Applications are invited from students keen to join Kent Law School’s vibrant postgraduate research community in September 2016 with a broad choice of studentships, fee waivers and bursaries available for PhD and LLM by Research programmes.
Kent Law School, ranked 8th best law school in the UK for research intensity in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), provides a diverse intellectual and stimulating environment in which to study. This year, in addition to PhD studentships offered by the School, funders include the University of Kent, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) via the South East Doctoral Training College (ESRC-DTC), and the Consortium for the Humanities and the Arts South East (CHASE) (with both ESRC and CHASE studentships only being awarded to home/EU applicants.)
Funding is available for one year in the first instance, and extended for a second and third year providing verifiable progress has been made (in teaching and research). Unless otherwise indicated successful applicants for the studentships will receive a maintenance grant equivalent to that currently offered by the ESRC (£14,057 in 2015/16) and a fee grant which will fully covers tuition fees, paid at the home/EU rate.
Students awarded a University of Kent or Kent Law School studentship may be expected to do some teaching on an undergraduate law module, at the direction of the Head of School. Some bursaries (for example reducing the overseas fee to the home/EU rate) may also be available.
For students wishing to undertake an LLM by Research, a number of fee waivers are offered. Students intending to undertake research in the areas of clinical legal education, human rights, immigration or social justice are invited to apply for the Larry Grant Scholarship. This scholarship provides up to £2,500 with tuition fees paid at the home/EU rate.
For all scholarships, applicants are expected to submit a high quality research proposal which addresses issues such as the current state of debate in their chosen field, their proposed research questions and the research methodologies they hope to use to address these research questions. Further information about making an application is available on our website, together with details of entry requirements.
Academic staff at Kent Law School have a broad range of research interests, and the School has significant expertise in critical and interdisciplinary legal research. The School particularly welcomes research proposals in socio-legal studies, law and the humanities, and critical legal studies.
Successful applicants will be joining a supportive community of more than 90 scholars, all of whom are provided with shared office facilities, a common room and a facilitator to help them present, explore and develop their research ideas. Substantial annual funding is available, within determined limits, for scholars (including those without studentships) to attend conferences and present their research.
All postgraduate students at Kent also take a compulsory research methods module, together with an anchor workshop offered by the Graduate School as part of their Transferable Skills Programme. Many students also participate in regular reading groups.
Informal enquiries may be directed to the Directors of Postgraduate Research, Dr Donatella Alessandrini or Dr Emily Grabham via klspgstudentships@kent.ac.uk
The deadline for applications is: 16 January 2016 for CHASE studentships; 31 January for Kent Law School and University of Kent studentships; and 2 February for ESRC-DTC studentships (although applicants are encouraged to apply by 24 January 2016 to enable provision of feedback.)
Postgraduate funding at Kent Law School forms part of an £9 million scholarship fund available at the University of Kent and also includes opportunities for funding of postgraduate taught LLM students.