The University of Manchester President’s Doctoral Scholar Award 

Every year, the President’s Doctoral Scholar Award scheme, founded by Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, awards more than 100 studentships to students applying to the University of Manchester. The PDS Award will provide a foundation for the most promising students from around the world to pursue research training with eminent professors in a variety of fields.

President’s Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Award

The PDS Awards are open to all countries and research disciplines and will be given to the most exceptional international (non-UK) PhD applicants.

Candidates must meet all of the following criteria to be considered for this award:

• Hold a conditional/unconditional offer for a PhD programme starting in September 2022;
• Hold (or are about to obtain) a first-class honours undergraduate degree (or international equivalent) from a reputable institution;
• Hold a master’s degree with distinction or excellence (or international equivalent).

• Have a history of participating in research with examples of contributions to publications/articles, promotion of their findings to a wider audience, and prizes for research or project work
• Be interested in participating in a series of private events aimed at facilitating contacts with the university’s academic community and networking with other PDS award recipients

After a student receives an official offer, their application can be considered for these full scholarships. Following the issuance of a PhD offer letter to the candidate, application forms will be handed to the Primary Supervisor.

Additionally, PDS Award students will have the opportunity to be invited to a series of exclusive events where they can meet the President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, interact with the academic community, and network with other PDS Awards students. They will benefit from international research leadership from eminent academics and the university’s substantial transferable skills training.

They will become a University advocate for the PDS Awards and at graduation, they will be awarded the President’s Doctoral Scholar medal.

Application process

To be considered, the student must first complete all of the standard admissions procedures and earn a conditional or unconditional PhD offer. As a result, the online PhD applications should be submitted by the due date as per their website (see link at the end of this article) to allow enough time for review, interview, and selection of supervisors.

Students need to specify that they are applying for a University of Manchester Scholarship, specifically a PDS Award, in the funding area of the application form. The information on how to apply for a PhD online can be found on the university’s website (see link at the end of this article).

Following the interview and offer of a PhD position, the student will be assigned a Primary Supervisor to complete the PDS application. This application must be submitted to the Faculty Doctoral Academy.

Before final funding offers are made, all PDS applications will undergo a thorough review and a shortlist of candidates will be interviewed. Interviews are planned to take place in early June. Within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, the University of Manchester will grant three fully supported scholarships.

Full details: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/financial-support/presidents-doctoral-scholar-awards/