There are several avenues you can explore for PhD funding. Of course, you can self-fund if you have the resources (if so, mentioning this in your application can be beneficial), and some students may find it easier to take their PhD part-time, which reduces tuition fees and also frees up time in which to earn money if no external funding is available. Nonetheless, many PhD students enroll on the basis of scholarships, research/teaching assistantships, and grants which are made available for PhD students.
Sources of PhD funding
The Ministry or Department of Education in your home or host country is a good starting point for many forms of educational grants. There are also many charities and trusts that offer financial help to specific demographics – and sometimes very specific indeed! For example, there are scholarships for women and students from particular countries or subject areas, but also more ‘niche’ grants, targeting everyone from vegetarians to the spouses or children of grocers, pharmacists or carpenters.
Some organizations may also offer financial support for existing employees who wish to begin PhD studies during their employment. Candidates wishing to ask their employer to help fund a PhD must usually explain how their studies will benefit their personal and professional development.
When applying for any sort of funding, always make sure to adhere to the often very strict deadlines, and to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment (and to make up for slow application processing times). You may also find it takes a considerable amount of time to get all the required materials, essays, personal statements and references ready before you can apply to a funding opportunity.
Keep reading for an overview of PhD funding options around the world…
PhD funding in the US
In the US, PhD students are discouraged from engaging in external employment. Universities instead offer a tuition waiver and an annual stipend. Ivy League and other larger institutions are typically more able to offer PhD funding than smaller private institutions. Students studying online courses are also less likely to receive funding. The source of funding and amount varies between subjects and between universities, but a good starting point is the Fulbright programs run by the Institute of International Education.
Many PhD students in the US work as teaching assistants or research assistants to supplement their income. These are both usually offered as yearly contracts between the student and the institution, renewed if the student maintains specified academic standards. Some graduate schools may ask students to obtain fellowships (funding with no strings attached in terms of career obligations) or take advantage of their supervisor’s research grants from government agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
PhD funding in Canada
In Canada, PhD students may work outside the university (or through student jobs within the university) but some programs stipulate that students must not work for more than 10 hours per week outside of their studies, particularly if they have been granted PhD funding. The Canadian Government runs a scholarships website which you can use to explore available funding opportunities such as the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, available to Canadian and international PhD students.
Competitive PhD scholarships include those run by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). Some universities give a tuition deferral or waiver which is equivalent to part of or the entire tuition amount for the first four years.
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