Black and Global Majority studentships

The Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership (OOC DTP) is committed to addressing under-representation in Arts and Humanities doctoral study. In October 2021 we launched a scheme to increase the number of studentship awards made through our standard route competition to Black and Global Majority students ordinarily resident in the UK.

In our 2024/25 competition, a minimum of ten awards are available for Home fee status Black and Global Majority students applying for doctoral study in an AHRC subject area through The Open University, University of Oxford or University of Cambridge. A minimum of two of these studentships will be awarded to candidates who identify as Black or Mixed Black, Bangladeshi or Mixed Bangladeshi, and Pakistani or Mixed Pakistani, since these groups are disproportionately under-represented in doctoral study in the Humanities.

This is a positive action initiative under the Equality Act 2010.

To be eligible, candidates must:

identify as Black, Asian, Mixed and/or from a Global Majority racial and ethnic group;
be ordinarily resident in the UK, such that they are eligible for Home fee status; and
meet the academic and subject area criteria for OOC AHRC DTP studentship funding.

To be considered for the scheme, applicants must apply to the OOC DTP Standard Route competition via the normal process and disclose ethnicity information in the monitoring section of the university’s admissions system.

A full award through the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP offers:

Payment of university fees throughout the funded period;
A tax-free maintenance grant for your living costs at the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) minimum rate, which increases each year in line with inflation (£19,237 for 2024/25);
The opportunity to apply for an extension to your studentship funding on the basis of individual training and research needs or to support a professional placement;
Additional support for research expenses, individual skills training and/or development opportunities, e.g. conference participation, language training, research visits, professional placements;
Other benefits including Disability Support Allowance (DSA), maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave, and funded extensions to cover sick leave (up to 13 weeks in any 12 month period).

Funding is adjusted on a pro-rata basis for part-time students and where the award is for a period of less than 12 months in any year. We also offer students training and researcher development opportunities and access to the resources and training offered by our consortium universities.

You should apply to the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP standard route competition at the same time as applying for admission to a doctoral programme at The Open University, the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge. If you have already commenced doctoral study at one of the consortium universities, please follow the guidance for on-course students. See How to Apply.

The first stage of assessment is completed by the admitting university. To be considered for nomination to the OOC DTP under the Black and Global Majority studentships initiative, you must

submit a completed copy of the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC DTP Application Form;
tick the box to say that you wish to be considered for OOC DTP/AHRC studentship funding in your university's application form;
disclose ethnicity information in the monitoring section of your university’s admissions system.

If eligible, the university through which you are applying will automatically consider you for OOC DTP studentship funding.

Your application will only be considered by the DTP if you receive an offer of admission from the university at which you wish to take up your studentship.

Black and Global Majority studentships

Note on terminology