Research Funding
London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP)
The Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies, School of Advanced Study, is a member of the AHRC-funded consortium LAHP, together with King’s College London, the 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, the Royal College of Music, and University College London.
Up to 90 studentships are available for postgraduate research students wishing to pursue doctoral study in the arts and humanities within the partnership, commencing October 2025.
The studentship will cover:
- Tuition fees for full-time and part-time students, at the Home rate. International students may apply, but only the Home fees rate will be awarded
- Annual maintenance grant or allowance/stipend (£21,237 for 2024-25)
More Information
Applications are invited for qualified candidates in the field of languages, cultures and societies. The strength of the ILCS lies in its established expertise in the language fields of French, German, Italian, and Spanish, and in the study of the mobility of people, practices, and ideas. The academic staff of the Institute specialise in the study of literature, culture and societies in a comparative and transnational perspective, in the history of ideas, in digital humanities, and in multilingualism.
If you wish to study at the Institute and apply for a LAHP studentship, you must
and then
Applications for 2025-26 entry will open in December 2024. Students wishing to apply for a LAHP studentship must submit their applications for a place to study on their chosen PhD programme before the closing date.
More information for applications for postgraduate research at the School of Advanced Study can be found here.
PhD Bursary (Bithell)
The PhD bursary, made available by the Bithell Bequest Fund, is designed to support a student who who has been accepted for the MPhil/PhD degree in German literature and culture at the ILCS.
The scholarship provides the successful applicant with a waiver of tuition fees at the Home rate (Overseas students may apply but only the Home fees rate will be waived), plus maintenance equivalent to that paid by the AHRC. The studentship is tenable for three years (full-time) or five years (part-time).
More Information
Applicants should have a good honours degree in German (Upper Second or First) and an MA (or equivalent) in German or a neighbouring discipline.
The scholarship provides the successful applicant with a waiver of tuition fees at the Home rate (Overseas students may apply but only the Home fees rate will be waived), plus maintenance equivalent to that paid by the AHRC. The studentship is tenable for three years (full-time) or five years (part-time), beginning in October 2025.
Deadline for applications for entry in October 2025: 5 April 2025 (application is now open).
In the first instance, please contact Professor Godela Weiss-Sussex.
Read 'Five Minutes with ...' interview with recent graduate.
PhD Bursary (Germanic Friends)
The Friends of Germanic Studies have made available a scholarship at the ILCS for the MPhil/PhD programme in the Literature and Culture of the German-speaking Countries.
The scholarship provides the successful applicant with a waiver of tuition fees at the Home rate (Overseas students may apply but only the Home fees rate will be waived), and is tenable for three years (full-time) or five years (part-time).The bursary is open to any applicant interested in the field of German-language literary and cultural studies.
The next award is available for entry in October 2025. Applications must be received by 5 April 2025.
More information
Applicants should have a good honours degree in German (Upper Second or First) and an MA (or equivalent in German or a neighbouring discipline). They should apply for the MPhil/PhD programme at the ILCS in the first instance having discussed their project with Professor Godela Weiss-Sussex first. Once accepted on to the programme, they will be eligible for the studentship.
Deadline for applications for entry in October 2025: 5 April 2025 (application is open).
Read 'Five Minutes with ...' interview with recent graduate.
German and Austrian Exile (Miller Studentship)
It is anticipated that the next bursary will be available for entry in October 2025.
A Martin and Hannah Norbert-Miller Trust doctoral studentship has been made available by the Martin Miller and Hannah Norbert-Miller Trust to support graduates wishing to focus their research on German-speaking exile, preferably in the UK. Relevant disciplines are: history, politics, sociology, migration, the arts. The Miller Studentship provides a waiver of tuition fees at the Home rate (Overseas students may apply but only the Home fees rate will be waived), plus maintenance equivalent to that paid by the AHRC. The studentship is tenable for three (full-time) or five years (part-time).
More Information
Applications for research based on the archival holdings of the Research Centre for German & Austrian Exile Studies at ILCS, such as the papers of the Anglo-Austrian Society or those of the writer and broadcaster Robert Lucas, would be particularly welcome. A working knowledge of German is necessary.
The award provides the successful applicant with a waiver of tuition fees at the Home rate (Overseas students may apply but only the Home fees rate will be waived), plus maintenance equivalent to that offered by the AHRC LAHP doctoral consortium. The studentship if tenable for three (full-time) or five years (part-time). The successful candidate will register at the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies (University of London School of Advanced Study) for the MPhil/PhD degree of the University of London and will be able to draw on the expertise of the Institute’s Research Centre for German & Austrian Exile Studies.
Candidates should hold a Masters degree or equivalent. Professional qualifications are also accepted. Applications are considered once the candidate has been offered a place to study for the MPhil/PhD at the Institute. As a first step, application should be made on the School of Advanced Study application form. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for interview.
Queries regarding possible research proposals may be directed to Professor Godela Weiss-Sussex.
Read 'Five Minutes with ...' interview with recent graduate.
