Funding & benefits
The UCL-RES scholarship consists of full tuition fees (either Home or Overseas) plus a maintenance stipend during the research portion of the programme which increases each year with inflation. For 2025/26, the stipend rate is £22,780 for full-time study (rates are calculated 'pro rata' for part-time students). For 2026/27, the stipend rate is to be confirmed.
The scholarship also includes additional research costs of up to £1,200 per year for the standard duration of the research portion of the programme.
Awards are made for the standard length of the research portion of the programme of study. This is normally 3 years for a full-time MPhil/PhD/EngD degree programme (or 5 years for part-time study), subject to sufficient academic progress. Please note the funding does not cover CRS/writing up year(s).
Where students are undertaking an integrated doctoral programme with a standard length of four years, the award will be extended to the 4th year of research.
If awarded, funding begins at the start of the next academic year. For 2026/27 this is 1st October 2026
“For 2026/27 we are offering 40 fully funded UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES) to exceptional applicants from any country.”
Eligible programmes & fields
Use the verified study fields above for subject-fit screening and confirm the exact eligible degree on the provider’s official programme page before applying.
About this opportunity
Research Excellence Scholarship, offered by University College London in the United Kingdom, is a scholarship for undergraduate, MPhil and PhD students. Funding, as stated by University College London: "For 2026/27 we are offering 40 fully funded UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES) to exceptional applicants from any country." Eligibility, as stated by University College London: "For 2026/27 we are offering 40 fully funded UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES) to exceptional applicants from any country." Applications open on 1 October 2026 and close on 9 January 2026.
Depending on the award tier or route, verified benefits include Full tuition coverage. The opportunity currently maps to study areas including All study areas. Use the programme and eligibility sections below to decide whether the opportunity matches your academic background before opening the official application portal.
Key dates
Eligibility requirements
- To APPLY, you must:
- have submitted a complete admission application to an eligible** full- or part-time degree programme at UCL by the scholarship deadline;
- hold or expect to achieve at least an upper second-class Honours UK undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification.
- To be AWARDED IF SELECTED, you must:
- be in receipt of an offer of admission to 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.
- be in receipt of an offer of admission to 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. Selection criteria: Step 1: Submit your UCL-RES applications directly to the academic department you have applied to. Please see the How to Apply section below for more details about this step.
- Step 3: The central UCL Selection panel will then make 40 awards from the shortlist of 120 nominations from all UCL faculties, using the priority bands and ensuring balance between the thematic disciplinary areas. Where there is oversubscription within a thematic area, they will use a lottery to determine the awards. The panel is chaired by the Pro Vice Provost (Doctoral School and Early Career Research Staff).Please note: Financial circumstances are not considered for the purposes of this scholarship.
“For 2026/27 we are offering 40 fully funded UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES) to exceptional applicants from any country.”
Students who started at UCL before this date are not eligible to apply.
Selection criteria
- Step 1: Submit your UCL-RES applications directly to the academic department you have applied to. Please see the How to Apply section below for more details about this step.
- Step 3: The central UCL Selection panel will then make 40 awards from the shortlist of 120 nominations from all UCL faculties, using the priority bands and ensuring balance between the thematic disciplinary areas. Where there is oversubscription within a thematic area, they will use a lottery to determine the awards. The panel is chaired by the Pro Vice Provost (Doctoral School and Early Career Research Staff).Please note: Financial circumstances are not considered for the purposes of this scholarship.
Should you apply?
This is a Undergraduate/MPhil/PhD / Doctoral/Research-level opportunity working in All study areas. The decisive requirement, in University College London's words, is: "For 2026/27 we are offering 40 fully funded UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES) to exceptional applicants from any country." Expect to prepare 2 documents (listed below).
Check these against your profile
- Academic level: Undergraduate or MPhil or PhD / Doctoral or Research.
- Study area: All study areas.
- Prior degree / academic background: hold or expect to achieve at least an upper second-class Honours UK undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification..
- Funding package: fully funded.
- Study destination: United Kingdom.
Review carefully if
- Students who started at UCL before this date are not eligible to apply.
- Applicants who do not hold the required prior degree/background may not be eligible.
This is a factual checklist of verified programme requirements, not a personalised eligibility decision. The awarding institution makes the final eligibility decision.
Required documents
- CV – Please ensure your CV is up to date and lists all publications, past/current prizes, awards, and scholarships.
- Academic transcripts - Please ensure you submit transcripts from all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes you have attended and that each academic transcript submitted includes clarification on the grading scale/range of grades possible for that degree.
Application process
- To apply for the UCL-RES, you must complete the following steps:
- You must submit a complete application for admission onto an eligible degree programme by the 9th January 2026.
- Please find below our PDF of guidance for referees.
- You must submit both a completed admission application and a completed UCL-RES application to your academic department no later than Friday, 9th January 2026.
- You must submit all scholarship application materials by the deadline irrespective of whether an offer of admission has reached you or not.
Application checklist
- Compare your profile with the verified eligibility criteria on this page.
- Review the official application page for the complete list of required documents.
- Use the official application route linked on this page rather than a third-party submission form.
- Submit before the verified application timing shown in the Key dates section.
This checklist organises the verified requirements already shown on this page; it does not replace the provider’s official instructions.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Research Excellence Scholarship pay?
University College London states: "For 2026/27 we are offering 40 fully funded UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES) to exceptional applicants from any country." Full tuition coverage.
Is Research Excellence Scholarship fully funded?
Yes. The verified funding record classifies it as fully funded.
Who can apply?
In University College London's own words: "For 2026/27 we are offering 40 fully funded UCL Research Excellence Scholarships (UCL-RES) to exceptional applicants from any country."
What level of study is it for?
It is for Undergraduate or MPhil or PhD / Doctoral or Research level applicants at University College London in United Kingdom.
Is Research Excellence Scholarship still open?
No. The most recent round has closed (deadline 9 January 2026). This award has run before; check the official page for the next round.
What documents are required?
The official page lists 2 items: CV – Please ensure your CV is up to date and lists all publications, past/current prizes, awards, and scholarships, Academic transcripts - Please ensure you submit transcripts from all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes you have attended and that each academic transcript submitted includes clarification on the grading scale/range of grades possible for that degree.
How was this information verified?
Every fact on this page was read from University College London's official pages, which ScholarshipFrontier rechecks automatically; the sources and the last check date are listed at the bottom of the page.
Official sources & verification
ScholarshipFrontier checks official scholarship, admissions and programme pages and keeps source evidence separate from the public summary.
Official sources last checked: 19 Oct 2026 · Verified 1 h ago
About University College London
University College London is based in United Kingdom and publishes this opportunity on its own official pages, which ScholarshipFrontier reads directly.