Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships (EDCS)

The University will offer PhD scholarships for students starting their PhD research at the University in the 2025-2026 academic session.

Background

In order to attract the best and brightest PhD students, the University seeks to offer not only unparalleled research facilities and superb supervision, but also to provide development opportunities which will support our research students as they progress beyond their PhD, through an exciting scholarship scheme.

Moray House School of Education and Sport offers one fully-funded EDCS across any area of study within our doctoral programmes, for studies commencing in 2025-26. The stipend will be set to the UKRI level for 2024/25, which will be £19,237 for full-time students, or the pro rata equivalent for part-time students. 

As a student with us, you will work with some of the most influential academics in your chosen field and learn about the very latest developments in your subject. Those chosen exemplify the high standards the University of Edinburgh sets for its research students and the investment that we make in their potential.

Who can apply

The EDCS has a high number of applicants, and as a result is highly competitive. Therefore, only applicants who have already secured an offer from Moray House School of Education and Sport to undertake in-person PhD studies as from October 2025 can apply for the scholarship. 

Candidates for the EDCS must be seeking to start their first year of full-time or part-time PhD study in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences within the academic year 2025-26. We do not accept distance programmes to the EDCS award or transfer from in-person to distance programme. MSc by Research programmes are not eligible. 

Application and deadlines

Please, read the information below carefully before starting your application process. 

STEP 1: PhD Application

Your completed PhD admission application must have been made via the University of Edinburgh online application system by Monday 16 December 2024. This means that all your supporting documentation (research proposal, academic references, copies of qualifications/transcripts) must, where available, also be uploaded. 

Please liaise closely with your referees to ensure they supply the required reference by this date. If a degree result or test of English competency is pending we can consider your application and, where appropriate, make you an offer conditional upon supplying these at a later date. 

Please visit our postgraduate research degrees pages to find information about our PhD programmes, how to write a proposal, potential supervisors, and the application site. Use the template below to write your proposal.

Only those applicants who have been made an offer (conditional/unconditional) before Monday 27 January 2025 to undertake PhD studies with us as from October 2025 can move on to Step 2. 

Please note that once you have been made an offer, you cannot update your research proposal. What you submitted as Part of Step 1 will be assessed as part of your scholarship application (See Step 2).

STEP 2: Scholarship application

Once you have secured an offer, you can apply for the EDCS. The online scholarship application form can be accessed via MyEd/ApplicantHub (EUCLID). 

When logging in to MyEd, you will need your University User Name and password. If you require assistance, please visit our support and guidance pages. The scholarship deadline is 3rd February 2025, 12:00 noon/pm UK time.

Statement

In the form, you will be asked to provide a statement. Write the statement by answering these four questions:

  1. Why have you chosen Moray House and the supervisors specified above for your application?
  2. How will your research project add value to the research being undertaken at Moray House?
  3. Why are you a particularly suitable candidate for a scholarship?
  4. What do you expect the impact of your research to be?

Please, note that your application will be assessed by a Panel against the set of criteria which you can view or download below.

Assessment criteria

The assessment consists of two parts: your research proposal and statement (the latter is part of the application on EUCLID). Your application will be assessed by a Panel against the following criteria. 

Research proposal
Score 10-8 7-5 4-1
Format The proposal demonstrates excellent ability to follow with instructions. The proposal demonstrates ability to follow instructions. The proposal demonstrates limited awareness of instructions.
Background knowledge The proposal exhibits critical and/or reflexive use of concepts and the literature. The proposal exhibits satisfactory use of concepts and the literature. The proposal is mostly descriptive, with little ability to articulate a critical and/or reflexive perspective.
Originality The aims/RQs are extremely original and/or reflexive and have the potential to make an outstanding contribution to the field. The research is underpinned with a clear rationale. The aims/RQs are original and/or reflexive and have the potential to make a good contribution to the field. The research is underpinned with a rationale, though it may not always be clear. The aims/RQs offer little originality/reflexivity. The research is not underpinned with a rationale.
Planning The proposal includes a coherent, effective, and doable methodology. The proposal includes a clear, effective, and doable methodology. The proposal lacks a methodology that aligns with the aims, RQs; it may prove problematic at the level of implementation.
Discourse The proposal is effectively organised and written. The applicant demonstrates excellent knowledge and use of general and specific academic vocabulary. The proposal is satisfactorily organised and written. The applicant demonstrates knowledge and use of general and specific academic vocabulary. The proposal lacks textual organisation. The applicant demonstrates little awareness of general and specific academic vocabulary.
Statement

The applicants are expected to answer the four statement questions listed above.

Score 5-4 3-2 1
Discourse The statement is extremely coherent. The statement is coherent. The statement lacks coherence.
Impact The applicant demonstrates excellent awareness of the academic & societal impact of their proposal. The applicant demonstrates awareness of the academic & societal impact of their proposal. The applicant demonstrates little awareness of the academic & societal impact of their proposal.

Notification

Decisions will be made by May 2025.

Tips for writing a successful proposal

Your proposal should provide insight into what you plan to research, how you will conduct your research, and the contribution(s) it will make. At this stage your proposal provides evidence of your ability to write, think, create and argue. It also helps indicate how your research will fit into the institution and its goals. 

A strong proposal contains a clear proposition and/or question, sets up outcomes that can be delivered, contains several propositions which are then connected to for the structure, is intelligible to non-experts, has a relevant audience, and demonstrates critical thinking. Remember to follow the template form.

PhD research proposal template form

Related links

Postgraduate Research Student Office

Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarships - Further information on Student Funding

PhD Education

PhD Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences

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