Sources of funding for postgraduate study in SPIRE

							    Sources of funding for postgraduate study in SPIRE



Funding for all students



Keele University Bursaries

i) for MAs

Each year we aim to award a number of bursaries to Masters students studying in
SPIRE. In past years we have awarded six or more bursaries each of the value of £1,500–
£2,000 to cover part of the cost of the tuition fees. These bursaries have been awarded to
both home/EU students and international students.

The number and size of individual bursaries awarded each year depend on the quality
of the applications and on the funds we have available. Bursaries will always take the
form of covering part of the cost of tuition fees. We are not able to provide funds to
cover living expenses. In return for bursaries, students are required to undertake a
modest amount of clerical/administrative work in the School (up to 50 hours in the
year).

All applications for our MA programmes (whether they be from home/EU students or
from international students) are automatically put forward for a bursary, as long as
they are received by the end of June. If you hope to be awarded a bursary, it is
therefore very important that you submit a strong application with a strong personal
statement. In the personal statement you should pay particular attention to explaining
how your research interests fit in with SPIRE and why you wish to study your chosen
MA at Keele.
Details of the application procedure can be found at www.keele.ac.uk/postgraduate



ii) for MRes

Last year, the Research Institute for Law, Politics and Justice (LPJ) was able to offer some
bursaries for students wanting to study for an MRes.

For further information on these, please consult to Research Institute’s website
(http://www.keele.ac.uk/research/lpj/) or contact Professor John Vogler in SPIRE with
any queries.

Liz Carter November 2007                                                                  1
Employment

Many postgraduate students choose to study part-time so that they can continue in paid
employment. Some full-time students also have to find paid work in order to help fund
their studies.

International students are now permitted to work up to 20 hours a week without
individual approval, and spouses are also allowed to work provided their student
spouse has been granted leave to stay in the UK for 12 months or more.

We are sometimes able to provide opportunities for paid employment (usually
administrative work) within SPIRE. The Students Union also runs a job shop for
students seeking casual and part-time work. See: www.kusu.net




Liz Carter November 2007                                                            2
Funding for UK and EU students

See also ‘Funding for all students’ above.



Research Councils

Both the Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities
Research Council (AHRC) provide funding for students who undertake a Masters
course in preparation for a PhD. (Please note that they do not provide funding for
students who do not wish to go on to doctoral study.) The competition for both ESRC
and AHRC postgraduate studentships is intense.

The ESRC has a formal recognition exercise to approve specific Masters courses for this
purpose. At present, the following SPIRE courses have this ESRC recognition:
• International Relations (MRes)
• Global Security (MRes)
• Diplomatic Studies (MRes)
• Environmental Politics (MRes)
Please note that these courses are MRes programmes (rather than MA programmes) and
therefore include more research training in preparation for a PhD.
Students intending to undertake a PhD may apply to ESRC for what is known as a ‘1+3
award’, which covers a 1-year approved Masters programme (as above) followed by 3
years’ PhD. See: www.esrc.ac.uk

The AHRC does not recognise specific courses, but it does have certain research training
requirements. See: www.ahrc.ac.uk

All applications must be made via the University and students should contact SPIRE’s
MA Director, Dr Helen Parr, in the first instance.
Students should also make contact with their ‘prospective supervisor’.
Applications normally need to be submitted to the research council by 1 May, and
students are advised to contact SPIRE no later than December if they wish to be
supported.




Career Development Loans (UK residents only)

Career Development Loans are available from some of the clearing banks. You should
contact banks directly for further information. See also: www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/cdl


Liz Carter November 2007                                                              3
Funding for international students

See also ‘Funding for all students’ above.



For a very useful guide to sources of funding for international students who wish to
study in the UK, see http://www.educationuk.org/downloads/sources_of_funding.pdf




Individual scholarships include:



Keele International Student Scholarships (KISS)

These scholarships are open to students from Brunei, China, the Gulf States (Bahrain,
Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE - to be confirmed), Hong Kong, India, Kenya,
Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam who wish to undertake
a taught postgraduate Masters at Keele. They are not open to PhD students.

In 2007-08 the value of these scholarships was £3,000. These scholarships take the form
of covering part of the cost of tuition fees. They do not cover living expenses.

