Durham University Global Grand Challenges Studentships 2027

Durham University is delighted to launch The Global Grand Challenges Studentships (Hunt-Raymond GGC Studentships) which are designed to support excellent early career researchers wishing to pursue doctoral research and training in areas aligned to a highlighted Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

This call is for research aligned to ‘SDG4: Quality Education’ for projects that aim to address issues associated with ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineFebruary 8, 2027
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorDurham University
• City to studyLondon
• School to studyDurham University
• Course to studySustainable Development and Global Justice , Sustainable Development in Practice
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• Payment of full yearly tuition fees (home and overseas rate)
• Tax-free yearly stipend [UKRI-matched; 2026 entry was £21,805]
• Research Training Support Grant: £5,000 - for the duration of the PhD programme

Requirements

• 1st or 2:1 undergraduate degree, or relevant comparable experience;
• A strong academic record and research potential;
• A research proposal for a high-quality and manageable PhD project that can be completed within the funded period of 3.5 years, with potential impact in the areas of SDG4: Quality Education;
• Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary proposals and supervision are encouraged;
• International applicants must meet the University's entry requirements (e.g. IELTS requirements) with the potential for an 'unconditional academic offer' by the deadline.

You are not eligible to apply if you meet one of the following:

• are currently a registered doctoral student;
• are in receipt of/or expecting to be in receipt of any other funding, e.g., from a national government, research council or charity;
• are expecting to be in full-time work during the term of the studentship, if your studentship application is successful.

This is a student-led competition, and the student is encouraged to develop their proposal in collaboration with an identified academic supervisor. Note that this is not a supervisor-led competition (e.g. a supervisor should not submit the same proposal across multiple students and the student should represent a perfect match for the proposed research based on their prior training/experience)

Application Deadline

How To Apply

1. Apply for a course

   Submit an academic application for your chosen doctoral programme stating that you wish to be considered for the Global Grand Challenge Studentship Scheme.

   Durham University Applicant Portal

2. Submit additional documentation

   Candidates wishing to apply for a Global Grand Challenge Studentship must complete the standard university application process (including all required supporting information such as the CV, academic references, transcripts of qualifications) and either

   • • i) submit any other supporting documentation such as the nomination form, to their home Department/School by 8th February 2027, 

   or

   • • ii) submit the application form for this scheme as an attachment within the SITS application process (Appendix 1). The route taken here may depend on whether the student is also / already being considered for another funded studentship and therefore whether they are able to add additional documents to the SITS platform.

    

   Application deadline:

   8 February 2027 by 17:00 GMT

   When candidates will hear the outcome of their application:

   Week commencing 5th April 2027

   Applications will be considered on:

   1. Qualifications and references;
   2. Fit with SDG4: Quality Education;
   3. Research proposal;
   4. Research environment and training.

3. Ask Durham University

   For further information or advice please contact your proposed academic department or school.

For more information, kindly visit Durham University scholarship webpage.