The United Kingdom will increase the minimum stipend paid to PhD students from October 1, raising annual support to £21,805 for the next academic year.
This is according to an announcement by UK Research and Innovation, the country’s national research funding body.
The increase represents another above-inflation uplift and is aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures facing doctoral researchers across the UK.
According to UK Research and Innovation, the new rate raises the minimum stipend from £20,780 to £21,805 for PhD students outside London.
- For students based in London, the minimum stipend will increase from £22,780 to £23,805, reflecting a 4.5% rise.
- UKRI said the uplift forms part of its ongoing efforts to improve financial support for doctoral researchers and make PhD study more sustainable amid rising living costs.
- In addition to stipends, UKRI also announced an increase in the minimum fee it pays universities per UKRI-funded PhD student. The fee will rise by 4.6%, from £5,006 to £5,238.
Beyond financial support, UKRI has also introduced reforms to student welfare policies. These include allowing doctoral researchers to take up to 28 weeks of medical leave, a change designed to make it easier for students to extend their studies when necessary and reduce barriers for disabled PhD candidates.
