Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant scheme

Grant scheme at a glance

The Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant Scheme provides funding of up to £5000 to support PGR-led projects that bring postgraduate researchers together to develop and deliver activities that contribute to the postgraduate research community and the wider University.

The grant aims to give PGRs the opportunity to shape their own research experience, collaborate across disciplinary boundaries and turn ideas into practical initiatives. It recognises that PGRs are not only researchers, but also teachers, colleagues, community members and future professionals whose contributions help shape the University.

There are two rounds of funding available

• Round 1 is open now, with projects expected to run from January to July 2027
• Round 2 will open in 2027, with an expectation that projects end in November 2027.

What projects are we looking for?

We welcome proposals that respond to the interests and experiences of PGRs. Projects might develop new activities, pilot an idea, produce useful resources, create opportunities for peer learning or explore how the PGR experience could be improved.

Projects may focus on one or more of the following themes:

Note: These themes are intended to stimulate ideas rather than limit them. We welcome proposals that connect several themes or address an important PGR need in a different way!

• Building towards the Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research
• Research into the PGR experience
• Widening participation and PGR experience
• Sustainability and global challenges
• Teaching and professional development
• The impact of AI on the PhD
• Careers beyond the PhD
• Accessibility, inclusion and careers
• Community and public engagement
• Connecting doctoral research with life beyond the University

Key information (Round 1)

You join our teams space for updates. Please ensure you read the eligibility criteria before applying

• Call Open: 6 November 2026
• Call Close: 3 December 2026
• Project Funding Decision: Early January 2027
• Grant period: From the date of award until 31st July 2027

Apply here

Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant Scheme

Please refer to the guidance below whilst completing your application for Round 1 of the funding . Please contact with any queries or to discuss the details of your application.

To be eligible for funding:

Each project must thus have a minimum of 2 project co-leads, from at least two different departments at Warwick.

Project officers are not mandatory (i.e., you can have no project officer in a group as long as you have 3 project co-leads).

Depending on the project, eligible costs could include:

Applications will be reviewed by a panel with relevant expertise. We aim to inform applicants of the outcome in early January 2027.

Applications will be assessed using the following assessment criteria:

Does your activity or project align with the aim of this grant scheme? Make sure your proposal has a clear relevance to the PGR experience at Warwick

2. Interdisciplinarity and research culture

Does your project encourage collaboration across different academic disciplines and contribute to a positive research culture at Warwick?

3 . Innovation and impact

How does your project introduce new ideas or approaches?

4. Feasibility and value for money

Is your plan realistic in terms of time and budget? Are your goals and methods clearly defined?

Finance

Governance

Prior to data collection:

Reporting

Events

Grant scheme funds can contribute and/or sponsor events on the following principles;

Publications

Funding applications

Supervisor Support Statement Form

• Projects are to be led by PGR students rather than academics or taught students, thus ONLY a PGR student can submit an application for it to be considered.
• Projects are group-led rather than individual, thus each project team must consist of at least 3 PGRs.
• There are two ways for PGRs to be involved in projects, depending on their availability:
• Project co-lead: Co-leads take leadership responsibilities to drive the project forward, coordinate delivery and contribute to project activities and decision-making.
• Project officer: Project officers contribute to project delivery and have an equal voice in project decisions, but may take a less intensive role in day-to-day project coordination and activities.
• Research assistant (limited to 60% of your budget proposal or 100 hours, whichever is lower) – this will need to be via Unitemps
• Resources and materials needed to deliver activities (e.g., stationery)
• Communication materials (e.g., posters)
• Accessibility-related costs that enable participation (e.g., interpreter or notetaker)
• Development of project resources (e.g., leaflets)
• Travel expenses where these are necessary (e.g., project dissemination at a conference)
• Training, facilitation or specialist support directly related to the project (e.g., external facilitator
• Relevance and strategic alignment
• Highlight any cross-faculty or cross-disciplinary partnerships. Describe the nature of these collaborations and what makes your project interdisciplinary rather than multidisciplinary. Mention how these collaborations enhance the project and bring diverse perspectives.
• If applicable, describe how your activity fosters a positive and inclusive research environment. Include details about involvement of PhDs and how they benefit.
• Describe what makes your project unique and how it will help to raise Warwick’s profile in interdisciplinary research.
• Explain the potential benefits of your project for stakeholders (e.g., researchers, students, external partners).
• Where relevant, indicate whether your activity could lead to further funding opportunities or dissemination (e.g., local community workshop, conference presentations).
• Provide a clear outline of your objectives, timeline, and budget. Show that your project is achievable and well-planned.
• I confirm that this activity’s end-date does not exceed the end-date of my PhD completion date (if applicable)
• I understand that this funding must be spent by the 31st July 2027 . A member of the Doctoral College team will be in touch closer to the time to review the use of any remaining budget. If there is any risk of delay to my planned spend activity I will inform doctoralcollege@warwick.ac.uk
• I will use the code and/or reference provided by the Programme team for making any purchases/orders.
• I confirm that I have completed the required Epigeum research integrity training Link opens in a new window , and that I have checked and obtained any ethical approval from the Doctoral College.
• I have checked whether this activity requires a risk assessment Link opens in a new window and obtained this if necessary.
• I confirm that I have completed any other due diligence Link opens in a new window checks if my activity involves collaborators.
• I have checked whether this activity requires any contract(s) or agreement(s) and obtained these where necessary. Examples of possible contracts or agreements include for collaboration with external institutions (including other Universities), activities involving a transfer of funds/other resources, sharing of data, or creation of intellectual property (especially if involving external partners). Further information can be found here Link opens in a new window and here. Link opens in a new window
• I agree to provide updates during and after the activity for future reporting purposes. A short reporting template will be made available to those who receive funding from the grant scheme. It will include detail about the use of the funds; achievement of outputs and outcomes from the award; how the activities have contributed to the strategy; future plans to build on the work done and further funding applications made or planned.
• If you are successful with your application, we would like to post about your project on the Doctoral College website. For events, this could also include publicising about organised activities via calendars on our website, or via email, as well as a follow-up event capture page.
• I agree to images from a research project/event/training session being used on Doctoral College webpages. Please ensure you have received consent from individuals that their photo can be used.
• Any project changes to include changes of team, timeline or other should be communicated to the Doctoral College.
• If grant scheme funds are covering full cost (i.e. catering, room, resources) the event should be advertised with an acknowledgement of the funding such as: This event was fully funded by the Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant Scheme.
• This event was fully funded by the Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant Scheme.
• If grant scheme funds are contributing to the cost of the event (i.e. covering some of the costs but not all) acknowledgement should be : This event was made possible with the contribution of the Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant Scheme.
• This event was made possible with the contribution of the Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant Scheme.
• The findings presented in this article are based on research supported by the Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant Scheme .
• This project was developed following support from the Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant Scheme .
• This research was conducted as part of a project funded by the Warwick Year of Postgraduate Research Grant Scheme , which supports interdisciplinary postgraduate research across the University of Warwick.

Research areas