What are these Scholarships
- The Leverhulme Trust is funding a large programme of Doctoral Scholarships to mark its centenary. Sometimes called Leverhulme Centenary Doctoral Scholarships (LCDS). researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk+3Imperial blogs+3leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+3
- Aim: to support interdisciplinary doctoral research in priority areas identified by UK universities. University of Glasgow+1
Key Details & What’s New in 2026 Round
- Call opens 3 November 2025. Imperial blogs+2leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+2
- Deadline for universities to submit their proposals 6 March 2026 (12:00 UK time) leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+3researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk+3Imperial blogs+3
- Decisions are expected in July 2026. University of Glasgow+2researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk+2
- Each award is given to a university (or a consortium of up to two universities), not to individual applicants. Universities then recruit scholars once the award is granted. researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk+1
- Universities are limited in how many proposals they can lead. For example, Oxford can lead only one application (whether alone or in consortium) but can partner in others. researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk+1
What the Scholarship Covers / Offered
Here are the main benefits:
| Scholarship Type | What’s Covered / What You Get |
|---|---|
| UK Doctoral Scholarships | * For each student: maintenance (living costs) at UKRI base levels; tuition fees at UK/home rates; plus £10,000 for research & training support over the course of the PhD. leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+2researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk+2 |
| International Doctoral Scholarships | Up to 3 international students per award (i.e. per university/consortium). Covered: tuition at international rates (up to a certain cap), maintenance, and the same research & training support fund. leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+2University of Glasgow+2 |
| Master’s + PhD (for underrepresented UK students) | Additional studentships for low-income / Black students (or other underrepresented groups) to do a Master’s + PhD programme. These are 5‑year routes. Full funding through both stages. leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+2researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk+2 |
| Other support | Cohort-building funds; post‑doctoral support for graduates; admin support for universities. researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk+1 |
Eligibility & Restrictions (for Students / Universities)
- Universities must be UK institutions with their own Research Degree Awarding Powers. They can apply alone or in consortium (max two). leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+2University of Glasgow+2
- A university may only lead one application; they can partner in others if in different disciplinary areas. leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+2University of Glasgow+2
- For students:
- For standard PhD scholarships: open to both UK and international students (though international slots are limited) if the university wins a bid. leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+2University of Glasgow+2
- For Master’s + PhD places: must be UK‑domiciled, not already have a Master’s from the host institution, and from low-income backgrounds or Black/underrepresented ethnicity groups. leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk+1
- Research topics: must be interdisciplinary; in a “priority research area” identified by the applying institution. The topic needs to support up to ~15 doctoral students over the grant period. University of Glasgow+1
- Excluded research: Studies of disease, illness or disabilities in humans and animals; research intended to inform clinical practice or medical applications are excluded. leverhulme.owastaging.co.uk
What to Do if You’re Applying
Since students themselves don’t apply to Leverhulme directly under this scheme, here’s how you can prepare / make your application more competitive:
- Identify UK universities that are planning to submit proposals under this scheme (or have already announced internal calls / EOI processes). University of Glasgow+1
- Watch for internal deadlines at those universities for selecting proposals, or for advertised PhD positions tied to this scheme. Because only winning universities recruit scholars under this scheme.
- Prepare a strong research proposal, showing interdisciplinarity, clear research questions, impact, methodology, academic background.
- If you’re an international/international tuition fee‑ paying student, check whether the slot is open to international students, and whether your proposed university has room (since international slots are limited).
- If you’re UK based / eligible for Master’s + PhD underrepresented‑student pathway, make sure you meet the criteria (e.g. domicile, background) and that the university has planned to include such slots.
