Doctoral Scholarships

The BSPS is pleased to announce that there will be a doctoral scholarship competition in 2026.

The British Society for the Philosophy of Science offers full scholarships for doctoral work in the philosophy of science at a UK university, subject to a candidate of sufficient merit presenting themselves. Scholarships are only available to students applying to doctoral degree programmes in philosophy or in philosophy of science.

A. Applicant Submission

Applicants for doctoral scholarships should send as a single PDF which is titled LASTNAME-Firstname.pdf:

1. CV. A curriculum vitae (no more than 2 sides of A4);
2. Proposal. A detailed outline of the proposed research (no more than 1500 words);
3. Transcript. A transcript (or preliminary transcript) for your most recent relevant degree.
4. Eligibility. A statement that:
   • confirms either that the applicant is not eligible for AHRC funding or that they have taken the necessary steps to be considered for such funding;
   • states how much other funding, if any, the applicant has already secured; and
   • states what other sources of funding have been applied for and the dates by which they will hear whether these applications have been successful.
5. Status. If the applicant has already been accepted onto an appropriate doctoral programme, they should provide evidence that this is so. Otherwise, the award will be made to the successful candidate subject to confirmation at a later date of their having been accepted onto an appropriate programme.

B. Supervisor Submission

The proposed supervisor should send a brief statement to the Assistant to the BSPS Honorary Secretary (no more than 500 words) explaining why they are happy to supervise the applicant on the proposed project and how and why the supervisor’s institution is a good fit for the person and project. (See, also, the Additional Information below.)

C. References

Two academic referees (at most one of whom can be the proposed supervisor) should send reference letters directly to the Assistant to the BSPS Honorary Secretary.

D. How to Submit

All doctoral scholarship applications should be sent by email to the Assistant to the BSPS Honorary Secretary at bspsassistant@gmail.com. Any queries should also be directed to the Assistant to the BSPS Honorary Secretary. Deadline for receipt of all doctoral scholarship applications is 12pm (noon), Friday 27 March 2026.

Eligibility

The BSPS Doctoral Scholarship is a full PhD studentship at the home student rate for up to three years. It includes tuition fees at the home/domestic rate, a stipend at the current UKRI rate for PhD students, and research training support if required.

Where an applicant is already part way through their PhD the BSPS grant will be correspondingly reduced. (For example, an applicant who has already completed one year of study will receive a grant for two years).

The BSPS scholarship only funds up to the ‘Home Fees’ limit. Non-UK candidates are welcome to apply. However, if the scholarship is offered to a non-UK candidate, they will need to cover the difference between home and international fees in some other way.

Applicants must have applied for AHRC funding where eligible and the BSPS scholarship will only be awarded when the AHRC has informed candidates of its decisions. Applicants who are not eligible for AHRC funding are expected to have applied for any other sources of funding for which they are eligible. They should list the sources of funding that they have applied for in their application.

The BSPS scholarship only funds doctoral degrees, including MPhil upgrades, but excluding standalone master’s degrees.

Exclusive funding

The BSPS award will not be awarded to anyone with another source of full funding. In cases where applicants have partial funding from other sources this will be made up to UKRI/AHRC levels by the BSPS grant. (For example, an applicant who has a fees-only award from elsewhere would be eligible to apply for a maintenance grant from the BSPS.)

Multiple Supervisors

Applicants may be in the position of considering a number of different departments for their doctoral studies and thus have a range of possible supervisors in mind. In this event, they should ask their currently preferred supervisor to write for them. Should an applicant be successful in the BSPS doctoral scholarship competition, this scholarship may be taken up only with the named supervisor and institution. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, it may not be transferred to a different supervisor in a different institution. (This policy has been in place since 2023.) Where it is obvious that a given applicant and project is a good fit to supervisor and institution, supervisors’ letters may be rather brief without thereby disadvantaging the candidate.

Responsibility

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that complete applications, including references, arrive by the deadline. Incomplete applications, including those with missing references, will not be considered.

Subject to Renewal

The BSPS scholarship is subject to renewal on a yearly basis, which requires the awardee to provide evidence of adequate progress towards the completion of the PhD programme.