SEDarc (ESRC) PhD scholarships in the Social Sciences at the University of Sussex

Why it fits you

Who can apply

Three different things not to mix up: the country where you study, your nationality and the country where you live when you apply.

Country of study

United Kingdom · Brighton

Accepted nationalities

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Timor-Leste, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard & McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong SAR China, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Côte d’Ivoire, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao SAR China, North Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St. Barthélemy, St. Helena, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, São Tomé & Príncipe, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Turks & Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, U.S. Outlying Islands, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, British Virgin Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Target level

Doctorate

Fields of study

Social sciences

Other conditions

• For the PhD programme, you should have a Social Sciences Masters degree.PreferredOrganisation’s wording: If you are applying for the PhD programme you should have: at least an upper second-class (2.1) undergraduate honours degree a Social Sciences Masters degree
• If you have already started your PhD (including the Business School iPhD), you are not eligible to apply.RequiredOrganisation’s wording: The SEDarc programme offers only one start date - in the autumn - and if you have already started your PhD (including the Business School iPhD) you are not eligible to apply,
• Due to visa regulations, Overseas students may only apply for full-time study.RequiredOrganisation’s wording: Due to visa regulations Overseas students may only apply for FT study.
• Up to 30% of each cohort of students may be Overseas students.Organisation’s wording: Up to 30% of each cohort of students may be Overseas students.
• Part-time students are welcome to apply; in that case scholarships are paid pro-rata, generally part-time for 6 years.Organisation’s wording: Part-time students are welcome to apply and in such cases scholarships are paid pro-rata - generally part-time for 6 years.
• SEDarc is particularly keen to fund projects where researchers develop skills in Data Driven Research and Advanced Quantitative Methods.PreferredOrganisation’s wording: SEDarc is particularly keen to fund projects where researchers develop skills in Data Driven Research and Advanced Quantitative Methods.

The real funding

What the opportunity pays, what is left for you to pay and the money to plan before leaving.

At your expense

Plane ticket, insurance and visa fees

Dates

Applications close

1 December 2026 at 16:00 GMT (Europe/London)

Results announced

Successful applicants will be informed by the end of March 2027.

Studies start

Programmes commence from September 2027.

Application steps

In the order set by the programme. Open a step to see the details.

1. 1
   Step 1: Apply for a place on a PhD course at the University of Sussex and submit your SEDarc scholarship application.

   With whom

   You (applicant)

   By when

   1 December 2026 at 16:00 GMT (Europe/London)

   Documents to provide

   • SEDarc application form
   • Current degree transcript(s)
   • Two academic references
   • An up-to-date CV

   Official link

   Open the official page (opens in a new tab)

2. 2
   Step 2: If shortlisted, submit your application to SEDarc.

   With whom

   Shortlisted applicants

   By when

   29 January 2026 at 16:00 GMT (Europe/London)

Where to apply