Doctoral Landscape Awards

Not stated

Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom
Funding: AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award; Fully funded
Application deadline: 20 January 2027

AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards at Birmingham City University

The AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award is a major new funding scheme from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) . Its aim is to grow the UK’s capacity for doctoral research in the arts and humanities and to create a vibrant, inclusive research culture.

Birmingham City University is one of 50 universities across the UK awarded funding to support 15 doctoral studentships over five years. This year BCU will offer six fully funded PhD studentships – three funded by the AHRC and three match-funded by BCU for September 2027 entry. This represents a major institutional investment in the next generation of researchers and in building a thriving and a diverse research community.

BCU DLA doctoral students will belong to a cohort drawn from across the Midlands, benefiting from a rich, interdisciplinary training environment and a wide network of researchers across the region.

Fostering equality, diversity and inclusion

A key focus of the scheme is equality, diversity and inclusion . We are committed to attracting talented students from a wide range of backgrounds and providing the support they need to thrive throughout their PhD journey. As part of this commitment, at least one of BCU’s six studentships each year will be awarded to a home fee status candidate from a Global Majority background. This dedicated award continues the legacy of That's Me! BCU’s project, which addresses barriers to postgraduate research study and promotes widening participation in doctoral research across the West Midlands.

What's on offer?

As part of the award, BCU will offer:

· Six fully funded PhD studentships for September 2027 entry (covering home tuition fees, stipend, and additional funding opportunities)

· A minimum of one studentship each year will be dedicated to a Global Majority candidate , sustaining the legacy of BCU’s That’s Me! widening participation initiative

· One international applicant per year will be eligible for a full tuition fee waiver and stipend at the UKRI rate

· Participation in the East and West Midlands Regional Hub , providing collaborative training, professional development and networking opportunities

· Expert supervision and mentoring from leading arts and humanities researchers

· A welcoming, inclusive research environment with strong connections to cultural and industry partners

Key deadlines

Expressions of Interest open on 1 October 2026.

The deadline for an Expression of Interest is 16 November 2026, 12pm (Noon, UK Time).

The final application deadline is 20 January 2027, 12pm (Noon, UK Time).

Please read the DLA Applicant Guidance Notes in full before applying.

Eligibility Criteria

The scheme is open to both UK/Home and International applicants.
You must not already be in receipt of a doctoral level qualification.
You cannot currently be enrolled as a doctoral student either at BCU or another institution.
Your proposed research must fall within one of the AHRC’s primary subject areas . We welcome interdisciplinary proposals but do be aware that at least 50% of your project must focus on one of the AHRC’s primary research areas.

Expressions of interest

We welcome Expression of Interest in the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards at BCU.

The AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards is a very competitive funding scheme, and as such Schools/Departments are only able to support a limited number of research proposals. Candidates may be advised of this following review of the Expression of Interest. However, the outcome of the Expression of Interest process does not preclude any interested candidate from proceeding to submit a full application for consideration should they wish.

The Expression of Interest process opens on 1 October 2026.
Please complete the Online Expression of Interest Form here .
The deadline to submit an Expression of Interest is 16 November 2026 at 12pm (Noon, UK Time).
Expressions of Interest are not a mandatory part of the application process, but are strongly encouraged.
Submitted Expressions of Interest will be shared with the relevant School/Department for review.

Full application stage

The full list of documents to support you in completing the application process can be found below.

Please read the Doctoral Landscape Award Guidance Notes before applying to ensure the full application process has been completed. Download the Doctoral Landscape Awards Guidance Notes .
To apply for the Doctoral Landscape Awards, candidates will need to:
Begin a BCU Online Application Form for their chosen Postgraduate Research Degree . Complete the Doctoral Landscape Award Funding Application Form and upload this to the BCU Online Application Form Upload Two Completed References (using the DLA specific reference request form ) to the BCU Online Application Form
Complete the Doctoral Landscape Award Funding Application Form and upload this to the BCU Online Application Form
Upload Two Completed References (using the DLA specific reference request form ) to the BCU Online Application Form
Upload copies of their Higher Education Certificate and Transcripts to the BCU Online Application Form
Submit their BCU Online Application Form, with all of the above documents uploaded, before the final application deadline of 12pm (Noon, UK Time) on 20 January 2027.
Applications which are incomplete or submitted after the deadline on 20 January 2027 (Noon, UK Time) will not be considered, other than in very exceptional cases provided for by our extenuating circumstances policy . Please see the Doctoral Landscape Award Guidance Notes for full details .

