Applications are now open
for the NINE DTP 2024-25
Studentship Competition

NINE DTP runs a combined annual studentship competition to recruit and select postgraduate researchers of the very highest calibre to study at Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Teesside, Sunderland, Queen’s and Ulster Universities. We operate an open competition for the awarding of studentships, which is centred on the quality of candidates and their proposed research, alongside a linked Action for Equality initiative to award two full scholarships to specific under-represented groups.

Our studentship competition has been designed to be as open and transparent as possible, and all decisions concerning which students are funded are based upon clear assessment criteria. You can read more about these criteria in our guidelines. NINE DTP awards between 50-55 fully-funded postgraduate studentships to each academic year for full-time or part-time study. To apply for a NINE DTP studentship one must 1) apply to the university at which one intends to study and 2) arrange for one’s proposed supervisory team to file a nomination form (and supporting documents) with their department’s postgraduate research director, who will then pass the nomination on to that university’s pathway lead. Nominations that are short-listed by the pathway are then forwarded on to the general studentship competition.

Full guidelines

Download a copy of the NINE DTP Annual Studentship Competition Guidelines

Guidelines (pdf)

Action for Equality Scheme Guidelines

Read more around our initiative to support candidates of Black British, British Asian, or mixed Black or Asian heritage

AforE Guidelines

Nomination Form

Your Supervisor will need to nominate you for funding. Make sure you have their support, and ask that they complete the nomination form.

Information for Supervisors

Our awards

Candidates may apply for funding for the three and a half year Doctoral Programme (a 3.5 award), or may also apply for funding for both Masters and Doctoral study (our 4.5 or 5.5 awards). All award types are accessible on a part-time basis, with the stipend awarded pro-rata.

NINE DTP also offers an innovative 4 year programme, which allows students with a Masters (or equivalent experience) to complete a funded course on research methods training should they be lacking the necessary qualifications in social science research methodology (a prerequisite for funding for the full Doctoral studies).

Your supervisor can advise you as to which award type is most suitable for you.

Candidates should be aware that not all award types will be available at each institution, or with each pathway.