Is Funding Available for PhD/DPhil Programs at Oxbridge in the UK?

[Gavroy]

Hi

I wanted to ask something about whether there is any kind of salary or funding available if you are studying towards your PhD/ DPhil at one of both universities, just out of curiosity. In Germany, we do not need to pay tuition fees and most students that are undertaking research towards a PhD have most often some "scientific or tutor jobs" at their university, so they will get a salary between 1000 and 1500€. This means, that they will not need any kind of support by their parents. Is this also possible if you are studying towards your PhD in the UK?

(I would find it also interesting to get some information about the USA too, as it is something that interests me.)

So how is the financial situation of PhD candidates in general?

 

[Lavabug]

You can find this out yourself by going to the University's page.

In general all UK universities require 3-years of UK residency for EU citizens in order to be eligible for phd scholarships, and in most cases a masters degree is also a requirement. Otherwise you must procure one of the universities' prestigious scholarships which are typically requested a year and a half in advance and are competitive on a ridiculous level (both of these have them). You need to be the next Chandrasekhar or Stephen Hawking, because this is the caliber of students they take.

For info on US phd's read ZapperZ's stickied thread.

You will have an easier (and cheaper) time getting phd funding in Germany I think.

 

[JesseC]

As Lavabug mentioned the majority of research council funding is allocated only to those from the EU who have been resident in the UK for at least 3 years. These usually go to the best students rather than specific PhD projects, giving those awarded some flexibility. (Although presumably you will have a specific project in mind anyway)

However some professors have access to funding without these restrictions for certain projects, perhaps if they are part of an international collaboration, have industrial support or have some other non-government funding. Search around. The excellent http://www.findaphd.com/ details the citizenship restrictions on advertised projects. If you are set on Oxford then your choices are likely to be extremely limited.

A related analogy: I recently attended a PhD interview day and was told there was funding for approximately 14 students, only 4 of which could be international students. However, UK students could still compete for those 4 grants. Lots of competition :(

I know of a Chinese student who is funding his own PhD at great expense. If you do secure funding however expect to get at least £1100 per month stipend.