Career Development Scholarship

The School of Physics and Astronomy Career Development Scholarship provides full PhD funding for students from a Black heritage, including mixed Black background.  We welcome applications from prospective students, both UK and International. The deadline for applications is the 24th November 2025.

Application Process:

Step 1:  Choose a project

Review the PhD research opportunities on offer within the School of Physics and Astronomy, choosing up to four different projects or supervisors that you would like to work with.  

Step 2: University of Edinburgh Application Portal

All prospective students must initially apply through the University of Edinburgh Application Portal. Select “Postgraduate Research” and search "Astrophysics" or “Physics” in the Degree Finder, clicking the relevant PhD link and “Apply Now”.  If you are interested in conducting Physics Education Research, please apply for the Condensed Matter Physics PhD Degree.

Once you have submitted your University degree application you will be e-mailed a Unique University Number (UUN, the letter S followed by a 7-digit number) to be used in the next step. Your referees will be automatically e-mailed by the University.  They should submit their letters to our online portal by the 24th November 2025.

Note that if you are applying for an Astrophysics PhD, you do not need to fill in all the sections of the University form.  For applications to our other Physics PhD degrees, however, please fill in all sections.

We recommend completing this step as early as possible to make sure the system provides your UUN well in advance of the deadline.  

Step 3: Career Development Scholarship Application

To apply for this scholarship, please fill in this Application Form (to edit it, you will need to make your own copy of the Google Doc: File > Make a copy). This form must not exceed one page and be emailed directly to gradschool.physics [at] ed.ac.uk, along with a one page CV, before the 24th November 2025. 

Step 4: Timeline

Online interviews will take place in mid-December with offers made before the end of the year. Students who accept our offer will then be nominated for the Institute of Physics Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship, and must apply for this scheme as a condition of their offer letter.  The student, supervisor and Director of Graduate studies will work together to submit the relevant paperwork for this additional award with a deadline of 19th January 2026.

By accepting an offer the Career Development Scholarship, full PhD funding is guaranteed, irrespective of the outcome of the Bell Burnell application.  If you are successful, however, you will become a joint Bell Burnell Scholar and Career Development Scholar.  

Alternative funding opportunities

If you are not selected for this Career Development scholarship, you will still be considered for our other funding schemes and may be invited for an interview at a later stage.  Students wishing to be considered for the general call to the Astrophysics PhD programme must submit an additional anonymised application form.

If you have any application-related questions that aren't already answered on this webpage, please e-mail gradschool.physics [at] ed.ac.uk.