Supporting documentation

The full list of documents to support you in completing the application process can be found below.

Doctoral Landscape Awards Funding Application Form Download
Doctoral Landscape Awards Guidance Notes Download
Doctoral Landscape Awards Guidance Notes (Accessible) Download
Doctoral Landscape Awards Reference Request Form Download
Doctoral Landscape Awards Scoring Criteria Download

Who are eligible to apply?

Both UK/Home and International applicants.
Please refer to the UKCISA website for help in determining your tuition fee status.
Your proposed research must fall within one of the AHRC’s primary subject areas . We welcome interdisciplinary proposals but do be aware that at least 50% of your project must focus on one of the AHRC’s primary research areas.
Please also review our general Research Degree Entry Requirements .

I’m already enrolled on a Research to PhD Programme; can I still apply?

Unfortunately, no. If you are already enrolled on a PhD Programme, either at BCU or another institution, then you cannot apply for the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards.

The DLAs are only open to candidates who have not yet commenced doctoral level study. Applicants cannot already hold, or expect to be awarded, a PhD.

I already hold an offer to study on a Research to PhD Programme at BCU for an upcoming 2027 intake, can I still apply for the Doctoral Landscape Awards?

There is a different application process if you are already holding an offer for a place on a Research to PhD Programme at BCU. You will still need to complete and provide all the required documentation (DLA application form, 2 DLA reference requests, evidence of qualifications), but these will need to be submitted via email to the Research Admissions and DLA Team directly at – Research.Admissions@bcu.ac.uk and DLA@bcu.ac.uk .

Applications must still be submitted via this route before the advertised deadline. Only on-time and complete applications will be considered.

Please review the Doctoral Landscape Awards Guidance Notes for further details on the application process for those already holding an offer of a place on a relevant Research to PhD Programme at BCU.

Please note that the Doctoral Landscape Awards will only commence in September 2027. If you hold an offer for February or May 2027, but want to be apply for this round of recruitment for the Doctoral Landscape Awards, then you will need to contact Research.Admissions@bcu.ac.uk to request a deferral of your offer to September 2027. If you commence your doctoral studies in February or May 2027, then your DLA application becomes ineligible for further consideration.

If candidates are unsuccessful in their application for the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards for September 2027 entry, but chose to enrol onto their chosen Research Degree in September 2027, then candidates would be unable to apply for the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards again in a future recruitment round.

What does a Doctoral Landscape Award include?

Full Tuition Fee Scholarship for 3.5 years.
A tax-free stipend at the UKRI minimum rate (£21,805 per annum for 2026/7) for 3.5 years.
Access to professional development opportunities, placements, additional funding and the East and West Midlands Regional Hub.

I’m an international applicant; do I need to self-fund the fee gap between Home and International tuition fees?

No. If an international candidate is made the offer of a Doctoral Landscape Award, then they will be eligible for a full tuition fee waiver and stipend at the standard UKRI rate; they will not be required to self-fund the tuition fee gap.

Can I study part-time?

Yes, a part-time route is possible. A part-time award covers the part-time tuition fees and includes a 7-year tax-free stipend at the pro-rata UKRI minimum rate.

I am an international applicant; can I study part-time?

International applicants are ineligible to study part-time under UKVI regulations.

Can I work while in receipt of a Doctoral Landscape Award?

