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AHRC Algorithmic Grant Doctoral Landscape Award

Entering a new phase of AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards, supporting reginal collaboration, Welsh priorities, and sustainable research across the whole range of arts and humanities.

Overview

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) South West and Wales is now entering a transition phase, with its final cohort set to be admitted by 2025/26.

The next phase introduces a new model under the AHRC Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA). In this 50 universities will be allocated studentships through an algorithmic process. Each university will receive three studentships annually, spread across five different cohort intakes.

Our AHRC DLA offers fully-funded PhD studentships in a variety of projects, across our Academic Schools and interdisciplinary Research Institutes. Students will benefit from an excellent local research environment as well as a comprehensive programme of research and professional skills development.

The AHRC Landscape Award, part of a broader UKRI initiative, supports the creation and coordination of regional research hubs to enhance collaboration and research capacity across universities. These hubs will manage funding and doctoral training, offering region-specific programmes aligned with Welsh priorities such as language, heritage, and sustainability. By focusing on regional collaboration, the initiative promotes interdisciplinary learning and aims to build a sustainable, impactful research ecosystem that benefits local communities, informs policy, and contributes to broader academic fields.

As this is an algorithmic grant Cardiff University leads and manages the DLA independently, without academic partners.

Regional Hubs

The AHRC Landscape Award, part of a broader UKRI initiative, supports the creation and coordination of regional research hubs to enhance collaboration and research capacity across universities. These hubs will manage funding and doctoral training, offering region-specific programmes aligned with Welsh priorities such as language, heritage, and sustainability. By focusing on regional collaboration, the initiative promotes interdisciplinary learning and aims to build a sustainable, impactful research ecosystem that benefits local communities, informs policy, and contributes to broader academic fields.

Studentships

The DLA has been awarded funding for four intakes of students. The first cohort starts in October 2026 and the final cohort will commence in 2030/31.

Each studentship is structured over four years, providing financial support. Each year, three studentships will be available, and the programme will continue for five cohort intakes. Students can choose to do this studentship either full-time or part-time.

Students have the choice of three application routes: Student-led awards, Staff-led awards or Collaborative doctoral awards.

All UKRI funded studentships will receive a standard offering.  AHRC DLA students can also access Collaborative Funding to support additional skills training and placements with non-HEIs, such as museums, cultural institutions, or industry organisations.

Partnerships

While not mandatory, the AHRC Landscape Award strongly encourages collaboration with external partners. Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDAs) allow students to work with industry and cultural organisations on real-world research challenges. These partnerships often come with funding enhancements and help boost students' employability through hands-on, applied research experience.

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