The list of Envision research projects that students can apply for are currently available with a closing date of Friday 17th January 2020. They are also advertised on FindaPhD.com

List of available projects

Candidates are encouraged to contact the project supervisors and discuss the relevant project before applying.

All applicants should make their application through the Envision website. An application consists of a completed application form and a CV with a maximum of three pages.

You may apply for up to three Envision projects, it should be made clear which project you are applying for when you submit your application through the project portal. You will need to submit an application form and CV for each project that you apply for (the three applications must all be in one single PDF). If you are applying for three projects please submit three CVs and application forms in one submission to us. Please make your preference of projects clear in your application.

Once received in the Envision office your application will be forwarded to the appropriate Envision supervisor who may want to interview you. Envision will offer interviewed candidates a £75 contribution to interview expenses.

If you are selected for the project you applied for, your application will then be considered, alongside those of the candidates for the other Envision projects, by the Envision Management Group. Sixteen offers of fully funded studentships will be made by Envision by Monday 9th March 2020. We will require candidates to accept or decline the offer of a studentship no later than 12pm, Wednesday 18th March 2020.

The studentship is only available to UK and EU candidates. 

Each student will be supported by the tax-free stipend (£15,009 in 2019/20), typically for 3.5 years. In addition, for eligible students, the award will cover EU/UK fees

All Envision students will have a Research and Training Grant of £8,750 to fund their research, conference attendance and networking and will be able to bid into a cohort development and mobility fund. This will be support students attending subject-specific courses that require a payment, student travel to partner sites to attend courses or other research-related activities, and for students to develop and lead their own programme of community building or outreach events (e.g. student-led conferences, reading groups). Funding such as travel bursaries or existing funding within institutions (e.g. travel prizes) will also be available.

Applicants must have or expect to have, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree or the equivalent qualification gained outside the UK, in a relevant subject to the project they are applying for (these will be specified in the individual project descriptions).

NERC FAQ document which contains some answers and links to more detailed student eligibility guidelines:

• Download the document

The complete NERC PhD student handbook:

• Download the document

The UKRI Grant Terms and Conditions:

• Download the document

The UKRI Training Grant Guidance:

• Download the document

Q: I am not sure I am eligible for a NERC studentship. How can I check?

A: NERC studentship eligibility requirements are published in section B of the studentship handbook. If you are still unsure please discuss this with the student services office or university Registrar in the first instance. Contact stag@nerc.ac.uk if still unsure.

Q: I am an EU student, am I eligible for NERC funding?

A: As an EU student, you cannot receive a maintenance grant from a NERC DTG unless you have been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the three-year period preceding the date of application for an award. However, you would be eligible for a fees-only award (which covers fees and research training support costs). Once you have been resident in the UK for three years, you can convert to a full award during the period of the studentship.

Q: I have a UK passport, my parents moved outside the EU, since then I have been in full-time education. I now want to return to the UK to undertake a PhD. Am I eligible for NERC Funding?

A: You may be eligible for a NERC award if you can prove that your absence from the UK was temporary. Temporary absence is where a UK citizen has spent an extended period living outside the UK, either for study or employment. Candidates will have to show that they have maintained a relevant connection to the UK. Temporary does not depend on the length of absence.

Q: I have a working permit/student visa, am I eligible to apply for a studentship?

A: No. Student Visas, work permits or dependent visas have restrictions on the time spent in the UK and therefore holders of these cannot demonstrate a relevant connection or settled status.

Q: I am an international student and I would like to study in the UK. Am I eligible for NERC funding?

A: In order to be eligible for NERC funding, you must be able to prove settled status in the UK as per the Immigration Act 1971. You must also be able to prove that you have a relevant connection to the UK, which requires that you have been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the 3 year period preceding the date of the award. NERC does not currently fund international students outside of these criteria.