UUK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Partially funded
UKRI Doctoral Studentships (Research Council Training Grants) for International Students
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), United Kingdom
Scholarship overview
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) brings together the UK's seven research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. It funds doctoral studentships through training grants awarded to UK universities and research organisations, including doctoral training partnerships and centres for doctoral training in every subject area from the arts and humanities to engineering, medicine and the physical sciences.
International students can hold a UKRI-funded studentship. Each research council sets a limit on the percentage of studentships in each cohort that can go to international students, so the number of places open to international candidates varies by council and programme.
Studentships are not awarded by UKRI directly. The research organisation holding the training grant advertises the places, recruits the students, checks eligibility and pays the stipend and fees. From 1 October 2026 the minimum stipend is £21,805 a year (£23,805 with London weighting).
Award Information
- Studentships are open to home and international students. A home student is a UK national, has settled or pre-settled status, has indefinite leave to remain or enter, or is an Irish national; anyone else is classed as an international student.
- Each research council caps the percentage of studentships in a cohort that can be awarded to international students; the cap varies between councils.
- Both home and international students must be resident in the UK for most of their studies; time overseas should only be for fieldwork or a long-term attachment.
- Students in full-time employment cannot receive any UKRI award. A student in part-time employment may be eligible for a part-time award of at least 50% of full-time.
- A new studentship must be a full award, not a fees-only award.
- Each training grant has its own specific eligibility details, set out in the funding opportunity and by the research organisation recruiting to it.
- The research organisation is responsible for checking that each student is eligible for the level of funding allocated.
- Minimum stipend from 1 October 2026: £21,805 a year (full-time; part-time pro rata).
- Minimum stipend with London weighting from 1 October 2026: £23,805 a year (the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council does not offer London weighting, but grant holders may pay higher stipends).
- Minimum stipend for 2025 to September 2026: £20,780 (£22,780 with London weighting).
- Tuition fees at the UKRI fee level: £5,238 for 2026 to 2027, paid to the research organisation. UKRI only contributes up to the home fee rate; the difference between home and international fees can come from other sources, which can include the student.
- BBSRC-funded students training for a recognised veterinary degree: higher minimum stipend of £30,488 for 2026 to 2027.
- Additional funding to the research organisation for research training activities such as conferences.
- Paid leave: at least 30 days' annual leave, medical leave of up to 28 weeks in a rolling 12-month period, and family leave.
- Not covered: visa fees and the immigration health surcharge.
UKRI does not set a single deadline. Each research organisation, doctoral training partnership or centre for doctoral training sets its own recruitment dates for studentships starting in the 2027 to 2028 academic year. New minimum stipend rates apply no later than the first stipend payment after 1 October each year.
- Identify UKRI-funded doctoral training partnerships, centres for doctoral training or advertised studentships at UK universities in your subject.
- Check the programme's own eligibility rules, the number of places open to international students and whether the university will waive or cover the difference between home and international fees.
- Apply to the university or doctoral training programme through its own application process by its deadline.
- If selected, the research organisation confirms your eligibility and records your studentship with UKRI.
Official links
How selection works
Recruitment is run by the research organisation. UKRI expects organisations to have a transparent recruitment process with clear assessment criteria, appropriate and diverse recruitment panels, and scoring criteria that allow fair comparison of academic and non-academic achievements, such as industry experience.
