The University of Manchester is offering a range of awards for students starting
on PhD research in September 2012 to which candidates working on topics in Linguistics and English Language are eligible to apply. The three main awards, which comprise a fee-bursary and a maintenance grant, are ESRC studentships in Linguistics, an AHRC studentship in Linguistics or English Language, and the University-funded President’s Doctoral Scholar Awards. In addition, the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures will offer a number of PhD fee bursaries, details of which will soon be available here: http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/

Manchester is an international centre for Linguistics and English Language. The 
department is virtually unique in the UK and beyond in the breadth of subject areas 
and theoretical approaches represented by its members, many of whom are 
internationally renowned scholars in their specialisms. The Department of Linguistics and English Language is expected to consist of 16 full-time members of staff in September 2012, and approximately 25 postgraduate research students. The Research Assessment Exercise 2008 has judged more than half of Linguistics  and English Language work to be in the top two research categories of 4* ('world-leading') and 3* ('internationally excellent'). Our research page at http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/subjects/lel/research/ provides information on the 
specific research interests of academic staff and links to their individual pages.

Please note that in order to apply for funding you have to hold a (conditional) offer of a place on the PhD programme. You should therefore submit an application to the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures well in advance of the funding application deadline (details below). For the guidelines about how to apply, please visit http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/

For informal inquiries about the academic side of the application process, please contact

Dr Martina Faller at m.faller@manchester.ac.uk

For questions about the administrative side of the application process, please contact

Ms Rachel Corbishley at Rachel.Corbishley@manchester.ac.uk 

1.  AHRC award in Linguistics or English Language

UK and EU students intending to take a research degree (PhD) in the School may be eligible to apply for support from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). AHRC awards are competitive and provide payment of tuition fees and a maintenance stipend for UK students (£13, 590 in 2011-12), and tuition fees (and a maintenance stipend, subject to eligibility criteria) for EU students. Please note that all AHRC awards are subject to confirmation by the AHRC.

Full details and guidance notes on how to apply will soon be available on the School’s funding website here: http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/

The closing date for AHRC applications is Friday 2 March 2012. An application for a place on the doctoral programme should be submitted to the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures by Wednesday 15 February 2012.

2. ESRC awards in Linguistics

The North West Doctoral Training Centre, jointly run by the Universities of Lancaster, Liverpool and Manchester, is offering PhD studentships in Linguistics. This award covers home/EU fees and offers a maintenance grant (£13, 590 in 2011-12).   Successful candidates will be based at the University of Manchester and will benefit from joint training provision with Lancaster. Eligible programmes are:

• PhD in Linguistics. This is a +3 (three-year) programme for those with a prior Masters.
• Integrated MA/PhD in Linguistics. This is a 1+3 (four-year) programme for those
  without a prior Masters in linguistics or closely related field.

For description of the North West DTC and of the opportunities for post-graduate studies which it offers, please go to http://www.nwdtc.ac.uk/

The deadline for the application for the ESRC studentships is 23 March, 2012. Please note that you should apply for a place on the PhD programme by Wednesday 7 March 2012 at the latest.

3.  President’s Doctoral Scholar Awards

This year, the University of Manchester has launched a new 2.5m investment in PhD training with the creation of the President’s Doctoral Scholar Awards. These awards are open to all new PhD students from all nationalities and research areas. The Department of Linguistics and English Language in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures is keen to receive applications for this funding scheme from candidates working on topics Linguistics and English Language. The award covers tuition fees (home/EU or international, as appropriate) and the equivalent of the research council stipend (£13, 590 in 2011-12).  The following application deadlines should be observed in relation to this award:

The deadline for submitting the completed funding application is Friday 1 March 2012. For the guidelines about how to apply, please visit http://www.llc.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/

An application for a place on the doctoral programme should be submitted to the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures by Wednesday 15 February 2012 at the latest.