Apply

We welcome applications for SURF’s second cohort of PGR students, starting in 2025. We look forward to applications to both routes: Four-year Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships, open to UK and international students, and one Masters+ Scholarship, open to UK students from a low-income background and/or of black heritage (see guidance below for more details). Applicants should note that International Studentships are very competitive.

PhD study will research a contemporary challenge faced by UK rural communities, meet the SURF principles of ‘more-than-human’ and ‘community-led’, and align with at least two SURF themes: Landscape, Land Use, Lifestyle and Livelihood. Applicants are encouraged to consider applications under our list of Current Calls, but may also propose their own project.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact potential supervisors for their chosen area of interest. Please see the SURF People pages, and/or contact surf@keele.ac.uk for more information.

All applications must be made via Keele’s Leverhulme Studentship Route (see video below).