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Deadline: 18 May 2026
Wales
Closing date: 18 May 2026
Open to: UK and international applicants
Funding Providers:
Swansea University is pleased to offer fully-funded Swansea University Research Excellence Scholarships (SURES) for full-time doctoral students to its seventh cohort, commencing in October 2026.
Each SURES scholarship includes tuition fees and a stipend – reviewed annually at the UKRI standard rate and a £1,000 annual training allowance to support immersive training experiences, conference attendance, engagement with industry and international collaborative opportunities.
Each scholarship is offered for a maximum period of three years; SURES students are expected to submit their theses within this timescale.
Informal scholarship enquiries from applicants to prospective supervisors – prior to the application deadline – are warmly encouraged; please direct these to the relevant member/s of faculty staff.
Subject Area: Sociology
Project Start Dates: October 2026
** (Please see the note below regarding potential later start dates.)
**In exceptional circumstances, and subject to the discretion of the University and/or the relevant funding body, a deferral of offer may be granted to the next available enrolment period. Such deferral will typically not exceed a duration of three calendar months from the originally stipulated commencement date. Please note that only one deferral may be considered, and any such deferral is not guaranteed.
Supervisors:
Aligned programme of study:
Sociology, Ph.D. / Distance Learning Ph.D. / M.Phil. - Swansea University
Mode of study: Full-time
Place of study: (please delete at applicable)
Project description:
Post-study opportunities in host countries is an increasingly important concern for international students. This project explores how Chinese international students navigate post-study pathways in the UK in the context of migration policy changes, uncertain job market prospects and rising xenophobic environment. Focusing on the largest international student group, the study analyses how graduates negotiate decisions to stay, return, or move elsewhere. It uses a 12-month longitudinal diary methods and interviews with graduates, to map the intersecting webs of factors (visa regimes, labour markets, transnational network, and personal aspirations) and the process of shaping post-study (im)mobility. Combined with graduates’ retrospective reflections and experiences “in the moment” captured over time, the study provides a unique meso-level explanation of joint influence on individuals under shifting conditions. It explores student migrants’ responses to the UK’s difficulties in balancing talent retention and anti-immigration politics. It informs UK’s future international student recruitment and higher education sustainability.
For more details please see here: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate/scholarships/research/sociology-sures-phd-2026-rs957.php
Candidates must have achieved, or be expecting to achieve, a 1st class UK undergraduate degree (or equivalent international qualification), or a 2:1 UK undergraduate degree and a Distinction in a UK master’s degree (or international equivalent)
NB: If you hold a non-UK degree, please see the Swansea University degree comparisons to find out if you meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants must be able to begin their course of study in October 2026.
As a cohort-based programme, deferral to an alternative enrolment window within the academic year or to another academic year is not permissible.
English Language requirements: If applicable – IELTS 6.5 overall (with a score of at least 6.5 in each individual component) or equivalent that is recognised by Swansea University.
Details on the Swansea University English Language entry policy can be found here.
Please note that both the degree and language-proficiency entry requirements for SURES are higher than the baseline standard for entry that is stipulated for most of the PhD programmes at Swansea University.
UK and International applicants
To be eligible, International Applicant must also hold a SUIPRES Scholarship.
Funding
This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £21,805 for 2026/27).
Additional research expenses of up to £1,000 per year will also be available.
To apply, please complete the entire application form here.
To be considered for this scholarship award the following steps are also required.
1) In section ‘Programme Related Information’ please input the relevant RS Code for the scholarship award i.e. RS957
2) In section ‘Research’ you will see ‘Proposed project title/studentship title’* (Mandatory)
3) In section ‘Funding information’ please choose the option ‘Scholarship Funding’ only. Please ensure no other options are selected.
*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.
If you’ve previously applied for this programme, the system will display an “Application Submitted” warning and block a new submission. In this case:
Important: If you have previously applied for the same programme & intake, do not re‑apply using a different email address. Applications submitted with an email address that differs from the one used in your original application will not be accepted or considered.
One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.
NOTE: Applicants for PhD/EngD/ProfD/EdD - to support our commitment to providing an environment free of discrimination and celebrating diversity at Swansea University you are required to complete an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Monitoring Form in addition to your programme application form.
Please note that completion of the EDI Monitoring Form is mandatory; your application may not progress if this information is not submitted.
As part of your online application, you MUST upload the following documents (please do not send these via email):
Informal enquiries are welcome; please contact: Mengwei Tu Mengwei.Tu@Swansea.ac.uk
*External Partner Application Data Sharing – Please note that as part of the scholarship application selection process, application data sharing may occur with external partners outside of the University, when joint/co- funding of a scholarship project is applicable.
