Applications are now open for our second cohort of The University of Manchester’s Bicentenary PhD Studentships and Fellowships – starting in the 2026/27 academic year.
The programme launched last year as part of our 200th birthday celebrations and is supporting the next generation of researchers – across all three faculties – to kickstart our success over the next century and beyond.
This second round continues our ambition to fund more than 200 new postgraduate research studentships and three-year early career fellowships across 2025/26 and 2026/27.
What’s on offer?
Each PhD studentship includes:
- Full tuition fees covered
- An annual stipend (at the UKRI rate) for four years
- A research training support grant to help with project costs
This year, opportunities include:
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health: over 30 studentships and 3 fellowships
- Faculty of Science and Engineering: 45 studentships
- Faculty of Humanities: 6 PhD studentships and several early career fellowships
Projects will focus on fostering interdisciplinary research (a priority within our strategic plan) and build on our strengths to address major challenges across key themes, including:
- Digital and AI (including robotics) 🤖
- Environment and climate change 🌍
- Health inequalities ❤️
- Creative industries 🎨
- And open-theme projects
“Manchester is a city like no other – a place where history and innovation meet, where diversity fuels creativity, and where our University stands as a beacon of discovery and opportunity.
President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Duncan Ivison
We’re looking forward to welcoming our second cohort of postgraduate researchers and fellows to our research community and our dynamic, diverse, incredibly inspiring campus, where they too can have a positive impact on our world.”