Diamond Jubilee Doctoral Scholarship Match Fund

Help aspiring PhD students expand the boundaries of knowledge while strengthening Exeter’s international research reputation.

Supporting research

World-leading research teams are underpinned by PhD students who drive innovation, foster collaboration and deliver impact in some of the biggest global challenges we face.

From climate change to conflict, to diseases like dementia and diabetes, Exeter’s research is already recognised both nationally and internationally for its quality and its impact. Our challenge now is to build scale – to increase the size of our academic research community and maximise the global impact of our research. The Diamond Jubilee Doctoral Scholarship Match Fund will help us to achieve this and will leverage significant further research funding.

Supporting students

Many talented prospective research students are barred from study if they cannot afford fees or access sufficient loans. Many of our peer institutions have vast endowments and offer generous scholarships. We are building our own endowment fund for the long term, but we also need your support to invest now.

We want to attract the best PhD research students and enable those without financial means to study at Exeter. Your support through the Diamond Jubilee Doctoral Scholarship Match Fund can make this happen.

Indicative guide to funding options

PhD studentships range from £21,000 to £147,000 and we will support your donation 2:1 with an investment from Exeter. So if you chose to contribute to a home or EU studentship (value £21,000), you would contribute £14,000 over four years and the University would match this with £7,000. The cost to you – if eligible for Gift Aid – would be £2,800 per year. The table below explains this further.

Type of Studentship

Total value
of award

University
contribution

Cost to donorAnnual cost to donor without Gift Aid (four years)Net annual cost to donor with Gift Aid (four years)*
UK/EU Full £90,000 £30,000 £60,000 £15,000 £12,000
UK/EU Contribution £21,000 £7,000 £14,000 £3,500 £2,800
International Full £147,000 £49,000 £98,000 £24,500 £19,600

*If eligible for Gift Aid

You can support UK / EU and international students in a variety of ways and we are happy to work with you to develop bespoke packages. Full Studentships will cover fees, living costs plus a contribution towards research costs including fieldwork and attendance at conferences.

You can pool your gift with a fellow supporter to create a single studentship and you can choose where your support is directed within any of our four research themes: health; environment and sustainability; understanding ‘Living Systems’ to tackle disease; and enriching society and culture.

Will you help us to bring the brightest and the best researchers to Exeter to advance our pioneering work?