Social Impact Scholarship

What we offer:

• £20,780 per year, tax free for 3.5 years (rising each year in line with the UKRI base rate)
• full UK fees
• a £1,200   training and support grant each year
• access to a vibrant interdisciplinary research community
• opportunities for public engagement, policy influence, and collaboration with civic partners
• support from Public Policy Southampton, a team dedicated to creating policy impact at the University.  You'll benefit from initiatives like their Policy Associates scheme, placements and secondmentshttps://www.southampton.ac.uk/publicpolicy/support-for-policymakers/secondments-home.page and dedicated training.
  

To be eligible for this scholarship you must have:

• a 2.1 or first class bachelors degree, or a master's at merit level

Candidates must hold a conditional offer of admission to the University of Southampton commencing their studies in September 2026.

If you have been working before you apply to study for a PhD, you will need to meet the University's criteria and good practice guidelines for accreditation of prior experiential and/or certificated learning.

We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds who are committed to using research as a tool for positive change. If your work seeks to make a real-world difference, we want to hear from you.

Before applying, you should read our guidance on How to apply for a research degree.

1. Find a potential PhD supervisor, view current PhD projects or create your own PhD proposal.
2. Apply for your chosen PhD course
3. Apply for the Social Impact scholarship

Deadline to apply for the social impact scholarship: Friday 27 March 2026.

This is a competitive process - not all applications will be successful. 
There are 3 stages to the shortlisting process: 
 

1. Eligibility: we check your application to make sure you meet the eligibility criteria.
2. Applications: we review your research degree and funding applications, to gain a complete picture of your academic qualifications and your motivations for undertaking a PhD.
3. Faculty selection panel review: our dedicated selection panel reviews your application and allocates funding.

The decision of the scholarship panel is final.