University College London (UCL), with the Windsor Fellowship
UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship
The UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship pays for a doctorate at University College London for UK students from Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani backgrounds, groups that are under-represented among UCL's research students. It covers home fees, a stipend and research costs, and adds coaching, mentoring and training designed to make an academic career more attractive. Six scholarships were offered for 2026/27, and the next round is for 2027/28 entry.
- Level
- PhD
- Study or work in
- United Kingdom (UCL, London)
- Who can apply
- Home fee status, UK resident 3 years, from the Black, Bangladeshi or Pakistani groups UCL lists; applied to a UCL research degree
- What it covers
- Home tuition fees, a stipend (22,780 pounds in 2025/26), up to 1,200 pounds a year for research, 1,000 pounds for conferences, and a development programme
- Length
- The research portion of the degree: normally 3 years full-time or 5 part-time (4 for integrated programmes)
- Application window
- Admission application and cover sheet by early January; panel in March, decisions by April (2026/27: 9 January 2026)
Open now
No call is open right now. Admission application and cover sheet by early January; panel in March, decisions by April (2026/27: 9 January 2026)
How to apply
Apply for admission to a UCL research degree and tick the scholarship in the funding section, then send the UCL-ROS cover sheet to the department. Nominated candidates complete a further form with a personal statement and household income details.
Who can apply
Applicants must have home fee status, have been ordinarily resident in the UK for the last three years, and be UK permanent residents from one of the groups UCL lists: Black or Black British Caribbean, Black or Black British African, other Black background, Asian or Asian British Bangladeshi, and Asian or Asian British Pakistani. They must be starting a research degree at UCL in the coming academic year.
The eligible programmes are full-time and part-time MPhil/PhD and EngD degrees. Distance learning, non-resident PhDs and professional doctorates such as the DClinPsy and DDent are excluded; the EngD is not treated as a professional doctorate and is eligible. An applicant does not need an offer of admission to apply, but must have one before the award is confirmed.
What it pays
The scholarship pays tuition fees at the standard UK home rate and a maintenance stipend for the research part of the degree, which rises each year with inflation. The full-time stipend was 22,780 pounds in 2025/26, with the 2026/27 rate still to be confirmed when we checked, and part-time students receive it pro rata. It adds up to 1,200 pounds a year for research costs and a single allowance of 1,000 pounds for conferences.
Awards last for the standard length of the research portion: normally three years full-time or five part-time, extended to a fourth year for integrated four-year doctoral programmes, subject to academic progress. The writing-up year is not funded.
Development support
Alongside the money, scholars receive coaching, mentoring and advocacy, and training through UCL's Doctoral Skills Development Programme, including the Brilliant Club scholars programme, and through the Windsor Fellowship. The package is designed to make academia a more attractive career option for scholars at the start of their research careers.
How selection works
- Admission application. The candidate applies for a UCL research degree, indicating in the funding section of the form that they are also applying for the scholarship.
- Cover sheet. The candidate sends a UCL-ROS cover sheet to the department they applied to, by the scholarship deadline or any earlier departmental date.
- Department nomination. Departments nominate candidates on academic attainment and research potential, judged from research experience, enthusiasm and the research proposal.
- Application form. Eligible nominees receive a form from the Student Funding Office asking about socio-economic circumstances and household income, a lay summary of the research and a personal statement.
- Selection panel. A panel from the Student Funding Office, the EDI team and the Windsor Fellowship selects on the nomination, financial need and the personal statement, weighted by under-representation in the candidate's faculty. It meets in March.
Questions
Do I need an offer before applying?
No. You need a complete admission application by the deadline, and an offer before the award is made.
Can I study part-time?
Yes. Part-time MPhil/PhD and EngD students are eligible, with the stipend paid pro rata over up to five years.
Is it open to international students?
No. Applicants must have home fee status and three years of ordinary residence in the UK.
Which subjects are eligible?
Any UCL faculty. For 2026/27 one of the six scholarships was reserved for Social and Historical Sciences.
Can I apply if I am already a UCL doctoral student?
The scheme is for prospective students starting on or after the first permitted MPhil/PhD start date of the academic year, 1 October 2026 for the last round.
Related programmes
Sources
Official pages last checked 27 September 2026.