The University of Surrey is offering ESRC-funded South East Doctoral Training Arc (SEDarc) studentships for students beginning doctoral study in October 2027. The studentships support high-quality postgraduate research in a wide range of social science disciplines and are open to UK and international students.
Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), SEDarc is a Doctoral Training Partnership involving six UK universities: the Universities of Kent, Kingston, Reading, Royal Holloway, Surrey and Sussex.
At the University of Surrey, successful candidates can pursue PhD research in areas including business and management, economics, hospitality and tourism, linguistics, politics and international relations, psychology, sociology and related multidisciplinary subjects.
SEDarc studentships provide substantial financial support for doctoral study. Awards cover UK tuition fees and provide a stipend at the applicable UKRI rate for both full-time and part-time students.
The University of Surrey states that the 2027/28 UKRI fee and stipend rates have not yet been announced. For comparison, the 2026/27 UK fee was £5,238, while the annual stipend was £21,805, or £23,805 where London weighting applies.
For international students who secure a SEDarc studentship, the University of Surrey will waive the difference between the home and overseas tuition fee rates.
However, international applicants should note that there is a 30% cap on international studentships across the SEDarc consortium.
The deadline for the Surrey PhD application and submission of the SEDarc form is 18 January 2027 at 4:00 PM. Applicants must have been interviewed by their proposed supervisor by this date.
Shortlisted candidates will be notified on 22 January 2027 and invited to submit their application to SEDarc by 29 January 2027 at 4:00 PM, allowing them to incorporate feedback from the Surrey shortlisting panel.
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Author
Paul Olayioye
