DAERA studentships

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), funds a small number of postgraduate studentships for a three year period of research leading to a PhD qualification at a university in the United Kingdom (UK) or Republic of Ireland (ROI). Find out if you’re eligible and how to apply.

Applications for 2020 are now closed.

The value of a DAERA postgraduate studentship

A full DAERA award includes the cost of approved fees as well as maintenance support.

DAERA pay fees directly to your university. Other expenses which may be covered are:

  • conference expenses if you are presenting your research
  • Research Training Support Grant – paid by DAERA to your study centre
  • overseas fieldwork – DAERA may contribute to costs where it is essential to your research programme

Research topic and terms and conditions

Before you apply,  you must read the terms and conditions for 2020-21 and make sure your research proposal addresses one of DAERA's research needs for 2020

Eligibility criteria

Residency and citizenship

To be eligible for a full DAERA postgraduate studentship award, you must have been ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland for the full three-year period before the first day of the first academic year of the course.

For a tuition fee only award, you must have been resident in the European Economic Area or Switzerland throughout the three-year period immediately preceding the date you make your application for an award.

You must be a British citizen, EU national or relevant family member of an EU national. You may be eligible for support if you are the child of either a Swiss national or Turkish worker or if you have indefinite leave to stay in the UK.

Academic qualifications

You must hold or expect to get at least one of the following:

  • a first or upper second class honours degree
  • a lower second class honours degree plus a Masters degree in a subject of direct relevance to the proposed research topic

You must provide official, final results of qualifications used to meet the academic requirements before the start of the studentship.

Previous study

If you already hold a doctoral degree or you have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year or equivalent part-time basis, funded from any source, including self-financing, you are not eligible for a studentship.

Applying for a DAERA postgraduate studentship 

Applications for 2020 are now closed.

When applying for a DAERA postgraduate studentship, you must include a unique research proposal supported by at least one supervisor from the proposed study centre. You must also send an academic reference from the institution of your primary degree and the offer of a place at the proposed university, supporting your research proposal.

As the number of DAERA awards is limited, only eligible candidates will be invited for interview. It may be necessary to shortlist candidates to go forward to interview. Shortlisting criteria are included in theTerms and Conditions for 2020/21.

Criteria based interviews will be held from 6 to 8 April 2020 at the following address:

Offers will be issued in May 2020 and studentships will start on 1 October 2020. Funding is provided for three years ending on 30 September 2023.

For queries about the DAERA postgraduate studentships contact DAERA Postgraduate Student Awards.

Terms and conditions for 2019 DAERA postgraduate studentships

If you received a studentship in 2019, the terms and conditions are below.

More useful links

Postgraduate studentships

 

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