funding opportunities can be found on the UCL Scholarship and Funding pages. Below are some suggested funding opportunities but you are advised to also look into alternative sources of funding in addition to this list.
Doctoral School Fellowship
A Doctoral School Fellowship that supports research students who, due to unforeseen circumstances, have their sponsorship interrupted or completely withdrawn.
UCL - CSC Visiting Research Student Award
UCL offers one award per year of provisional tuition fee funding for a visiting PhD student from China.
This scheme offers full tuition fee funding that is provisional* on the awardee successfully securing independent co-funding from the China Scholarship Council (CSC).
Economic and Social Research Council UBEL DTP scholarships
A range of ESRC funded doctoral studentships, as well as a limited number of postdoctoral funding opportunities, are offered through the UBEL DTP. UCL geographers (co-)lead two UBEL DTP pathways: Human Geography and Sustainability (co-lead Dr Rory Coulter) and Urban Studies, Planning and Spatial Science (lead Dr Andrew Harris).
We are particularly interested in applications that complement the Department’s existing research strengths and which align with the expertise of our academic staff. We will consider applications involving co-supervision with other UBEL pathways.
Please consult the DTP applications guidance and contact potential supervisors in the first instance to discuss a prospective application. Please copy the relevant pathway leads and team members into correspondence.
For further questions on UBEL opportunities and applications please contact the relevant pathway leads and the UBEL DTP team.
NERC TREES Studentships
The UCL Department of Geography is a partner of the new Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) TREES (Training, Research and Equity in Environmental Sciences) Doctoral Landscape Award. TREES brings together ten leading universities and research institutes within a dynamic programme for doctoral training designed to equip the next generation of environmental scientists to tackle today’s critical global challenges. The Co-Directors of TREES include UCL Geography’s Professors Helene Burningham and Julian Thompson.
Details of TREES including the PhD projects that are available and application guidance are available via the TREES website.
UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES)
UCL offers up to 40 fully funded UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (RES) to exceptional applicants from any country. Both prospective and current UCL doctoral students can apply.
Further details and eligibility criteria can be found at UCL Scholarships and Funding:
Please contact Rebekah Mann at geog.office@ucl.ac.uk for questions and information on admissions, applications processes and for submitting any additional information.
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Funding
AHRC Studentships are offered through the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP).
Please contact potential supervisors to discuss project ideas first before applying to LAHP.
China Scholarship Council (CSC)-UCL Joint Research Scholarship
This scholarship aims to expand educational, cultural and technological cooperation between the UK and China.
The CSC provides economy air travel to and from the UK, a living allowance and visa application fees. UCL will provide full tuition fees for the standard duration of a full-time MPhil/PhD programme up to 48 months, including a writing-up period
The UCL Scholarships and Funding pages have more information on eligibility, the value of the award and how to apply:
UCL Research Opportunity Scholarships (UCL-ROS)
The UCL-ROS supports BAME postgraduate research degree students.
The scholarship is run in collaboration with the Windsor Fellowship and offers full financial support and a skills development programme.
Download the cover sheet (.doc)
Further details and eligibility criteria can be found at UCL Scholarships and Funding:
Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships
The Wolfson Foundation is offering three postgraduate research scholarships for Faculty of Social and Historical students in 2025/26. These will be for areas in history, literature and languages.
Research Excellence Scholarship for Cross-disciplinary Training (RXD)
UCL's Research Excellence Scholarship for Cross-disciplinary Training (RXD) is our award for current research students to spend a year in another department acquiring new research skills.
For the 2025/26 academic year, we are offering four fully funded scholarship places to current UCL MPhil/PhD and EngD students from any country wishing to spend an additional year of their MPhil/PhD or EngD in another UCL department acquiring research skills and knowledge from a different discipline, which can be applied in their normal area of research. Training should be of one year's full-time duration to permit sustained exposure to the new discipline.
The scholarships can be taken at any point during the fee-paying period of an existing MPhil/PhD or EngD programme.
Reach Alliance Project 2024-26
We are offering three to four funded positions for PhD students to join the Reach Alliance project, "Blind Spot: Enabling Gender-Inclusive Climate Action in Peri-Urban Regions in India." This two-year interdisciplinary initiative, led by Dr Lakshmi Rajendran (Bartlett School of Architecture) and Dr Pushpa Arabindoo (UCL Department of Geography and UCL Institute of Advanced Studies), explores climate resilience, gender inequality, and social justice in India's peri-urban regions.
For more information or to apply, email p.arabindoo@ucl.ac.uk and l.rajendran@ucl.ac.uk with the subject "Reach Alliance Application." Include a two-page CV and a one-page motivation letter.
LAHP Open Studentship Competition
The LAHP Open Studentship Competition offers funding for doctoral research in the Arts and Humanities, requiring applicants to work with a supervisor, apply to a partner institution, and submit a proposal demonstrating high-quality research and feasibility for completion within three years.
Visiting research students
If you are currently enrolled on a PhD programme in another country, you can apply to carry out complementary research at UCL for between 3 to 12 months.
The first step in this process is to contact members of our academic staff who might be able to supervise your research.
You can find more information on the application process and fees on UCL’s Visiting Research Students page. Please note that visiting research student fees are calculated on a pro-rata basis and are based on a student’s fee status (i.e. Home or Overseas). Visiting students who have independently obtained scholarships that cover travel costs and maintenance (e.g. CSC visiting PhD programme) are responsible for securing funds for their fees.