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Summary

• Programme: SENSS Student-Led Studentships
• Study level: PhD / Master’s + PhD
• Start: October 2027
• Location: United Kingdom
• Universities: 8 SENSS partner universities
• Funding: Fully funded
• Annual stipend: £21,805 based on 2026/27 rates
• London weighting: Additional £2,000 per year for students studying at a London-based university
• Tuition fees: Covered for the duration of the funding award
• International applicants: Eligible, with a limited number of awards available
• Application opening: October 2026
• Application deadline: 12pm GMT, 11 January 2027

About the Scholarship/Programme

The South and East Network for Social Sciences (SENSS) is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership supporting doctoral research across eight UK universities and six interdisciplinary research themes.

The SENSS Student-Led Studentship allows prospective doctoral researchers to develop their own research project and work with an academic supervisor or supervisory team. Projects may also involve an external collaborative partner such as a business, charity or think tank.

For the 2027/28 academic year, SENSS studentships are available across six interdisciplinary themes:

• Advanced Methods for Social and Economic Research
• Health, Wellbeing and Social Care
• Resolving Uncertainty and Addressing Crises
• Justice, Institutions and Social Change
• Sustainability and Climate Emergency
• Digital Social Sciences

Proposals submitted under the ESRC remit must have the social sciences representing more than 50% of the research focus and effort.

The eight SENSS partner universities are City St George’s, University of London; Cranfield University; University of East Anglia; University of Essex; Goldsmiths, University of London; University of Lincoln; Middlesex University; and University of Roehampton.

Scholarship Benefits

Successful SENSS students receive funding for the duration of their studentship.

The official 2026/27 rate is:

• £21,805 per year tax-free maintenance stipend
• Additional £2,000 per year London weighting for students studying at a London-based university
• University tuition fees fully covered for the duration of the funding award, including for eligible international students
• Access to research training support funds
• Access to additional funding that can support UK or overseas fieldwork, placements, overseas institutional visits and language training
• A mandatory placement of approximately three months as part of the studentship structure.

The exact length of the award depends on the applicant’s previous training and research skills. SENSS states that the minimum is normally 3.5 years for a PhD-only route, while the maximum is 4.5 years for a Master’s-plus-PhD route.

Who Can Apply?

SENSS studentships are open to home and international applicants, although only a limited number of studentships—approximately 10 each year—are available to international applicants.

For a Master’s plus PhD award, applicants need qualifications or professional experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree with Honours.

For a PhD-only award, applicants normally need qualifications or professional experience equivalent to a Master’s degree, or a Master’s degree together with the research skills required to complete the proposed research successfully.

Applicants must also propose research that fits within one of the six SENSS themes and an appropriate SENSS university.

SENSS particularly encourages applications involving Data Skills, Advanced Quantitative Methods (AQM) and Interdisciplinarity, with nine studentships ring-fenced across these areas each year.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Develop your research idea

Start with a research topic that fits within one of the six SENSS interdisciplinary themes. Your proposal should demonstrate the potential to create new knowledge and address significant challenges.

Step 2: Identify a suitable SENSS university

Review the eight SENSS partner universities and identify an institution that offers the relevant theme and has appropriate academic expertise.

Step 3: Find and contact a potential supervisor

SENSS requires applicants to identify and speak with their proposed supervisor before beginning the online funding application. Applicants should review academic profiles and research interests and contact a suitable academic to discuss the proposed project.

If you need assistance identifying potential supervisors, the SENSS Operational Lead at the relevant university may provide names of possible academics. However, the applicant remains responsible for contacting the proposed supervisor.

Step 4: Apply to the university

If the proposed supervisor agrees to support the project, work with them to submit an application for admission to the selected SENSS university.

The university’s own admission deadline may differ from the SENSS funding deadline, so applicants must check the relevant university’s requirements and deadline.

Step 5: Prepare the SENSS funding application

Once you have applied to the university, prepare your SENSS funding application through HEIApply. Applicants should carefully read the official SENSS application guidance before submitting.

Importantly, applying for SENSS funding does not itself guarantee admission to the university. The university admission application must also be completed.

Step 6: Submit before the deadline

The student-led application must be completed and submitted through the SENSS online application platform by 12pm GMT on Monday, 11 January 2027.

Step 7: Selection and notification

Applications are initially assessed by the applicant’s chosen home university. Successful applications then proceed to the relevant SENSS thematic panel before final decisions are made by the SENSS Management Board.

Applicants are expected to be notified by mid-April 2027 whether they have received a SENSS student-led studentship.

Important Deadline

Application opening: October 2026
SENSS funding deadline: 12pm GMT, Monday 11 January 2027
Expected study start: October 2027

Applicants should also check the separate admission deadline of their chosen SENSS university.

Related Opportunities

• Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027 in the UK
• Commonwealth Scholarship 2027–28 in the UK
• King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme 2027

Official Application Link

Final Note from AK Travels LTD

The SENSS Student-Led Studentship is designed for applicants who already have a clear research direction and can develop that idea with an appropriate academic supervisor.

Prospective applicants should begin preparing before the application portal opens, particularly by identifying a suitable SENSS theme, researching potential supervisors and checking the admission requirements of their chosen university.

International applicants should also carefully review the official residential eligibility guidance because the number of studentships available to international applicants is limited.

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