University of Leeds one of 50 leading institutions to receive new AHRC funding for doctoral studentships
Doctoral Landscape Awards support postgraduate studentships across the arts and humanities and are provided as block grant awards to HEIs like the University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is one of 50 leading Higher Education Institutions to receive a Doctoral Landscape Award from the AHRC to help underpin the strength and stability of the arts and humanities research ecosystem.
The DLA is one of two new schemes, along with the Doctoral Focal Awards (DFA), by the AHRC to support doctoral funding. The awards replace the nine different schemes through which UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) previously supported doctoral training.
Doctoral Landscape Awards support postgraduate studentships across the arts and humanities and are provided as block grant awards to HEIs like the University of Leeds.
The University of Leeds’ Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures will use the DLA to fund three doctoral students per year for five years, furnishing them with for a diverse range of careers, both in research and innovation and across the public and private sectors.
Professor Matthew Treherne, Pro-Dean for Research & Innovation at the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, said:
"We are delighted that the new AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award will provide funding for doctoral places in arts and humanities at the University of Leeds. This award underscores the University’s longstanding commitment to cultivating research excellence and supporting the next generation of scholars. By enabling collaborative projects with non-academic partners, the DLA will ensure that our doctoral researchers are well-equipped to make significant contributions both within and beyond academia."
The DLA is just one of the awards to be made to the University of Leeds under UKRI's new collective talent framework.
Professor Luke Windsor, Dean of the Leeds Doctoral College, said:
“The University of Leeds will be leading four of these new UKRI-funded programmes of doctoral training across the:
- National Environment Research Council (NERC) - one DLA, one DFA
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) – one DLA
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)- one DLA.
“These awards will help meet and develop the skills and knowledge of future experts across the Environmental, Biological, Engineering and Physical Sciences. These successes reflect the high quality of our research in these areas, the depth and quality of our supervisory base and support services (coordinated by the Doctoral College), and the hard work of the teams across the University that contributed to and authored our bids, both within the Faculties, in the Research and Innovation Service and across a range of service partners, including our sector-leading PGR Diversity Team.”
Executive-Chair Professor Christopher Smith said:
“The AHRC doctoral landscape awards provide flexible funding to allow universities to build on existing excellence in research and opportunities for innovation across the arts and humanities.
“They will support the development of talented people and, alongside our other doctoral schemes, contribute to a vibrant, diverse and internationally attractive research and innovation system.”
Further details will be released in autumn 2025.