Yes, but UKRI places strict limits on additional work:

Full-time students are permitted to undertake paid work for no more than six hours per week, while part-time students can work up to 20 hours per week.
International students must also check the limits on paid employment detailed in their visas and must always remain complaint with UKVI regulations.

What documents do I need to submit for my Doctoral Landscape Awards applications?

On the BCU Online Application Form, before submitting you will need to upload:

Applications submitted after the deadline, or those which are missing any of the required documentation, will not be considered.

Doctoral Landscape Awards Funding Application Form
2 Completed Doctoral Landscape Awards Reference Request Forms
Evidence of Higher Education Certificates and Transcripts
International applications will also need to upload evidence of a valid English language qualification, if held at the point of submission.

I cannot see where on the BCU Online Application Form it says to upload my Doctoral Landscape Award application documents, what do I do?

The BCU Online Application Form is a generic portal for all Research to PhD applications; it is not specifically used or designed for the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards.

Applicants must please upload the required DLA documentation against any available ‘Document Upload’ category. For example, you will be asked to provide a research statement; you can here instead upload your Doctoral Landscape Award Application Form.

You will be asked to either provide contact details for your referees or provide a reference directly. Please chose to provide a reference directly and then upload your completed Doctoral Landscape Awards Reference Request Forms.

It does not matter which document upload category you upload against, so long as all required documents to apply for the Doctoral Landscape Awards are uploaded to the BCU Online Application Portal before your application is submitted.

Do I need to upload both a research proposal and the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award Funding Application Form?

No, if you are applying for the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards, then candidates do not need to supply an additional research proposal (as requested on the BCU Online Application Form). The only text you need to put in this section of the Online Application Form is ‘I am applying for AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award Funding’. You will then need to go to ‘Alternatively you can upload your Personal Statement’and upload your completed AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards Funding Application Form.

I’m an international applicant, what is a valid English Language qualification?

International applicants will also need to provide a valid English language qualification as part of their application to study at BCU.
Please see the list of English language qualifications accepted here .
Please check the individual research degree course page for the required scores - Postgraduate Research Degrees | Birmingham City University .
If you do not have evidence of a valid English language qualification at the point of submitting your application for the Doctoral Landscape Awards, then you can still apply, but any offer of a place on a research degree at BCU would be conditional on receipt of such evidence.

Who can I ask to complete my references?

To be considered for the Doctoral Landscape Awards, you need to supply two references, using the BCU DLA Reference Request Form
You can have two academic references, two professional references, or one of each.
However, at least one referee must be able to provide an assessment of your expertise relevant to your project. This would typically be an academic referee but can be, for example, a leader in your field of practice.
We will only accept references which are submitted on the specific Doctoral Landscape Awards Reference Request Form.

Who requests my references?

It is your responsibility as the applicant to send the Doctoral Landscape Awards Reference Request form to your two chosen referees.
It is also your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that your two referees complete and return the Doctoral Landscape Awards reference request form back to you in good time, so that you can upload it to your BCU Online Application Portal before the application deadline.
Applications submitted without two references completed on the Doctoral Landscape Awards Reference Request Form will not be considered.

What happens if I don’t submit all the documentation by the deadline?

We will not be able to consider applications for the Doctoral Landscape Awards which do not include the following supporting documentation:

The Doctoral Landscape Award Funding Application Form
Two References on the Doctoral Landscape Award Reference Request Form
Copies of Higher Education Qualifications (Certificates and Transcripts)
The above must all be uploaded to your BCU Online Application Form before you submit, by the deadline of 12pm (Noon, UK Time) on 20 January 2027.

I forgot to upload one of the documents to my BCU Online Application Form before I submitted it; what happens now?

If you submit your BCU Online Application Form early and subsequently realise that you have not uploaded one or more of the required documents, then as long as the deadline to apply has not already passed , then you can email the team on DLA@bcu.ac.uk and research.admissions@bcu.ac.uk for support with providing the missing documentation.

If you realise that you have not uploaded one or more of the required documents, but the advertised application deadline 12pm (Noon, UK Time) on 20 January 2027, has passed, then unfortunately your application cannot be considered, as it is incomplete.

