Apply

We offer two routes for PhD study:

The application process

• Check your eligibility for funding

  AHRC funding is open to all UK and International students who meet the academic and residency eligibility criteria as detailed in the M4C application guidance notes.

  For more information on how to Study in the UK on a Student visa visit: Gov.uk link

  To calculate your Immigration Health Surcharge visit: Immigration Health Surcharge Calculator

  Guidance notes
• Find a supervisor or project

  We offer two routes for PhD study:
  1. Open Doctoral Awards where you agree a research project with academic supervisors within the M4C partnership.
  Find your Supervisory Team

  2. Collaborative Doctoral Awards where you apply for advertised projects co-designed between an M4C university and an external partner organisation.

  Find a project

• Read the guidance notes

  To complete your application, you should read and understand the application guidance notes and scoring criteria. You will need to refer to these during the application process.

  Scoring criteria

  Applicant-FAQs

  International-Candidates-FAQs

  Guidance notes

  If you require a different format for any of the documents above, please email Enquiries confirming the name of the document.

  Guidance notes
• Apply to study at an M4C university

  You need to apply to study at the M4C university where your lead academic supervisor is based, using their application procedures.

  • University of Birmingham
  • Birmingham City University
  • The University of Warwick
  • Coventry University
  • De Montfort University
  • University of Leicester
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • University of Nottingham
• Apply for M4C funding

  Complete and submit your Midlands4Cities funding application. This includes:

  • Your application
  • Nominating your two referees
  • Receiving your completed references
  • Equality opportunities information

  To start your funding application please visit the M4C Applicant Portal.  You will need a create an account and the application does not need to be completed in one sitting, save and continue later. Your referee will provide their reference (150 words) via the portal, attachments are not accepted. Your completed application and references must be received by 13th  January 2025 (noon UK time). There will be no exceptions.

To find out more about writing a PhD project proposal and the M4C application process, please see below

(To ensure you access the documents for 2025 Entry please clear your browsing history)

Some additional briefings and support sessions are below:

19th Nov- M4C Applicant Imposter Syndrome Session- 12:30-13:30

25th Nov- Stuart Hall Foundation Briefing- 12:30-13:00

4th December- EDI Applicant Support Session- 11:00-12:30- All applicants with  live application have been sent a calendar invite for this session. Please contact enquiries@midlands4cities.ac.uk if you could like to join.

You will now need to contact the university of your choice directly if you have any question about their application processes for a place to study.

Please see the general writing application briefing from last year and the most recent Stuart Hall Foundation briefing.