OpenFieldUCL Research Excellence Scholarships (RES)
UCL's premier doctoral fellowship awarded to 40 outstanding international and domestic PhD scholars annually, providing comprehensive tuition fee coverage and £22,278/year maintenance.
Application checklist & requirements
These requirements reflect published university guidelines available at the last review. Review official department guidelines before submission.
- Academic degree / Prerequisites
- First Class Honours undergraduate degree (or international equivalent A / 3.8+ GPA) or Master's with Distinction.
- English language proficiency
- UCL Level 2 requirement: IELTS 7.0 overall with minimum 6.5 in all elements.
- Standardized testing (GRE/GMAT)
- Not required.
- Thesis / Research statement
- Demonstrated exceptional research potential through published work, pre-prints, or undergraduate thesis.
- Recommendation letters
- Two academic referee reports submitted directly via the UCL application portal.
How much will it cost? How much funding is available?
- Financial support / stipend
- Fully funded: Full tuition fees (home or overseas rate) for 3 years plus annual tax-free living stipend of £22,278 per year and £1,000 annual research consumables budget
- Application fee
- Free application for doctoral research programs
- Tuition / joining costs
- Full tuition completely covered for the entire 3-year duration of the PhD.
Dates and verification
- Application deadline
- January 15, 2027 (Annual deadline for 2027 doctoral entry scholarship consideration)
- Last source review
- 2026-10-14
Important verification note
Facts reflect official University College London documentation reviewed 2026-10-14. Admissions, funding allocations, and eligibility thresholds are evaluated by the university.
Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Editorial standards · Report an issue