Funding and benefits
Qualification: PhD
Application deadline: 13 January 2025 (noon UK time)
Start date: October 2025.
Funding
There are 87 PhD studentships available through an open competition and M4C is also awarding 23 Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDA) which provide diverse and unique project opportunities with national, regional, and local partner organisations. UK, EU, and International applicants are eligible for both routes for 2025 entry. Further details on the funding provided are available on the .
The normal maximum award tenure is 3.5 years (42 months) for full-time study and six years (72 months) for part-time study. These periods can be extended by 6 months if you make a case to the AHRC for additional training requirements. You can do this as part of your AHRC M4C application.
Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDAs) are for a period of 4 years (full-time, or 8 years (part-time).
Full-time studentships: payment of approved fees (£4,786 p.a.), maintenance grant (£19,237 pa), Research Training Support Grant to support fieldwork and conference attendance, financial support for placements. Fees and Stipend amounts are the indicative rate for 2024 entry as set by UKRI.
Part-time studentships: Payment of approved pro-rata fees, pro-rata maintenance grant (50%), and support for fieldwork and conference attendance.
2024 Applications
The deadline for all 2025 applications with October 2025 entry, is 13 January 2025- 12.00 hours (UTC+0).
The AHRC-funded (M4C) brings together eight leading universities across the Midlands to support the professional and personal development of the next generation of arts and humanities doctoral researchers. M4C is a collaboration between the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University of Warwick, Coventry University, University of Leicester, 51Âþ», Nottingham Trent University and The University of Nottingham.
51Âþ» is open to applications from prospective research students looking to complete a PhD with research focusing around Arts and Humanities topics, which are available to receive funding from the AHRC. Our Open Doctoral Awards are student-led, and we invite high-quality applications within any disciplinary and interdisciplinary area of the arts and humanities, especially those which align with our research centres and institutes.
Process
- Agree a research proposal with academic supervisors within the M4C partnership, which maximises fit and expertise.
- Be accepted for study at 51Âþ», or at the ‘home’ university in a cross-institutional application. Apply here for a 51Âþ» place
- Develop a quality application, which outlines advanced and novel research, personal, professional, and career development trajectory, and the fit with your selected institution and research centre, consistent with your commitment to ‘quality thesis plus’. Apply to complete a Midlands4Cities application
form. For more details, please read the M4C guidance notes.
In addition to the Open Doctoral Award, M4C also offer an alternative Collaborative Doctoral Award in which you will work with an external partner, including 2 CDA opportunities with 51Âþ», full details can be found .
For full details of eligibility, funding, research supervision areas and CDA projects, and for dates of our November application writing workshops, please visit or contact enquiries@midlands4cities.ac.uk
Entry Requirements
You should hold a Master’s qualification at the time of application or have completed one before PhD commencement. You can also apply on the basis of having equivalent relevant professional experience in lieu of a masters qualification, which demonstrates academic competency.
Funding is only available for students who are beginning a PhD at one of the M4C partner universities in October 2025.
Informal Enquiries
Midlands 4 Cities Secretariat, University of Nottingham
enquiries@midlands4cities.ac.uk
51Âþ» Site Directors
Professor John Young
jyoung@dmu.ac.uk
Dr Alissa Clarke
a.clarke@dmu.ac.uk
Doctoral College (M4C Team)
m4c@dmu.ac.uk