What if I miss the deadline due to extenuating circumstances?

Consistent with our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, we will consider a claim from an applicant who has been prevented from applying on time by a serious and unforeseen event, such as a sudden illness or injury, a bereavement, or an acute personal or family crisis affecting you or someone you care for. Claims are considered individually and at our discretion, and making a claim does not guarantee that a late or extended application will be accepted. We cannot accept claims based on circumstances that were foreseeable or that could reasonably have been managed. These include pressure of work or other applications, planned commitments and travel, misreading the deadline or leaving the application until close to it, avoidable technical problems, and a referee returning a reference late. This process is separate from reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability or long-term condition and need an adjustment to the application process, please contact us at DLA@bcu.ac.uk as early as possible so that arrangements can be made in advance. To make a claim, contact us at DLA@bcu.ac.uk as soon as you are able, and wherever possible before the deadline. If that was not possible, you may write to us within five working days of the deadline. You will need to provide independent evidence, such as a letter from a medical professional, employer or other independent party, showing how your circumstances affected your ability to apply on time. All claims are treated in confidence, and the decision reached is final.

Do I have to attend the Applicant Writing Workshop to apply for the Doctoral Landscape Awards?

No, it is not mandatory to attend but strongly encouraged.

Do I need to register to attend the Applicant Writing Workshop?

Yes, all applicants who wish to attend the Doctoral Landscape Awards Applicant Writing Workshop must register for a place through Eventbrite .

The Applicant Writing Workshop will take place online via Microsoft Teams. The day before the Workshop, the Doctoral Landscape Awards Team will send out Teams Meeting invitations to each of the workshop sessions to all those who have registered to attend.

Attendance is free for the Applicant Writing Workshop.

Will the Applicant Writing Workshop be recorded?

We will only record the opening briefing which introduces the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards and outlines the application process. This will be made available via a link on this webpage the week after the workshop has taken place.

The other workshop sessions will not be recorded or made available here.

Do I have to submit an Expression of Interest?

No, Expressions of Interest are not a mandatory part of the application process but are strongly encouraged.

You can still proceed to full application stage without submitting an Expression of Interest.

When do I need to identify my prospective supervisors?

At the point of submitting your application for the Doctoral Landscape Awards, you will need to confirm all members of your supervisory team. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you reach out to prospective supervisors as early as possible. You will need to ensure you have obtained their agreement to be on your proposed supervisory team before submitting your application.

If you reach out and secure the support of prospective supervisors early, then they may be able to support you in developing your project proposal.

I applied for the Doctoral Landscape Awards last year, but did not proceed past the first round of shortlisting, is this counted as a previous application?

Yes, if you formally applied for the Doctoral Landscape Awards in a previous recruitment round, then this is counted as one of the two applications you can make in total to the Doctoral Landscape Awards at Birmingham City University.

Regardless of the stage in the process your application reached previously, if you submitted the BCU Online Application Form and Doctoral Landscape Awards application documents for consideration in a past recruitment round, then this is officially counted as an application to the Doctoral Landscape Awards.

Can I apply again for the Doctoral Landscape Awards next year if I am unsuccessful on my first attempt?

Yes, but applicants can only apply for the Doctoral Landscape Awards twice.

Can I apply for the Doctoral Landscape Awards and undertake a PhD via the distance learning route?

Unfortunately, no. UKRI regulations are clear that both Home and International students funded by UKRI councils (such as the AHRC) must be resident in the UK for the majority of their studies. This means that we are unable to support distance learning PhDs under the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award.

Applicant writing workshop

BCU will also be offering an Applicant Writing Workshop , which provides advice on the application process, discussions around what makes a successful application and a chance for you to ask questions. We strongly recommend that you participate in this workshop if possible.

This year’s workshop will take place online on Saturday 7 th November 2026 (10am-1pm UK Time).

If you have any further questions, please contact DLA@bcu.ac.uk .

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