AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards

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. At BCU, we will offer six fully funded PhD studentships each year for the duration of the award – three funded by the AHRC and three match-funded by BCU. This represents a major institutional investment in the next generation of researchers and in building a thriving and a diverse research community.

BCU Doctoral Landscape Award students will belong to the East and West Midlands Hub, a cohort drawn from across seven Midlands universities, benefiting from a rich, interdisciplinary training environment and a wide network of researchers across the region. This includes:

Coventry University
De Montfort University
The University of Birmingham
The University of Leicester
The University of Nottingham
University of Warwick

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 BCU’s That’s Me! project, which addresses barriers to postgraduate research study and promotes widening participation in doctoral research across the West Midlands.

What is on Offer?

As part of the award, BCU will offer:

• Six fully funded PhD studentships each year (covering UK/Home rate tuition fees and an annual stipend set in line UKRI-rates for 3.5 years, as well as additional funding opportunities)
• At least 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 a living-cost 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

Eligibility Criteria 

• The scheme is currently open to UK/Home Students and International Students.
• You must not already be in receipt of a doctoral level qualification.
• You cannot be currently 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.

Key Deadlines

• Expressions of Interest open on 1 October 2025.
• The link to complete the online Expression of Interest Form for the DLAs at BCU can be found on the BCU DLA website, or directly here on Microsoft Forms.
• The deadline to submit an Expression of Interest is 17 November 2025 at 12pm (Noon, UK Time).
• Expressions of Interest are not a mandatory part of the application process but are strongly encouraged. 
• The final deadline to apply for the Doctoral Landscape Awards at BCU will be 27^th January 2026 at 12pm (Noon, UK Time). This is a hard deadline; late or incomplete applications will not be considered. 
• Please read the Doctoral Landscape Award Guidance Notes before applying to ensure the full application process has been completed. The DLA Guidance Notes can be found on the BCU DLA website.

Further Details

• Further information about the Doctoral Landscape Awards and how to apply can be found on the BCU DLA website.
• The Doctoral Landscape Award Guidance Notes, as well as the link to the online Expression of Interest can also be found using the above link.
• The BCU DLA website will also be where you can find all supporting documentation required to complete your application for the Doctoral Landscape Awards and research degree study at BCU. 
• You can find out more about our research centres and clusters. We would encourage you to review these pages to identify potential supervisors amongst BCU’s areas of research interest.
• If you have any further questions about the Doctoral Landscape Awards specifically, please contact DLA@bcu.ac.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

• We also have a comprehensive list of Frequent Asked Questions related to the Doctoral Landscape Awards, which can be found on the BCU DLA website.
• We would encourage any potential applicants to read through these FAQs, alongside the Applicant Guidance Notes before applying.
• You can also find the answers to some of our more general questions about PhD study at BCU on our PhD FAQs page.