The SWWDTP is funded by and works in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The AHRC funds postgraduate training and research in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance.

The application system is open from 00:01am UK time on Monday 25th November 2024 and will close at 23:59pm UK time on Monday 20th January 2025 - please use the relevant apply button at the bottom of the page to start your application.

SWWDTP2 will be awarding up to 39 doctoral studentships for entry in October 2025. We welcome applicants from the UK and overseas with evidence of exceptional promise for PhD study. You will have a compelling research project that will benefit from the expertise we can offer in and across a range of subjects, and from our rich academic resources and network of partners.

Please note the following information when completing your application:

• The deadline for submission of your application is 23:59pm UK time on Monday 20 January 2025 and we do not accept late or incomplete applications.
• Please note that you cannot submit your application until all sections of the application form are complete.
• Your application is not submitted, even when all sections are complete, until you have clicked the 'submit' button.
• Once an application form is submitted, you will not be able to edit the contents. ‘Submission’ means you are willing for SWWDTP2 to log the application as complete.
• We do not require references as part of your application. 

Eligibility and residency requirements

We fund UK and international students with evidence of exceptional promise for PhD study. Our students will have a compelling project that benefits from the expertise we offer in and across a range of subjects and from our rich archival resources and network of professional partners.

Eligibility for studentships

SWWDTP studentships are open to full-time and part-time applicants from the UK and abroad. Students in full-time employment during their PhD are not eligible for a studentship. A student in part-time employment during their PhD may be eligible for a part-time award; part-time study should not be less than 50% of full-time.

Students who have already commenced doctoral study are eligible to apply for AHRC funding, provided that they will have at least 50% of the total funded period remaining (1 year and 10 months for full-time applicants) from the start of the award on 1st October 2025.

SWWDTP studentships entitle both UK and international doctoral students to a tuition fee award and a full maintenance award.

For international students, UKRI/AHRC – and therefore SWWDTP – will only fund fees to the level of the Home UK fee. Each consortium member determines how it manages the difference between its home student and international student tuition fees. Please check the relevant funding pages of your chosen home institution for its policy on how it manages this difference.

Residence status

For purposes of residence requirements, the UK includes the United Kingdom and Islands (the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man).

To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have settled status, or
• Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

A candidate who does not meet the criteria above is classed as an international student. International students will need to relocate to the UK. 

International applicants must ensure that they meet visa and residency requirements. UKRI offers further guidance for international applicants.

Download EU and international eligibility for UKRI studentships from 2021 (PDF, 195kB)

All SWWDTP awardees (home and international): 

1. Ideally, we expect you to reside within the region of your home institution, so you can make the most of the research resources and environment there.
2. Minimally, we expect you to reside within a reasonable and sustainable commuting distance of your home institution.
3. We can only provide funding for DTP-related travel to an amount equivalent to if you were residing within the region of your home institution.
4. It is an AHRC requirement of your funding that you reside in the UK. We are not allowed to support students resident outside the UK. We are not allowed to support distance learning. 

Academic eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a doctoral studentship, you must have an undergraduate degree. You should normally have, or be studying for, a Master’s degree or similar postgraduate qualification. You should also have met all the course requirements of your home institution before the start date of the SWWDTP studentship.

If you do not have experience of formal postgraduate study, you would be eligible to apply for a studentship if you can demonstrate evidence of sustained experience beyond your undergraduate degree that is specifically relevant to your proposed research topic and/or methodology that could be considered equivalent to Master’s study.

Studentship rates and PhD tuition fees

For 2024-25, the tuition fee rate has been £4,786 per annum (or part-time equivalent), and the maintenance award rate is £19,237 per annum (or part-time equivalent). All students receive these award rates. Rates for 2025-26 should be announced by UKRI/AHRC in January 2025. 

All Consortium HEIs charge a higher PhD tuition fee for international students. Please note that for international students, UKRI/AHRC - and therefore SWWDTP - will only fund fees to the equivalent of the Home UK fee.  Each consortium member determines how it manages the difference between its home and international student tuition fees. Please check the relevant funding pages of your chosen home institution for its policy on how it manages this difference.  

Studentship length

An SWWDTP2 studentship lasts three years and eight months (or part-time equivalent). Students who have already commenced doctoral study are eligible to apply for AHRC funding, provided that, at the start of the AHRC award, they will have at least 50% of the funded period remaining. The AHRC expects all students to submit their project within the funded period.

Please note that by making an application to SWWDTP2 you are applying for a studentship only. You will still need to make a separate application to your choice of home institution for your place. You do not need to wait for the outcome of your SWWDTP2 application before applying to your home institution, but can complete the application processes concurrently. If awarded a studentship, you must ensure that you have a confirmed place at your choice of home institution by the start of the award.