Information for STFC funded PhD students

STFC funded studentships are recruited by UK research organisations that have been accredited as suitable training environments to be included in the algorithm for an allocation of studentships which are awarded through a training grant. The organisations comply with the UKRI training grant terms and conditions. The research organisations are responsible for recruiting eligible candidates within the STFC remit for the awards.

STFC fund several types of studentship and you could be funded under a Doctoral Training Partnership, Centre for Doctoral Training or Industrial CASE Studentship.

Recruitment can take place at any time of year but the majority will be recruited in the early part of the year for October starts. STFC ask Departments not to put undue pressure on students to accept these places prior to 31 March each year.

The duration of your studentship should be agreed at the beginning of your studentship and this can be for 3, 3.5 or 4 years. The project should be designed for you to complete including submission of the thesis within the funded period. 

On starting your studentship if you are eligible for a stipend the research organisation will pay you from the training grant funds. You will find the current payments detailed on our payments page.

If you have a disability you should contact the disability adviser at your research organisation for guidance and advice. Additional support may include specialist equipment and non-medical assistance.

During your studentship you may need to travel overseas on fieldwork trips or placements. These can be short trips of up to 120 days or long-term attachments (LTA) of more than 120 days. Departments will apply to STFC for additional funding for students that require a LTA. 

STFC fund summer schools in each scientific remit and you will be able to attend one or more of these courses during your award.  You will be able to find the most up to date information on the current schools available on our summer school page.

You will also be contacted each year to complete the annual PhD Student Questionnaire. STFC value the views from students on their experiences of the training provided. The submissions are confidential and no individual or institution will be identified so we do ask for honest feedback. The analysis of previous questionnaires for your information can be found on our PhD Student Questionnaire page.

If you have any issues that you are having difficulty in resolving, please refer to your organisation’s complaint procedures.

We do hope you have found this information useful but do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions or require further information – studentships@stfc.ukri.org.