We have joined four other North East Universities to support more Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students and staff to widen access and participation in postgraduate research.
ProNE25
As part of Northumbria’s continued efforts to ensure opportunities for under-represented groups, provide education without barriers, and improve social mobility, we are offering five PhD scholarships that will meet the cost of tuition fees for full or part time study. This exciting opportunity is exclusively open to UK/HOME candidates from BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) backgrounds.
Contacts for queries
Academic Queries: Dr Benjamin Ajibade, Institutional Lead for pro:NE: benjamin.ajibade@northumbria.ac.uk
Admissions Queries: fc.pgr.admissions@northumbria.ac.uk
Scholarship Information
Northumbria University has climbed into the top 25 for research power in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 – the biggest rise in research power for any UK University. This studentship is an excellent opportunity to join a widely acclaimed research environment and community, sharply rising in rigour and impact.
The studentship will be awarded based on applicant excellence. The candidate’s academic and/or work profile, proposal quality and interview performance will be under purview. The studentship supports tuition fees only to study full time of part time.
The proposed research topic should fit within one (or a combination of) the research areas below, drawn from a wider portfolio of our work at the University.
- Strategic Management and Innovation
- International Business
- Tourism Management
- Entrepreneurship and Regional Development
- Applied Sciences
- Psychology
- Nursing Midwifery & Health
- Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation
- Social Work, Education & Community Wellbeing
- Sociology and International Relations and Development
- History
- English Literature
- English Language and Linguistics
- Performance and Visual Cultures
- Architecture and Built Environment
- Computer and Information Sciences
- Geography and Environmental Sciences
- Mathematics
- Physics and Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical and Construction Engineering
Eligibility and How to Apply
Eligibility requirements:
- Home BAME candidate only
- At least 2:1 at Bachelor’s (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities); and/or Master’s or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
- Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
- Applicants cannot apply for this funding if engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere, or if they have previously been awarded a PhD.
Candidates are encouraged to identify appropriate areas of study and potential supervisors that can support the doctoral study. It is strongly advised that applicants contact potential supervisors to help support candidates to make a suitably strong application and ensure alignment with expertise in the University.
For further details including how to apply, visit the Postgraduate Research 'How to Apply' page. Please include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words under the title of the advert reference (proNE25).
Applications: Open until filled
Interviews for shortlisted candidates: TBC
Start Date: 1st October 2025
Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our doctoral students. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds a bronze Athena Swan award in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality, we are a Disability Confident Employer, a member of the Race Equality Charter and are participating in the Stonewall Diversity Champion Programme. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers.
About the project
Lead by Durham University and in partnership with Northumbria University, Newcastle University, University of Sunderland and Teesside University, the project aims to tackle inequalities in higher education by building community and inclusion through mutually hosted events, training and workshops.
The project will provide opportunities, activities and events including training, e-conferences, peer mentoring and PhD studentships for staff and students of colour over a period of four years.
The project has received over £2.5 million in funding, from the Office for Students (£798,972) and partner universities, to strengthen the pathway for prospective and current students of colour across North East England into academic employment. The project will focus on four key areas: mental health, development, mentoring and admissions.
A specialist mental health pathway has already been established for students of colour in collaboration with Newcastle Psychological Therapies Clinic. For the first time, postgraduate research students of colour in North East England will be able to access independently governed and culturally competent mental health services as a priority.
Each year one institution will host an online postgraduate research conference for students of colour, providing networking and development opportunities whilst sharing learning and best practice.
A reciprocal mentoring programme will bring together students of colour with academic staff, providing mutually beneficial learning and development whilst building relationships and community. Early career researchers of colour will be paired with senior leaders to support mutual learning, which will complement peer mentoring across the network.
The project is also ambitious in relation to admissions and will build on the findings of prior research on name-blinding, unconscious bias prevention and contextualised admissions to pilot innovative approaches to admissions, alongside policy and practice reviews.
Dr Pushkar Jha, Faculty Director of Post Graduate Research in the Faculty of Business and Law will lead Northumbria's contribution to the project, along with Dr Rick Hayman and Dr Benjamin Ajibade, Senior Lecturers in Health and Life Sciences and supported by Jenna Tudor, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager.
Professor Louise Bracken, our Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), said: "Pro:NE is an extremely important project that will provide the necessary springboard to transform support for students and staff of colour.
We're delighted to be working collaboratively with the other North East universities to share ideas, expertise and best practice to achieve the shared aim of strengthening opportunity in the North East."
All five universities have a strong track record and experience in delivering inclusion interventions that support, drive and sustain greater equality for all, including traditionally underrepresented groups.
Pro:NE will facilitate in breaking down elitism and building local community, making each university a more welcoming place to be for students and staff of colour.
For more information, please visit the Inspiring the extraordinary with project pro:NE page on the Durham University's website.
