PhD in Political and Social Philosophy

Funded Studentship in Political and Social Philosophy 

Funding for (UK/EU/o’seas) UK and overseas (including EU)
Funding amount: Full payment of tuition fees and full maintenance grant (£21,805 per annum)
Hours: Full time
Duration: 4 years

Description: This award is open to students embarking on their PhD research starting in September 2026. We are looking for applicants interested in working on political philosophy, social epistemology, or migration studies. Students should have a background in philosophy or political theory but might come from other relevant disciplines. Applicants will be supervised by Dr Rebecca Buxton, as part of a broader research team. There are two fully funded PhD positions available.

The LEAD project is an ERC-funded programme of research, focusing on the political philosophy of migration, borders, and displacement. The project aims to critically analyse the potential for refugee-led approaches to displacement justice. We particularly encourage applications from candidates with experiences of forced migration.

Candidate requirements: A pass in a Master’s degree (or equivalent) or be working towards a Master’s degree with a final submission date of no later than 15 September 2026.

We particularly encourage applications from people with experience of forced migration. Candidates should feel free to contact Rebecca ([email protected]) in order to discuss qualification requirements and applying for this studentship.

Funding: Home and International students will receive a tuition fee bursary at the Home rate* and a maintenance stipend of £21,805 per annum (rising in alignment with UKRI rates).

*International students will also receive a tuition fee discount to the Home rate. This is so the bursary can cover their tuition fee, and they are not charged for their studies during this studentship.

How to apply For the scholarship, please apply in writing to [email protected], with a formal research proposal (1000 words), CV (no more than 2 pages), and a statement (no more than 2 pages) of your suitability for a role. Please submit this by the deadline of 3rd of April 2026.

Applicants must also submit a formal PhD application to the University of Bristol by 5pm GMT on 3rd April 2026. To make an online application go to http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply. Please select Philosophy PhD on the programme choice page and September 2026 as your start date. Enter details of the scholarship when prompted in the Funding sections of the form (Choose ‘Other’ and enter ‘ERC LEAD Project’). Please also remember to include all documents sent to [email protected] in your application