St Gilbert’s Medieval History Doctoral Award

This award is being established through the generous support of an anonymous donor to assist students who may face personal, structural, or practical challenges during their studies. It is intended to help recipients stay engaged with their academic work and realise their potential by providing targeted support during their time at university undertaking doctoral level research. The award will support students who may face barriers to full participation in university life, with consideration given to a range of personal, academic, and contextual factors.

Full details of the eligibility criteria are given below, and additional information on our staff and their research interests can be found on our staff pages. We will happily discuss the possibilities of any research topics that aligns or is connected in some way with one or more of the topics listed below.

The deadline for applications is Friday 25 September 2026

For any queries, please contact history@uhi.ac.uk

Silhouette of a cathedral photographed against an atmospheric winter sunrise with grey clouds. Text in the foreground reads St Gilbert's Medieval Doctoral Award, UHI Centre for History

Eligibility Criteria

The bursary may be open to:

PhD students registered with or in the process of applying to undertake doctoral study with the Centre for History
Students undertaking a doctoral research project that is entirely or predominantly within/concerned with medieval history
Full-time or part-time students
UK or international students

Example Core Selection Criteria

Example core selection criteria, for example one or more of the following may apply:

First-generation university students
Students from low-income households
Mature students or returners to education
Students with caring responsibilities
Care-experienced or estranged students
Students with disabilities or long-term health conditions
Students from underrepresented backgrounds (e.g. BAME, LGBTQ+, refugee/asylum seeker status)
Students from rural, remote, or low-participation areas (e.g. Highlands and Islands)
Students experiencing financial hardship
Academic commitment or evidence of significant progress

Award Details

Total award value: £3,000 per student, disbursed annually over the duration of the student's PhD, example:

£1,000/year for full-time students (3 years)
£500/year for part-time students (up to 6 years)

Award Use

The award may be used to support:

Tuition fees
Living or accommodation costs
Travel to university or research placements
Essential study materials or equipment
Childcare or support services
Any other barriers to academic engagement or success

UHI Alumni applicants should note that the award cannot be combined with the UHI alumni discount on tuition fees. You would need to use it on the other options listed above. If you have any questions, please contact history@uhi.ac.uk.

Application Process

For new students, student should request RD1 form and award application form from Centre for History by contacting PGR Co-Ordinator, Dr Jim MacPherson, and arrange a meeting to discuss project viability and student suitability for award.

For existing students, you and your supervisor to notify PGR Co-Ordinator, request award application form and arrange meeting to discuss student suitability for award.

If the student is in the process of applying for doctoral study (rather than already registered), this application form needs to be accompanied by a completed RD1 application form, and any granting of the award will be conditional on this being successfully accepted and registering for the doctoral programme at UHI.

You must contact the PGR Coordinator, Dr Jim MacPherson by 4 September 2026.

Students will be invited to submit a short-written application including information about:

Their background and current circumstances
How the bursary would support their engagement with their PhD studies
Career aspirations
Statement of support from an academic or employer

Applications will be assessed by the Centre for History, with input from relevant university support services as needed.

Deadline for applications is Friday 25 September 2026

Completed applications with supporting documents should be sent to history@uhi.ac.uk

Donor Involvement

The donor has requested to remain anonymous
Anonymised updates or student testimonials may be shared internally to inform the donor of the bursary’s impact

Medieval Topics, Approaches and Themes at Centre for History

The Centre for History staff can supervise a diverse range of medieval topics at doctoral level, and these include the following:

Norman, Balliol, Bruce, and Stewart dynasties (monarchs/ rulers and their queens/ children)
Royal court and household in Scotland, British Isles, and Northern Europe
Ceremony, liturgy and ritual, particularly Scotland but also British Isles and Northern Europe
Gender and the life cycle in medieval Europe
Medieval piety and monastic institutions
Medieval castles  
Legal medieval history, including charters and cartularies, crime and punishment, legal procedures, treason and punishment.
Medieval military history and medieval warfare, particularly the Scottish Wars of Independence
Chivalry in medieval society and culture
The shopping diplomat 
Place-based medieval histories, e.g. Medieval NE and East coast Scotland, Perth and surrounding region, Stirling etc.
Scottish royal financial materials and/or burgh and incorporated trade/guild records (particularly keen to support projects exploring records of medieval Perth)
Scottish and English chronicles and histories
Loyalty, allegiance and identity in narrative sources
Material culture approaches and methods to medieval history
Public history approaches to medieval topics
Medievalism