Funding for a PhD

Scholarships and funding for a PhD in the Management School. 

LUMS Scholarships

A number of LUMS Studentships will also be available, which include a fee waiver and a stipend of approximately £19,000 per annum. Applicants should indicate that they wish to be considered for a Doctoral Studentship on their application form (under the section on the proposed source of funding and in the personal statement) so that they can automatically be considered. There are no separate studentship application forms.

These studentships will be available for all the PhD programmes offered by LUMS and for students of any nationality. Awards will be allocated on a competitive basis, intended to support promising researchers in pursuing their PhD studies at LUMS. Students receiving these studentships will be required to undertake some teaching and/or marking activities.

Eligibility: all students

Deadline for applications: 16 March 2026

ESRC Awards

Lancaster University forms part of the Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) (NWSSDTP), which offers a large number of studentships covering tuition and providing a living allowance. Details of the provision and funding offered by the NWSSDTP are available on the NWSSDTP website.

Eligibility: All students (The University will fund the difference between the Home and Overseas tuition fee for any successful overseas applicants).

If you are interested in applying for an ESRC Studentship, please contact Sarah Patterson.

Deadline for applications: 2 February 2026

Departmental studentships

Programme specific studentships

External scholarships for PhD students

Scholarships from external funders for doctoral students at Lancaster University.

  • China Scholarships Council

    Funding for tuition fees, living costs and flights for Chinese PhD students, following a successful application.

  • Commonwealth Scholarships

    Full funding for international postgraduate students, depending on eligibility criteria.

Postgraduate Doctoral Loan

If you’re starting a doctoral degree, you could get a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan of up to £30,301 to help with course fees and living costs. It isn’t based on your income or your family’s, and it’s paid directly to you.

Find out more on the student finance website.

Lancaster University funding information

  • University scholarships and bursaries

    Lancaster University information on scholarships and bursaries

  • A searchable database of funding opportunities on the Lancaster University ASK portal.

  • A funding resource for current and prospective postgraduate students looking to fund postgraduate study in the UK through grants from charities, trusts, and foundations. Lancaster University students can access the guide for free.

Additional information

Many websites provide information about funding opportunities. We suggest overseas applicants consider the website for helpful information. Among the other sources, we suggest the following links:

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