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How to find a fully funded PhD

Fully funded means tuition covered plus a salary or stipend you can live on. Here is where those positions come from.

Three sources of PhD funding

Project funding: a grant already pays for a named doctoral position. Common in Germany, the Netherlands, the Nordics and Switzerland, and usually advertised as a job with a salary.

Programme funding: a graduate school or department funds a cohort. Common in the US, where admission and funding arrive together.

Scholarships: national or international schemes you apply to yourself, sometimes needing an advisor's support letter.

What to check before applying

Is the salary or stipend stated, and for how many years? Are tuition and fees included? Is the position open to international applicants? What language requirement applies?

Positions listed here show funding, salary, duration, start date, eligibility and the English requirement where the source provides them.

Timing

Programme-funded systems run on hard annual deadlines, often in December and January for an autumn start. Project-funded positions appear year-round and are filled as soon as a suitable applicant applies, so check frequently and apply quickly.

Put this into practice

Search supervisors by country, university and research area, or let the PhD Finder rank funded positions against your profile.