Six Postgraduate Studentships will be offered by the School of Historical Studies for the academic year 2007-8. Each is a full-time ‘Home’ fees-only award or an equivalent contribution to the fees chargeable to an international postgraduate student.

The award will enable the successful candidate to pursue a programme of research (MLitt, MPhil or PhD) for a maximum of 12 months.

A single Studentship be made available for each of the school’s disciplines (archaeology, classics and history), although the final decision lies with the Awarding Committee, and they have the discretion to divide scholarships between the subject areas according to the merits of individual applications. Each application will be considered on its strengths and weaknesses, irrespective of the degree for which they require funding, but (in the case of research students) priority will be given to those who propose particularly original and innovative programmes of study in their respective subject areas. Attention will also be paid to the applicant’s past academic record, the referees reports, and in the case of those applying for funding for a Masters degree, whether they intend to progress to doctoral research. The Awarding Committee reserves the right to offer fewer than six Studentships each academic year.

If you are in doubt as to whether your proposed programme of study falls within the school’s subject domain, please contact Dr Helen Berry (Director of Postgraduate Studies, School of Historical Studies) for advice (*NB from 23 March 2007- 28 January 2008, please contact the Acting Director of Postgraduate Studies, Dr Joan Allen).

Eligibility
We accept applications from graduates of any accredited UK or overseas Higher Education institution, but only if they have already submitted an application to another external funding body, e.g. to the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Wellcome Trust, or in the case of international (non-UK or EU) students, to one of the scholarship schemes (ORS, IRS or IPS) administered by Newcastle University.

To be eligible for a Studentship you must have been accepted by the University to undertake the course of study for which you are seeking funding and you should also be a graduate of a recognised UK or overseas Higher Education institution, or an undergraduate expecting to graduate before 31st July 2007. It is expected that any student applying for funding to undertake a PhD must have either received, or be in the process of completing, a Masters degree from a recognised Higher Education institution.

How to apply
All students who are eligible to apply will be automatically considered for a Studentship by the Awarding Committee (consisting of the Head of School, the School’s Director of Postgraduate Studies, and members of the School’s Graduate Committee from each subject area). There are no specific application forms. Rather, your application will be considered on the basis of the complete documentation submitted to the Arts and Humanities Research Council or to one of the University’s International Scholarship schemes. The Awarding Committee will compile the required paperwork, including a Degree Result form for either your undergraduate degree, or in the case of students applying to study a PhD, their Masters. You may submit only one application each year.

The deadline for applications is 30th June 2007. The Awarding Committee will meet shortly afterwards and the successful applicants will be notified in writing as soon as possible. They have 14 days to respond as to whether they wish to take-up the award. Students who are subsequently awarded either an Arts and Humanities Research Council grant or an award from one of the University’s Scholarship schemes may not also be the recipient of a Research Studentship. In these instances, the Awarding Committee will allocate the Scholarship. to the next student on its Ranking of Candidates.

For more information,  visit the official announcement.