Windsor Fellowship is working with University College London (UCL) who is running this scholarship programme to support Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic postgraduate research degree students – the UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship (UCL-ROS). The scheme offers full financial support and a skills development programme, both designed to promote academia as a more attractive career option.
The Opportunity
The UCL-ROS programme also offers a comprehensive personal and professional development support package. This includes:
- Standard UK/Home postgraduate rate fees.
- A maintenance stipend.
- Coaching, mentoring support and advocacy.
- Enhanced training and skills development from UCL’s Organisation Development Team, through UCL’s Doctoral Skills Development Programme (including the “Brilliant Club” scholars programme) and the Windsor Fellowship.
Eligibility
In order to APPLY, you must:
- have submitted a completed admission application to, or currently be registered on, an eligible** full- or part-time eligible degree programme at UCL by the scholarship deadline;
- you must be a UK-permanent resident from one of the following BAME ethnic groups:
- Black or Black British – Caribbean
- Black or Black British – African
- Other Black background
- Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi
- Asian or Asian British – Pakistani
In order to be AWARDED IF SELECTED, you must:
- be in receipt of an offer of admission to, or currently be registered on, a full-time or part-time research degree programme at UCL.
** PLEASE NOTE Distance learning, non-resident PhD and professional doctorates (DClinPsy, DDent, DEdPsy (Brain Sciences), DOrth and DPsychotherapy) are not eligible for this scholarship. EngD are not considered Professional Doctorates here and are eligible to apply.
- There are 7 scholarships available in total
5 scholarships for any UCL faculty
1 scholarship for Social and Historical Sciences
1 scholarship for the Department of Chemical Engineering
You must apply for admission no later than 12 January 2024, inform your department that you wish to be considered for this scholarship. See How to Apply below. Please be aware that some academic departments set their own deadlines which may be earlier than this date, so make sure you check with them directly.
Award Value: benefits and duration
The scholarships consist of fees equivalent to the standard postgraduate UK/home rate (2024/25: £6035) plus a maintenance stipend (2024/25: £21181) for full-time study (benefits are calculated ‘pro rata’ for part-time students). The scholarship also includes additional research costs of up to £1,200 per year for the stated duration of the programme plus a one off conference cost of £1000.
Awards are normally tenable for years 1, 2, and 3 of a full-time MPhil/PhD/EngD degree programme (or years 1-5 of a part-time programme), subject to annual review and renewal.
Where students are undertaking integrated four-year doctoral programmes the award will be extended to the final year of study.
If granted, funding begins at the start of the next academic year.
The UCL-ROS scholarships also offer a comprehensive personal and professional development support package.
- Coaching, mentoring support and advocacy;
- Training and skills development through UCL’s Doctoral Skills Development Programme (including the “Brilliant Club” scholars programme) and the Windsor Fellowship;
Selection criteria
A panel from UCL and the Windsor Fellowship will select the awardees on the basis of:
- Department nomination and holding an ‘offer’ of a place/admission on an eligible UCL research degree programme.
- Financial need-based on socio-economic background.
- Your personal statement
We will also apply a weighting based on under-representation of BAME PhD students in your faculty
How to apply
If you are a prospective student please follow all the application steps
If you are a current student please go directly to Step 3
- You should first make an informal research enquiry before submitting your application for admission to UCL. You must submit a complete application for admission onto a research degree programme by the specified deadline. You do not need to have secured an offer of a place at UCL in order to apply for the scholarship, but you must have submitted your admission application by 12 January 2024
- When completing the research degree application for admission you should indicate in the ‘Funding’ section that you are also applying to the UCL-ROS programme.
- You must contact your academic department/institute/division/unit to notify them that you would like to be considered for a UCL-ROS by submitting a ROS cover sheet.docx
You must have done this by 12 January 2024. Please use our list of administrative contacts page to make this submission and also discuss this with your potential supervisor, each UCL department can make one nomination.
- If your department supports your application, they will then nominate you to be taken forward to the next stage of the application process You will then be contacted by the Student Funding Office to complete a UCL Research Scholarship (ROS) Application. This will ask you questions about your financial situation as well as requiring that you write a statement outlining what benefit the scholarship will be to you.
The final panel from UCL and the Windsor Fellowship will then consider your financial need and personal statement to reach a final decision.
Results
The panel will meet in March 2024 and applicants will be notified of final decision by April 2024.
Further Information
If you require assistance with completing your UCL-ROS application form and/or you would like more information on the programme, please contact Karlene Mahoney at: MahoneyK@windsor-fellowship.org
