UCL, Bloomsbury and East London (UBEL) Doctoral Training Partnerships in UK

The UCL, Bloomsbury and East London (UBEL) Doctoral Training Partnership is an ESRC-funded organisation that unites six leading social science institutions.

The DTP’s strategic vision is driven by a shared emphasis on interdisciplinary research; a multiplicity of existing connections within and across the partners; a joint appetite for engagement with non-academic partners; and a collective embedding in London, a super-diverse city with global reach and one of the largest populations of doctoral students anywhere in the world.

UBEL DTP has 30 different disciplinary pathways in 6 groups across 6 London institutions.

Each pathway provides a range of study routes (+3; 1+3; 2+3 & +4) with masters level programmes attached and accommodates both full-time and part-time students.

Students considering applying to UBEL for ESRC studentship funding should familiarise themselves with their proposed pathway and get in touch with the pathway leader(s).

The six partner institutions include;

• University College London (UCL)

• SOAS University of London

• University of East London

• University of Greenwich

• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)

• Birkbeck University of London

To be considered for the UBEL DTP Studentship 2027,

• You should normally have (or expect to achieve by 30 September 2027) an upper second or first class honours degree or a Master’s degree from a recognised UK university, or the equivalent qualification if gained outside the UK.

• For +3.5  award you must normally have (or expect to achieve by 30 September 2027) a Master’s degree with an appropriate level of research training.

Eligibility Criteria

• All UKRI studentships are open to both home and international students.

• To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

  Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), Have settled status,
  or Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements),
  or Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

• If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classified as an International student. Please read the UKRI Eligibility guidance document (pdf) for full details on residency requirements.

• UBEL cannot cover visa costs for international students. For any visa or immigration advice, please speak to your proposed institution's visa compliance team.

• UBEL is allowed to make no more than 30% of the total number of studentships (across competitions) to international students – this is an ESRC condition and cannot be waived. (For 2025 Entry, UBEL could award only 10 international studentships out of 485 international applicants)

• UBEL DTP studentships cover tuition fees at the UKRI rate and an annual maintenance stipend.

• For 2026/27, an UBEL studentship will cover tuition fees of £5238 and a minimum stipend of £23,805. This figure includes the London Allowance.

Before applying for ESRC studentship funding from UBEL DTP, students should:

• 1

  Select their intended pathway

• 2

  Discuss their PhD proposal with a potential supervisor at one of the partner universities

• 3

  Contact the relevant pathway leader(s) at their chosen university

Important Dates

Applicants should note the following key dates published by UBEL DTP:

• 4

  30 October 2026: Pre-registration deadline, 23:59.

• 5

  9 November 2026: Preliminary application deadline, 23:59.

• 6

  11 December 2026: Pathway teams provide decisions to the DTP.

• 7

  14 December 2026: Full application stage opens for successful preliminary applicants.

• 8

  1 February 2027: Full application deadline, 23:59.

• 9

  Week commencing 19 April 2027: DTP Board confirms studentship awards for 2027 entry.

The preliminary application deadline is 9 November 2026. Applicants should complete the required pre-registration by 30 October 2026 and allow sufficient time to prepare their documents.

Click the button below to submit your application.