Neil Kreitman Studentship

Key information

Deadline date
Amount
£6,241 per year for up to 2 years

Scholarship overview

The studentship is open to applicants proposing to carry out a research project in the field of the Buddhist art, architecture or archaeology of Gandhara or of another Northern Central Asian Buddhist Culture.

The amount of £6,241 per year would be tenable for two consecutive academic years, subject to annual satisfactory progression, beginning from 2025/26. The scholarship will be paid directly to the student to support maintenance costs.

For current students at SOAS currently enrolled on year 3 who will be entering their Extension of Writing-Up (Continuation) period in 2025/26 - the student will receive funding for one year only.

Eligible programmes

  • Any full-time MPhil/PhD, which involves undertaking research in the field of Buddhist art, architecture or archaeology of Gandhara or of another Northern Central Asian Buddhist Culture
  • Part-time programmes are not eligible. Current part-time students must change to full-time status if their application is successful and they elect to accept this award

Candidate criteria

  • This scholarship is open to Home and Overseas fee status applicants.
  • This scholarship is open to new applicants and current students.
  • Applicants should hold a good undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification, preferably in a relevant subject. Applicants must also possess or expect to be awarded a minimum of a Merit in a master’s degree from a UK university or equivalent. Applicants with a non-UK master’s degree must be in the top rank as evidenced by references and transcripts.
  • Applicants must submit a research proposal, which must have a primary focus in the field of the Buddhist art, architecture or archaeology of Gandhara or of another Northern Central Asian Buddhist Culture
  • Scholarship applicants must have applied to SOAS but are not required to have received an offer of admission by the scholarship deadline. An unconditional offer will need to have been received by the time the relevant panel meets to discuss scholarship applications.
  • Applicants must meet the English language condition of their offer of admission to study at SOAS, if applicable. If your offer is conditional on English, please arrange your English test and ensure you meet the English requirements as soon as possible.
  • Please note that this scholarship does not cover funding for pre-sessional courses.

Candidate assessment

  • Candidates will be assessed based on their academic merit, financial need, work experience and personal statement by a Selection Panel.
  • The assessment of your application will be based on the information provided in your scholarship application and in your online application for admission. The panel will review details such as degree results, personal statement and other relevant information.
  • For new applicants only: academic references, degree result, research proposal, your statement and other relevant information in your application will be considered to assess the above criteria.
  • For current students only: an academic reference, degree result, your statement and other relevant information will be considered to assess the above criteria.
  • New applicants only (new admissions, starting in September 2024): You must submit a complete application of your programme as soon as possible and then submit an application for this scholarship. Please note that complete applications for admission can take 4 weeks to be considered by the Department, although this duration can vary depending on the time of year. You should be prepared to wait up to 6 weeks in busy periods.
  • Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Scholarship application procedures

To apply for this scholarship, applicants should follow the following steps:

Step 1: Apply for your programme (new students only)

  • To apply for an MPhil/PhD programme, please visit our Doctoral school
  • Guidance for applying to a Research Programme and information on makes a complete application can be found on the How to Apply webpage.

Step 2: Apply for the scholarship by 12:00pm (midday) UK local time on 21 March 2025 

Step 3: Submit an academic reference (current students only)

  • One academic reference will need to be sent by your selected academic to scholarships@soas.ac.uk by the scholarship deadline. Please note, if this part is not completed then you will not be considered for this award.

Notification of results

The scholarship shortlisting and awarding period is expected to be completed by the end of May at the earliest. Successful candidates will be contacted first, and once all awards have been allocated, unsuccessful candidates will be notified.

Should no suitable candidates be nominated by the panel, this award will reopen for applications in April 2025. Please check this webpage for updates during this period to confirm whether the award is open for applications or contact the Scholarships Team at scholarships@soas.ac.uk.

Enquiries