Kent Business School GTA

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Kent Business School Research Scholarships  (Graduate Teaching Assistantships)

Kent Business School is looking to award up to four PhD GTA scholarships to highly motivated students.  These scholarships are open to both home and international students.  Two scholarships will commence in May 2026 and two scholarships will commence in September 2026.

Awardees of such hold a unique position in the University; they are both registered PhD students in receipt of a scholarship and employees of the University. The GTA will cover tuition fees at either the home or international tuition fee rate, and will carry a combined maintenance grant and salary equivalent to the Research Councils UK National Minimum Doctoral Stipend (£20,780 for 2025/26). The scholarship will be offered for one year in the first instance, renewable for an additional 2.5 years, subject to satisfactory academic performance.

The Kent Business School (KBS) Research Scholarship is open to applicants from any country. Please note that international students must have the appropriate documentation to evidence eligibility to work in the UK. The method of determining tuition fee status is complex and follows guidelines issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs. 

Please note that students who have already started their PhD are not eligible for this scholarship.

These awards are in addition to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) SeNSS student-led competition awards.  Further information on these is available on our dedicated SeNSS funding web page.

Deadline

The deadline for this funding is noon on Friday, 30th January 2026

Criteria

  • Successful candidates will demonstrate excellent research potential and will have obtained a first class or 2:1 undergraduate degree, along with a master's with at least a merit but preferably distinction, in a relevant subject (current master's students can submit a partial transcript).
  • Applicants must have a minimum overall score of 7.0 in an IELTS test. This requirement may not be required if an applicant is a national of a majority English-speaking country, or has completed a qualification equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree in a majority English-speaking country.
  • Successful applications will normally meet all of the qualification criteria (degrees and IELTS score). However, applicants falling short of these but with an exceptional research proposal and references, may be considered.
  • Open to applicants from any country. Please note that international students must have the appropriate documentation to evidence eligibility to work in the UK. Further information can be found on these guidance pages. 
  • Open to all new postgraduate research applicants, applying for May 2026 or September 2026 entry (current Kent research students are not eligible)
  • Scholarship cannot be deferred.

Further details

These PhD Scholarships are awarded to students with excellent research potential and take the form of a three-year Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA), allowing successful awardees to receive financial support (a combined salary and maintenance grant) in return for undertaking some part-time teaching at Kent Business School, alongside their PhD studies.

Terms and Conditions, and Conditions of Service, can be found on the relevant Scholarship pages. 

How to apply

  • Applications for a PhD scholarship to commence in May 2026 or September 2026 can be submitted from October 2025 and must be received by the deadline of noon on Friday 30 January 2026. The normal PhD application for a place on the PhD programme in KBS, acts as the application for the GTA Scholarship.
  • Applications should include a one paper personal statement outlining the motivation for undertaking PhD studies and why the applicant is suitable for scholarship funding.
  • Provide a detailed research proposal outlining the area and topic of study.
  • Complete the normal application process for PhD study at the University of Kent, providing references and transcripts of previous degrees and indicating that you wish to be considered as a GTA.
  • Be accepted for PhD studies at the Kent Business School.
  • Following acceptance on to the PhD programme in Kent Business School, PhD applications where the applicant indicates that they wish to be considered as a GTA, will be reviewed and a GTA interview shortlist constructed.
  • Shortlisted PhD applicants will be invited to interview for a GTA position. 
  • The GTA interview panel will include the Associate Dean of Graduate Research Studies, the Associate Dean for Research & Innovation, and other research-active members of staff.
  • The GTA interview panel will decide who is awarded a GTA scholarship and these panel decisions are final.
  • Please send any questions to p.m.j.lewis@kent.ac.uk