Law PhD Scholarship

With six well-established research centres and links to leading institutions around the world, the School of Law at the University of Nottingham is a dynamic environment for scholarly endeavours. We engage in world-leading and internationally renowned research in core as well as emerging areas of law. Our research demonstrates real-world impact through knowledge exchange and collaboration with external partners.

We are seeking to expand our thriving postgraduate research community by offering two PhD scholarships for the start of the next academic session (September 2022). We are especially keen to attract highly motivated individuals with innovative project ideas. We are equally open to proposals in any area of law, any methodology (ie empirical, doctrinal, comparative, theoretical) or research design.

Applicants are strongly advised to review the details of the research interests of staff members within the School of Law and to approach them as potential supervisors to see if they are willing to act as supervisors of the project—at least in principle.

Prime consideration will be given to applicants with a focused research project/proposal that can demonstrate a cutting-edge topic, angle or approach. This aspect should be given special emphasis in the applicant’s submitted documentation.

Scholarship particulars

• Tuition fees to be paid at the home rate for three years. Please note this scholarship does not cover the extra cost of international tuition fees.
• Stipend of £15,609 per year for three years.

• 2:1 LLB (or equivalent for overseas students) (Essential) or First Class LLB (or equivalent for overseas students) (Desirable)
• Masters level degree in any area of law or a related subject (Desirable) or equivalent and relevant professional and/or work experience (Desirable)
• High level proficiency in written and spoken English (for overseas students IELTS score of 7.0 is needed with no less than 7.0 in writing, 6.5 in reading, and 6.0 in speaking and listening)
• Ability to work independently on research as well as engage with the wider research community, including the postgraduate research community at Nottingham

1. Complete the university application form. Applicants who wish to be considered for the University of Nottingham Law PhD Scholarship must specify that they are applying for this Scholarship in either the cover letter or personal statement component of their PhD application submitted at this website.
2. Academic references for the University application must be provided before the application can be considered for the scholarship. Once the application has been made, applicants are advised to ensure that their referees submit references timeously.
3. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend for a short online interview to discuss their application, and the second week of March 2022 has been provisionally set aside for this purpose.

The closing deadline for both scholarship applications is noon GMT on Friday 11 February 2022.

Selection criteria

1. 2:1 LLB (the equivalent for overseas students) (Essential) or First Class LLB (the equivalent for overseas students) (Desirable)
2. Masters level degree in any area of law or a related subject (Desirable) or equivalent and relevant professional and/or work experience (Desirable)
3. High level proficiency in written and spoken English (for overseas students IELTS score of 7.0 is needed with no less than 7.0 in writing, 6.5 in reading, and 6.0 in speaking and listening)
4. Ability to work independently on research as well as engage with the wider research community, including the postgraduate research community at Nottingham
5. Uniqueness/originality of proposal
6. Clear and persuasive justification for the necessity of the research
7. Understanding of the potential value and impact of the research