Deadlines for finding external funding for your PhD are typically different from the programme application deadlines. It is crucial that you inquire about deadlines for funding as early as possible. Get in touch with the department at the universities of your choice to ask about deadlines for funding. It is recommended that you contact the department at least ten months before you intend to start your PhD. The university will be able to provide information on the various funding bodies available and the respective deadlines you have to consider for your funding application. Some of these deadlines will be earlier than the programme deadlines, some will extend beyond the programme application deadline, and others will invite applications throughout the year.
Scholarships are typically advertised early in the year with deadlines in the Spring, depending on where it is that you will study. Third-party scholarships are typically independent of programme deadlines and requirements, but the process is often a lengthy one, so it is advisable to start the process early and be mindful of all deadlines.
Start early: Your search for funding ideally begins at the same time as your search for the ideal PhD programme. If your course of study relies on external funding, the availability of funding will likely have a considerable impact on your decision to study at all. As you inquire about the various programmes that might match your interest, also try and find out as much about the funding available through university sources as possible.
Calculate your funding needs inclusively: If you have no or very little independent resources available it is important that you consider all related costs you will encounter during the duration of your studies. Full-time PhD students are likely to be able to work only very limited hours, making external funding paramount to being able to sustain themselves as PhD students for three or more years. You may not need full external funding for the entire duration of the programme, but consider the following in your budgeting:
The proportion of your cost of living that you need to subsidise with external funding
The tuition cost (per year) for the programme
Any travel you may have to undertake to conduct your research and its related costs
Any other cost related to research
Allow for lengthy turn around times: Allocation of funds may take from two months to nine months. It is important to be aware of the timing so that there are no unpleasant surprises.
Be as broad as possible in your initial search for funding: Make sure you consider a broad portfolio of resources in your search for funding. A substantial amount of information can be found on the Internet. But not all information will be online. In addition to library and web resources, it is probably equally important to use networks and individuals as resources to find appropriate funding. Talk to the relevant departments, to advisors, professors, other PhD students and applicants, the financial aid or scholarships office in short, speak to everyone who is likely to have an insight into how funding works and where the best resources are. Speaking to professors in the field is also a good way to become familiar with potential sponsors.
Be sure of the most appropriate types of awards available to you: There are a good number of different types of research funding opportunities available, including grants, fellowships, scholarships, awards, travel grants and more. Familiarize yourself with each type of funding opportunity and make an informed choice what best to pursue and what would most fit your course of study. Also see our section ˜University Funding and ˜Research Funding for more information on these opportunities.
Be aware that your research proposal is critical in receiving funding: A good number of research funds require that you submit a proposal for the allocation of funding. Keep this in mind when you write your initial PhD research proposal and adjust to the requirements of the funding body, however, try not to compromise the core of your proposal in favour of selling your project to the funding body.
