Humanities Funding Application -Notes
The deadline for submission of completed applications is 12 February 2016

Applications should be returned by email to pgafh@southampton.ac.uk

This form is IN ADDITION to the university postgraduate application form, which should be
completed and submitted separately online, by the same deadline of 12 February 2016:
www.southampton.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgstudy/howdoiapplypg.html
*** An application for funding will only be considered if the online application for a place on
the programme, along with the required supporting materials, has also been submitted ***

You should use this form to apply for funding advertised by the Faculty of Humanities for
September 2016 entry. Your application will automatically be considered for all types of
funding for which you are eligible.
NOTE: If you are applying to the AHRC this is a separate process and you will need to
follow the application guidelines on the Consortium Partnership website at www.swwahdtp.ac.uk.

If you are applying to the ESRC you will need to apply direct to Southampton ESRC DTC via
their website: http://www.soton.ac.uk/postgraduate/feesandfunding/esrcdtc.html. You
should also submit a funding application to Humanities alongside your online application
for a place – this is so that the Faculty can support your application. Please indicate on the
form that you are also applying for ESRC DTC funding.

Once you have submitted your Humanities funding form it will be stored in your online
University application record under ‘Funding Application’. You can check this using the
link below, login using the details used in your online application:
https://studentrecords.soton.ac.uk:1916/BNNRPROD/bwskalog.P_DispLoginNon

References: We will request references through the online application process for a place
on the programme. When applying for funding it is important that the referees you
nominate on the University online application are from your current or most recent
programme of study and are able to comment on your academic ability (i.e. referees should
be people who teach or have taught you at University level).

Current Humanities BA and MA students: You do not need to submit a transcript with
your online University application as we will check this information internally.

Current Humanities PhD students: You do not need to submit an online University
application form. There is a section on the funding form where you should provide the
details of your current Supervisors who we will contact for references for your funding
application. Please note: the majority of PhD funding for 2016/17 (including VC
Scholarships) is ring-fenced for new starters and cannot be awarded to current PGR.

Enquiries should be directed to the PG Admissions team, +44 (0) 23 8059 8062 or
pgafh@southampton.ac.uk

The short-listing process for Humanities funding in your subject area(s) may require an
interview. We will contact you if this is the case.
PLEASE NOTE: ONLY successful applicants are contacted with the results of the funding round. If
you have not heard from us by Friday 27 May 2016 you can assume that your application for
funding was unsuccessful.
Humanities Funding Application Form
Full Name
I would like to apply for (Please delete as
appropriate)
Masters Funding / Doctoral Funding
University of Southampton ID Number (if known)
Master’s Programme or Research Project Title
MA/MSc applicants in no more than 800 words please explain:

why you are choosing this course; which particular modules interest you and why

why you wish to study this course at the University of Southampton

how this course will contribute to your possible career and/or personal development

how the additional financial support will assist you in your studies
You may also wish to include preliminary ideas on a possible Masters’ dissertation topic.
PhD applicants in up to 1500 words please detail your Research Proposal. For guidance on
writing a Research Proposal, please see the guide at the end of this form.
PhD applicants only:
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Humanities Funding Application Form
If you want to be considered for the Archival Scholarship, please
indicate whether your proposed research project makes use of the
Hartley library archival holdings (please delete as appropriate)
Yes/No
http://www.southampton.ac.uk/archives/
NB. Details of how your project makes use of the archives must be
outlined in your research proposal.
If you have also applied for ESRC funding please indicate here –
Yes/No
(http://www.soton.ac.uk/postgraduate/feesandfunding/esrcdtc.html)
If you have also applied for AHRC funding please indicate here –
Yes/No
(www.sww-ahdtp.ac.uk)
If you are applying for any other external funding please give details
Current Humanities PhD students only:
Name of Main Supervisor

Name of Second Supervisor
Please note: the majority of PhD funding for 2016/17 (including VC Scholarships) is ringfenced for new starters and cannot be awarded to current PGR.
I declare that the information provided in this application is entirely my own
(Place an ‘X’ in the box)
The deadline for completed applications is 12 February 2016
Applications should be returned by email to pgafh@southampton.ac.uk along with a University
online application form for a place on the postgraduate programme.
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Humanities Funding Application Form
Humanities Postgraduate Research Application
Guidelines for preparing a Research Proposal
Along with your application for a research degree, we expect you to prepare and submit an outline
research proposal. This is an important part of your application, because it provides us with
information about:


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Your area of interest, your knowledge of the field and possible topic within that area;
Your understanding of at least some of the existing literature, methodological approaches,
theory and/ or current debates relevant to your topic;
Your understanding of possible research approaches to the problem/ issue you want to
study.
The proposal will help our decision making about your ability and preparedness to undertake
research. It also enables us to start matching you with a possible supervisor/ supervisory team
with appropriate expertise.
There is no rigid format for your research proposal, and we do not expect this to be fully worked
out – once accepted for research degree study, you must expect to develop and modify your
proposal considerably, with the support and advice of your supervisory team. However we would
expect a worthwhile proposal to run up to 1500 words (excluding your bibliography), and to
include the following elements:
1. An indicative title
2. An introductory statement which outlines the general topic or area you are interested in,
and explain the reasons why you want to undertake research in the field (about 200 words)
3. A short survey which indicates the range of reading you have already done, relevant to your
topic, and your reactions to this, including identification of existing ‘gaps’ where you could
expect to make a contribution (about 400 words)
4. A statement of one or more specific questions or issues which you plan to investigate,
within the overall area of interest, and which will form the focus of your research (around
200 words)
5. An outline of the data sources, research methods and/or critical approaches which you are
considering adopting for your project. Depending on the kind of research envisaged, your
work may involve e.g. documentary analysis, empirical fieldwork, theoretical analysis,
literary criticism…. Or an interdisciplinary combination (up to 500 words)
6. A concluding comment on how your completed project might be expected to contribute to
the further development of the field (about 200 words)
7. A bibliography including full references for the literature referred to in the proposal (not
included in word count)
If there is any special training you believe you will need in order to undertake the project it would
be helpful also to mention this briefly. Your research training needs will in any case be assessed
fully and systematically addressed as part of your programme of study. NB: Details about training
needs are not included in the word count.
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