Polar and Alpine Change Research Scholarship
Home students who are current students on or graduates/graduands of our MSc(Res) Polar and Alpine Change programme can apply for 2024-25 entry.
The deadline for applications for 2024-25 entry has now passed.
The scholarship
This scholarship provides academically excellent Home students who are graduates, graduands* or current students of our Polar and Alpine Change MSc(Res) programme with the opportunity to study fully funded for a PhD at the University of Sheffield. The scholarship is supported by the School of Geography and Planning.
The research to be undertaken for the PhD can be in any area of polar and alpine change, though applications will be assessed partly on fit with expertise of the supervisor or the school, and therefore it is strongly recommended that applicants discuss their project idea with an appropriate staff member prior to application.
The scholarship will fund stipend and tuition fees for three and a half years full time (seven years part time), and includes access to a Research Support and Training Grant (see below).
*Students who have completed study on the programme and are awaiting the formal conferment of their degree as part of a graduation ceremony.
Award details
The award includes:
- Tuition fees (UK only) and a full maintenance stipend at the UKRI rate (currently £18,622 for 2023/24) for up to three and a half years full-time study (seven years part-time study), subject to satisfactory progress
- Access to Research and Training Support funds for conference, field and other expenses to the value of £8,000 for the duration of the stipend and tuition-fee paying period
Part-time studentships are paid at 50% of the full-time rate.
Eligibility
Awards are open to Home applicants only.
You should have a first or upper second class UK honours degree or equivalent and either be a current student, graduate or graduand of the school’s polar and alpine change masters programme (known as MSc Polar and Alpine Change until 2015-16 and MSc(Res) Polar and Alpine Change from 2016-17 onwards).
Graduates and graduands should have secured a mark of 70 or greater in the dissertation project module GEO6668 or GEO6669. Offers to current polar and alpine change students will be conditional upon their securing a mark of 68 or above on their dissertation proposal.
You should be applying to start your first year of PhD study on a full-time or part-time basis in the 2024/25 academic year.
Applications are assessed on the basis of academic success and qualifications, experience, research background, a clear well-articulated research proposal, the potential impact of the research, and fit with the expertise of the supervisor or the school.
Scholarship availability
We anticipate awarding one scholarship for entry to PhD study in 2024-25.
How do I apply?
The deadline for applications for 2024-25 entry has now passed.
Use our guidance on writing your proposal and find an appropriate supervisor to identify a staff member who can provide you with advice on your topic and proposal before you apply.
You should upload your research proposal document (as a PDF or Word document) within the online application form as part of your PhD study place application.
When completing the funding section of the online form, indicate that you wish to be considered for the 'PAC scholarship' by choosing ‘Scholarship or studentship (not listed below)’ and entering 'PAC scholarship' as your funding source.
You do not need to complete any further scholarship sections of the online application form, unless you also wish to be considered for any of the other scholarships that are available.