Eligibility
To be eligible for Aspiring Researchers: AH, you must meet the following criteria:
-
Are settled in the UK on 1 July 2026 and have been ordinarily resident in the UK or Republic of Ireland and can provide evidence of this
-
Have completed or be in the penultimate or final year of undergraduate study.
-
Have achieved, or be on track to achieve, a final undergraduate degree grade of a strong 2:1 or 1st in a relevant subject to your proposed project. If your transcript shows year-on-year grade progression towards the upper range of a 2:1 or above, we encourage you to apply.
-
Have an interest in undertaking a postgraduate research degree (MPhil or PhD) in an arts and humanities subject.
-
Not have already completed, or be currently studying, a postgraduate research degree (e.g. MPhil, DPhil, PhD, etc.) or have an offer to start a postgraduate research degree.
Meet at least one of the following criteria:
-
have been in receipt of free school meals at secondary school
-
be in the first generation of your family to study at undergraduate level
-
have been a young carer under the age of 18 or have/ had caring responsibilities during your undergraduate study (providing unpaid support for a family who has a physical or mental health condition, or misuses substances)
-
have entered university at undergraduate level from a care background or as a Foyer resident
-
be estranged from your parents/guardians
-
be either a single parent, or lone guardian of a young person who is aged under 18 and/or is still in full-time education
This programme is not open to applicants who have previously studied at the University of Cambridge or the University of Oxford.
We also encourage applications from candidates who:
- are mature undergraduate students or those who would be mature postgraduate students (i.e. aged 21 or over at start of undergraduate study of 25 or over at start of postgraduate study)
- identify as belonging to one of the following ethnicity groups:
- Bangladeshi or Bangladeshi British
- Pakistani or Pakistani British
- Black - African or African British
- Black - Caribbean or Caribbean British
- White or White British and Black Caribbean or Black Caribbean British
- receive/ received the maximum Maintenance Loan for undergraduate study
- have refugee status
- are not studying at a Russell Group university