Funding for MPhil and PhD students

London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) is an AHRC-funded doctoral training partnership supporting PhD studies in the arts and humanities. LAHP supports all arts and humanities discipline-based projects (including both practice and thesis routes), as well as candidates specialising in interdisciplinary research. Our research and training environment encourages doctoral researchers to develop new methodologies. In addition, our network of partnerships with leading organisations in the cultural sector provides an outstanding resource for future LAHP students. The RCA particularly supports applications in the following AHRC areas: Cultural & Museum Studies, Information & Communications Technology, Art History, Design, Visual Arts, Media, Film Studies, and Ethnography & Anthropology.

Details of the studentship

LAHP studentships will comprise:

• Home Students: full fees waiver, stipend, access to additional funding opportunities, and a training events programme (for up to three years full-time/six years part-time). 
• EU Students: full fee waiver, access to additional funding opportunities, and a training events programme (for up to three years FTE/six years part-time). 

Note that successful applicants will be required to submit their project for examination no less than 12 months after their funded period ends.

Eligibility

London Arts & Humanities Partnership (LAHP) applications are open to new students, and existing RCA students.

• New applicants who are NOT yet studying at the RCA: you need to have made your application to study at the RCA by 1 December if you wish to apply for LAHP funding. Please note this application is in addition to an application for the LAHP funding.  
• Existing RCA PhD students: Existing students with no less than 50 per cent of their period of study remaining (excluding the continuation/writing-up period), at the start of the AHRC award will need to submit an application directly to LAHP.

Please see the LAHP website for further derails.

How to apply

• Applications for funding open in November. Applications open via the LAHP application portal.
• Applicants MUST have submitted an application for PhD study at one LAHP partner institution before the application deadline (please note application deadlines for individual institutions might be different. Please check directly with your own institution).
• Applications for 2025 entry close on 31 January 2025 at 5pm
• We advise you to read the eligibility criteria carefully on the LAHP website to ensure they meet and understand the requirements. 

Find more information on how to apply and submit your application via the LAHP website.

Successful applicants

Successful applicants who will be awarded a LAHP studentship will be informed in Spring 2025.

About LAHP

In addition to the RCA, partner institutions include King’s College London, London School of Economics and Political Science, Queen Mary University of London, the Royal College of Art, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, the Royal College of Music and the School of Advanced Study (University of London), in formal partnership with the Museum of London, the Metropolitan Police and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

MPhil Scholarship and PhD Scholarship  opportunities as part of the PMC’s ‘New Narratives’ scheme, designed to increase the diversity of perspectives among scholars within the field of British Art History.

The Royal College of Art (RCA) is pleased to offer London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) funding through the Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) in partnership with Peabody Community Foundation. This CDA is based in the Service Design and Design Futures programmes within the School of Design. Collaborative Doctoral Awards provide PhD students with the opportunity to gain professional experience beyond the university setting, enhancing and diversifying their skill set.

Please refer to the LAHP webpage for more information about the scholarship and how to apply.

Funding

This studentship is funded by the LAHP Collaborative Doctoral Award scheme, which covers the home student tuition fees, a London-based stipend (£21,237 for 2024/25), and some training costs. For candidates classified as overseas students, there is potential for the RCA to cover the difference in tuition fees, though this is not guaranteed.

Starting date

The position is expected to start in October 2025.

Eligibility

For more information on the London Arts & Humanities Partnership (LAHP) student eligibility criteria, please refer to the LAHP Student Recruitment page for full details.

How to apply

You will need to complete two separate application processes: one for the Royal College of Art and, if selected, another for the London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP). Please ensure you read all sections of the guidance thoroughly before completing the application forms.

RCA Application Form:

1. Fill out the RCA application form, ensuring all required information is provided.
2. For general enquiries related to the research, contact the first and second supervisors (emails listed above).
3. Once your application form is completed, notify both supervisors via email.
4. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in an interview.

Closing date for RCA application: 5pm, Friday 3 January 2025

NetZero Futures (NZF) Doctoral Landscape is a fully-funded EPSRC studentship.

The strategic vision of NZF brings together Art and Design research within three core areas of research competence at the RCA: Circular Economy, Ecological Digital Citizens, and Robotics and AI.

Host Research Areas:

• The Materials Science Research Centre (MSRC)
• The RCA Robotics Laboratory
• Ecological Digital Citizenship /School of Design 

Project start date: September 2025

Find out more information, including eligibility and how to apply, at Doctoral Landscape Studentship.