South and East Network SENSS Scholarships 2024/2025

South and East Network for Social Sciences (SENSS) scholarships are a program that offers international students the opportunity to undertake postgraduate (master’s and PhD) courses at universities in the United Kingdom.

The SENSS Studentship, funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Economic and Social Research Council, enables students to be guided by excellent supervisors and receive high-quality advanced research training.

It entails candidates working on a research project they have devised themselves. They will be guided in this work by an expert academic supervisory team. The project may involve working with a collaborative partner (for example, a business, charity, or think tank) who provides researchers with access to data, equipment, or participants for a study, additional funding for their studentship, an additional supervisor, and/or placement.

Eligibility Criteria

• To apply for a Master’s plus PhD (+4.5-year award), you will need qualifications or professional experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree (Honours).
• To apply for a PhD only (+3.5-year award), you will need qualifications or professional experience equivalent to a Master’s degree or a Master’s degree and the research skills needed to successfully complete your research project.
• Residential criteria: Studentships are available to all applicants, regardless of nationality or residency, across all 8 SENSS universities and 6 SENSS interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary Pathways. However, a limited number of studentships (approximately ten each year) are available to international applicants.
• If you have already started your PhD, you can apply for SENSS funding, but only if you have not completed a substantial proportion of your studies.

SENSS Partner Universities

• City St George’s University of London
• Cranfield University
• Goldsmiths University of London
• Middlesex University
• University of East Anglia
• University of Essex
• University of Lincoln
• University of Roehampton

Scholarship Benefits

The scholarship recipients will receive a tax-free maintenance stipend of £19,237 per year to cover living costs while undertaking postgraduate studies in the UK. Those studying at a London-based university will also receive an extra £2,000 per year paid as London Weighting, given that the cost of living is higher in London.

Additionally, whether at home or internationally, no SENSS-funded student will have to pay any university tuition fees for the duration of their funding award. They will be granted access to research training support funds, access to other funds to support overseas fieldwork, overseas institutional visits, and language training.

Application Procedure

• First, identify the academic at the SENSS university with whom you wish to work. Make sure that your research topic falls within one of the six SENSS Themes.
• Then, contact that academic – your proposed supervisor – directly to discuss working with them.
• Alternatively, if you are unsure about who to approach, contact the SENSS Operational Lead at that university. They may be able to help you find a supervisor.
• If, after talking to your proposed supervisor, they are supportive of working with you, submit your application for admission to study at your chosen SENSS university.
• Once you have applied for a place to study at your university, you must also apply for SENSS funding.

Deadline/Expiration: January 22, 2025