OpenFieldManchester President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Award
The University of Manchester's premier competitive doctoral award, offering full funding and bespoke presidential leadership training to the world's most promising doctoral researchers.
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 UK honours degree or international equivalent (minimum 3.7+ / 4.0 GPA or 80%+).
- English language proficiency
- Academic IELTS 7.0 overall with minimum 6.5 in all subscores or TOEFL iBT 100.
- Standardized testing (GRE/GMAT)
- Not required.
- Thesis / Research statement
- High academic distinction; prior published research papers or high-distinction Master's dissertation.
- Recommendation letters
- Two academic recommendation letters submitted via the application portal.
How much will it cost? How much funding is available?
- Financial support / stipend
- Fully funded: Full international tuition fees covered plus annual tax-free living stipend at UKRI rate (£19,237+/year) and research consumables budget for 3.5 to 4 years
- Application fee
- Free application for research doctoral study
- Tuition / joining costs
- Full tuition completely covered for duration of scholarship award.
Dates and verification
- Application deadline
- February 1, 2027 (Annual international scholarship competition deadline for Autumn entry)
- Last source review
- 2026-10-14
Important verification note
Facts reflect official The University of Manchester 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