Applications for Leeds International Research Scholarships (LIRS) to commence full time PhD research study in any Faculty at the University of Leeds in January 2015 are invited from high quality international students. The Scholarships will provide full international fees together with a maintenance grant of £10,000 per annum.
Leeds International Research Scholarship (LIRS) - Round 2
Session 2014-2015 - Closing Date: 16 June 2014 (23:59 UK time)
Leeds International Research Scholarships are available for high quality international students who will be commencing PhD research study from Session 2014-2015 for study in any Faculty at the University of Leeds.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA – Please read this information carefully, as your application form will be automatically rejected if you do not meet ALL of the eligibility criteria listed below
· Applicants MUST first submit a research degree study application form and be in receipt of a Student ID Number[1] to be eligible for a Leeds International Research Scholarship. Applications without a valid Student ID Number will be rejected. To apply for a place on a research degree programme, please visit: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/students/apply_research.htm
· These awards are only available to applicants who would be liable to pay academic fees at the full international fee rate;
· Applicants must normally hold a First Degree at undergraduate level equivalent to at least a UK First Class Honours degree and should be considered to be the ‘best of the best’ (eg, successful applicants are likely to be in the top 5% of their MSc/MA and BSC/BA cohorts and already in receipt of prizes at national or international level). Applicants should either have graduated with the appropriate First Degree or be in their final year of study. Applicants should contact the relevant School in which they intend to study for any further guidance as to whether they have achieved the equivalence of a UK First Class Honours degree or not.
· Applicants whose first language is not English must have already met the University’s English Language requirements by 16 June 2014. You should have a valid test result, which is no more than two years old by your official start date at the University of Leeds. Examples of an acceptable English Language Standard can be found at: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/rsa/international/english_lang_requirements/english_language.html Applicants who have recently been educated at degree level (undergraduate or postgraduate) in specific majority English language speaking countries[2] for a minimum of two years continuous study within the last two years, will be regarded as having fulfilled the University’s English language requirements. Some Schools require a standard of English higher than the University minimum.
· These awards are not open to individuals who have already been awarded a Doctoral degree or equivalent qualification;
· LIRS scholarships should not normally be held concurrently with other Scholarships which provide duplicate funding. Successful LIRS award holders may, if they are able to obtain additional funding, hold a bursary which pays travel/accommodation costs etc for UK/overseas fieldwork visits and attendance at conferences.
REGULATIONS
These include the following (full information on the regulations will be sent to all successful applicants):
· Awards must be taken up on 1 January 2015;
· The awards are available for new research students undertaking full-time study leading to the degree of PhD. Students who are already registered for PhD research study are excluded from this competition;
· The award will cover full international fees and a maintenance grant of £10,000 per annum for the duration of the scholarship. There are no additional allowances for travel or research costs;
· The award will be made for one year in the first instance and renewable for a further period of up to two years, subject to satisfactory academic progress;
· Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this Scholarship.
METHOD OF APPLICATION
· Applicants must complete all sections of the University Postgraduate Research Scholarships application form (click here), with strict observation of any word limits. Please do not include any other documents with the form, such as transcripts or CVs, as they will be disregarded.
· The completed form (must be typed) should be returned in either Word or pdf format to the Postgraduate Scholarships Office, Marjorie & Arnold Ziff Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT by no later than 23:59 on 16 June 2014 or by email to pg_scholarships@leeds.ac.uk.
· By submitting this application, applicants are attesting to the accuracy of the information given and to their compliance with the regulations of the Scholarship.
· To track the progress of your application, please visit http://scholarships.leeds.ac.uk and select the tab ‘Application Tracking’. Please note that, due to the large volume of applications, the Postgraduate Scholarships Office will not enter into any correspondence regarding the progress of an application.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE & RESULT
Applicants will receive an automated email confirming receipt of the application. Applications are logged by the Postgraduate Scholarships Office and passed on to the relevant Schools for initial consideration. Each School selects a shortlist of applicants who they wish to recommend for the award. The Group on Scholarships, Studentships and Prizes then meets to consider the shortlists and select the successful applicants. Applicants can expect to be notified of the outcome of their application by the end of September 2014. The University will publish the names of the successful applicants within the University and externally on the University website.
[1] On-line applicants automatically receive their Student ID Number by email; paper applicants should request their Student ID Number from rp_applications@leeds.ac.uk
[2] Australia; Cameroon (in some cases); Canada; some Caribbean States; Ghana; Ireland; Kenya; Malawi; Malta; New Zealand; Nigeria (in some cases); Sierra Leone; Tanzania; Uganda; UK; USA; Zambia; Zimbabwe. For other countries where English is the first language, applicants should check first with the relevant School.