For more information, please see:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/aa/postgraduate/funding.htm




Chevening Scholarships

Chevening scholarships are currently available in 160 countries around the world.
Please note that the Chevening Scholarships scheme has ceased operating in the
majority of European Union countries.

Chevening scholarships are usually for Masters courses. Undergraduate courses are
seldom funded and MPhils and PhDs are only considered for funding if there is a co-
funding partner.

There are basically two types of scholarships;
• Fully funded scholarships – these are full scholarships that cover tuition fees,
   monthly stipend and various one-off allowances.


Liz Carter November 2007                                                             4
•   Part funded scholarships – these vary from award to award and cover part/full
    stipend and/or allowances.

Competition for Chevening scholarships is intense and only one in every 25 applicants is
successful. A typical successful applicant would be:
• A graduate with proven academic skills.
• Committed to return to their country and contribute to the socio-economic
     development of their country through implementing new skills and knowledge
     acquired in the UK.
• Be able to show at interview that they possess the personal qualities to benefit from
     their scholarship and use it to succeed in their chosen career.
• Have a clear idea how their scholarship will benefit their country on their return.
• Have good English Language skills and must have an IELTS of 6.5 for admission
     onto Postgraduate courses.
Criteria also vary a little from country to country, so please visit the website below for
full details.

You must apply to The British Embassy/High Commission or The British Council in the
country of which you are a citizen. Please see the full country listing on the website and
select the country of which you are a citizen for the application procedure.
http://www.chevening.com/about/scholarships/

Deadlines for application vary from country to country. Please consult the website for
full details.




Commonwealth Scholarships

These offer support for full-time study at both Masters and doctoral level.
Awards cover airfare, tuition fees, maintenance allowance and other miscellaneous
costs.

Students should normally have the equivalent of an upper second undergraduate
degree.

Applications are generally made through:
• The national Commonwealth Scholarship nominating agency in the student’s home
   country – for both developing and developed countries
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (1 year Masters only) – for students
   from developing countries who want to study in the UK


Liz Carter November 2007                                                                5
The national nominating agencies have their own deadlines.           The deadline for the
Shared Scholarship Scheme is end December 2007.

For more information see: www.cscuk.org.uk
For a downloadable leaflet see http://www.cscuk.org.uk/docs/scholarsprospectus.pdf




Fulbright Postgraduate Student Awards

Awards for US citizens to study in the UK.
Awards cover tuition and maintenance for the first year of study.

The competition for these awards is intense. The US-UK Fulbright Commission is
seeking applicants who demonstrate scholarly excellence and the clear potential to make
a solid contribution to their field of study. Applicants should demonstrate:
• Rigour in scholarly enquiry and academic or professional excellence
• Strong reasons for wishing to pursue the proposed project in the UK
• An interest in the people and culture of their host country
• A clear set of objectives for the Fulbright year
• Commitment to the community through volunteer and extra-curricular activity

Please note that the lead-in time for this award is long. You should therefore begin your
application well in advance of when your proposed course of study begins.

For further information of these awards and for application details see:
http://www.fulbright.co.uk/awards/us/postgrad/index.html




Marshall Scholarships

Marshall Scholarships finance young US citizens of high ability to study for a degree in
the UK. At least forty Scholars are selected each year to study either at graduate or
occasionally undergraduate level at a UK institution in any field of study. Each
scholarship is held for two years. The selection of Scholars is based on a range of factors,
including a candidate's choice of course, choice of university, and academic and
personal aptitude.

The total value of a Marshall Scholarship varies a little according to the circumstances
(place of residence, selected university, etc.) of each Scholar but the figure tends to be

Liz Carter November 2007                                                                  6
about £20,000 a year. This covers accommodation and cost of living expenses; tuition
fees; fares to and from the US; a contribution to supporting a dependent spouse; and
other miscellaneous expenses.

The deadline for the 2008 Marshall Scholarship Competition has now passed. (It was
October 2007).

For further details see: http://www.marshallscholarship.org/index.html




Education Ministry in your home country

You are also encouraged to contact the Education Ministry or the Department of
Education in your home country to enquire about other possible scholarships and
funding sources.




Liz Carter November 2007                                                          7