The DfE Studentships are funded by the Department for the Economy (DFE), formerly Department for Employment and Learning (DEL).

The studentship may cover maintenance and fees for a maximum of three years.

For further details re eligibility criteria (including academic, citizenship and residency criteria) please click on the DfE Research Eligibility Guidance Notes.

You are required to submit a research proposal as part of your application for a PhD.  In order to ensure that there is sufficient research expertise within the Faculty to supervise your project, it is recommended that you contact a member of academic staff to discuss your proposal. The academic can then advise if there is a potential supervisor available for this topic. 

For further information regarding this, please contact the following staff in the relevant School or Institute to initiate the discussion: 

After you have made contact with an academic member of staff and a suitable research project has been identified, please complete an application form on the Queen’s University Postgraduate Applications Portal.  Please choose the code DFE25/AHSS25 into the section regarding funding. 

The Deadline for new applicants and for currently registered students to make their schools aware that they wish to be considered for a DfE funded scholarship is 31 January 2025.