Leeds University Business School PhD Excellence Scholarships 2025/26

Funding start date: Wednesday 1^st October 2025

Number of funding places: Multiple opportunities available

Country eligibility: International (open to all nationalities, including the UK)

Source of funding: University of Leeds

Leeds University Business School is a leading international business school, recognised globally for our excellence in teaching and impactful research. The last REF deemed 90% of the Business School’s submitted research to be either ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ overall and 5th in the UK for ‘research power’ in the business and management studies unit of assessment.

Leeds University Business School is ambitiously investing in research excellence with 21 PhD Excellence Scholarships across our seven departments, to prospective UK and International Postgraduate researchers who wish to commence study for a PhD in the academic year 2025/26.

Our research centres work across four main themes and connect knowledge with users, promote impact and provide a vibrant, stimulating and supportive environment for students, early career researchers and academics. Our themes are:

• Governance, financial systems and economic well being
• International business, marketing management and business networks
• Technology, innovation and management practices
• People, work and workplace

Supporting PhD study is central to our identity. We have a vibrant and inclusive community of around 210 postgraduate researchers within the School. We seek to attract the brightest and best scholars from around the world and provide them with an outstanding study experience. We also ensure that they have access to a wide array of career and personal development opportunities. Our postgraduate researchers are encouraged to get involved in a range of academic and social events, networks and societies.

We are committed to diversifying our community and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, Black, Asian, people belonging to minoritised ethnic community, people who idetify as LGBT+ and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected on merit and ability.

• Full-time (3.5 years), pro-rata for part time. The award will be made for one year in the first instance and renewable for  further period of up to two and a half years (pro-rata for part-time), subject to satisfactory academic progress.

Funding

• Full fees
• Maintenance (£19,237 in Session 2024/25 for full-time study, part-time will be pro-rata at 60%). This amount increases per annum in line with Research Council UK rates for 3.5 years
• Please note that the award does not cover the costs associated with moving to the UK. All such costs (such as visa, Immigration Health Surcharge, medical insurance, flights) would have to be met by yourself, or an alternative funding source.

Other Conditions

• Awards must be taken up by 1^st October 2025
• The awards are available for new Postgraduate Researchers undertaking full-time or part-time research study leading to the degree of PhD. Students whoa re already registered for PhD research study are excluded from applying.
• Applicants must live within reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of the scholarship

How to apply and entry requirements 

Please submit your scholarship application by 12pm on Friday 28^th March 2025. 

For full details on how to apply and entry requirements, please visit our webpage.  

Contact details:

For further information, please contact the admissions team: phd@lubs.leeds.ac.uk