Open Competition FAQs

Home, and international (including EU) students are eligible to apply. However, the total number of international studentships a DTP is able to offer has been capped by UKRI at 30% of the total number of studentships awarded each year, and so studentships for international students will be limited in number and competitive.

LISS DTP institutions will fund the difference between the UKRI Home Tuition Fee and International Fee for a limited number of international students and at this stage we cannot guarantee that every international student offered a LISS DTP studentship will receive this funding as part of their studentship.

Nationality and residency requirements for both Home and International students can be found in EU and international eligibility for UKRI funded studentships from 2021 – UKRI guidance. Please read this document to determine whether you will be classed as a Home or International student.

If you are unsure of your tuition fee status, please contact the Admissions Team at the institution to which you have applied. LISS DTP is unable to advise on complex cases and will abide by your institution’s assessment of your status.

Please note that applicants awarded LISS DTP funding are expected to reside within a reasonable travelling distance of the research organisation where they are registered once they commence their studies.

You need to apply to a PhD programme at one of LISS DTP three partner institutions and the LISS DTP Open Competition at the same time. You do not need to have received an offer before applying to the LISS DTP Open Competition. 

If you are successful in the Open Competition, you will still need to receive an offer on a PhD programme at one of the LISS DTP partner institutions before your LISS studentship can start.

No. You do not need to notify LISS separately if you have received an offer from your chosen institution. 

If you are successful in the Open Competition, LISS will work with the relevant institutional admissions team to confirm your admission status.

LISS DTP Open Competition is a student-led application process, so we are unable to advise you on which institution or programme to choose. 

You should identify a suitable PhD programme and a primary supervisor who has capacity to supervise your proposed research. Your proposed supervisor will be best placed to advise you on the suitability of the programme and supervisory arrangements. 

No. You may contact and discuss your project with multiple potential supervisors before deciding where to apply. However, you may submit only one LISS DTP Open Competition application, with one primary supervisor based at one LISS DTP partner institution. 

Please refer to the published Open Competition assessment criteria, eligibility requirements and application guidance when preparing your application. 

You should discuss your proposed research project and application with your proposed supervisor, who can provide advice specific to your project and academic background. 

The LISS DTP team cannot provide feedback on the content or quality of applications. 

No. The briefing session will not be recorded. The presentation slides and relevant information will be made available on the LISS DTP website after the session. 

Yes, provided you have more than 50% of your study time remaining when the LISS-funded studentship starts. 

For a full-time PhD, this will usually mean that students in their first year of doctoral study may be eligible to apply for funding for their remaining period of study. 

Please discuss your individual circumstances and how much of your PhD project remains with your supervisor before applying. 

Your proposed research must fall within the LISS DTP’s research remit and research areas. The project must also have a substantial social science component, with at least 50% of the research falling within the social sciences. 

Please review the LISS DTP research areas and remit on our website and discuss the suitability of your project with your supervisor in the first instance. 

You should check the regulations of your chosen institution, as institutions generally do not permit students to be registered concurrently on multiple programmes. 

In most cases, you will need to provide evidence that you have completed or withdrawn from your current programme before your PhD offer can progress. 

Please contact your chosen institution’s admissions team for advice about your individual circumstances and the documentation required. 

English language requirements are set by individual institutions and PhD programmes, so LISS DTP cannot advise on the specific requirements you will need to meet. 

Please check the PhD programme webpage for your chosen institution or contact its admissions team. 

Please note that all successful LISS DTP applicants must have met all conditions attached to their institutional offer before their LISS studentship can start. 

LISS DTP institutions will fund the difference between the home and international fee for a limited number of international students. At this stage we cannot guarantee that every international student offered a LISS DTP studentship will receive this funding as part of their studentship.  

Funding arrangements for overseas students can also vary between LISS DTP partner institutions.  

If you are successful in the Open Competition, your studentship offer letter will set out the relevant funding arrangements, including how any difference between the home and overseas tuition fee will be covered. 

We are unable to confirm individual funding arrangements before the outcome of the Open Competition.

Your primary supervisor must be based at a LISS DTP partner institution. Typically, a second supervisor will also be based at the same institution, while a third supervisor may be based at a non-LISS institution where appropriate. 

Please discuss your proposed supervisory team with your primary supervisor, who will be best placed to advise on suitable arrangements. You should also ensure that the proposed supervisory arrangements comply with the regulations of your institution.

One supporting statement from your primary supervisor is required. 

The supporting supervisor statement is incorporated into the LISS DTP application form. Please follow the instructions provided within the application form and ensure that your supervisor completes and submits their section before the deadline. 

A supporting statement from your primary supervisor is required for your application to be considered. If the supporting statement is not submitted, your application will be incomplete and will not be considered. 

Please contact your supervisor well in advance of the application deadline and allow sufficient time for them to complete their section of the application.

Please check the reference requirements in the Open Competition application guidance. 

Your referees should not be members of your proposed supervisory team. You should choose referees who are able to provide an informed assessment of your academic potential, research experience and suitability for doctoral study. 

No. There is no single approved list of Master’s courses. 

The appropriate Master’s programme will depend on your proposed research project, existing skills and experience, and your individual training needs.  

You should discuss your proposed Master’s programme with your prospective supervisor in the first instance. If you are unsure whether a particular programme would meet the requirements, please contact the LISS DTP Deputy Director for Training.

You will normally apply for the relevant Master’s programme first. You should also identify the PhD programme you intend to progress to on your LISS DTP application. 

Yes. You may undertake your Master’s degree at one LISS DTP partner institution and your PhD at another. 

Your PhD should be at the institution where your primary supervisor is based. 

No. Your application must be submitted through the Flexigrant application portal by the published deadline. 

Please follow the application instructions and upload all required documents and information through Flexigrant. Documents sent separately by email will not be accepted as a substitute for the application.

You will receive a confirmation email once your application has been successfully submitted. 

Please check your junk or spam folder if you do not see the confirmation email. 

You can also log back into Flexigrant to check the status of your application. If you have not received a confirmation email and the application has not been submitted, please ensure that you press the blue Submit button before the application deadline. 

If the Submit button is not available, your application may be incomplete. 

Please carefully check every section of your application and make sure that: all required fields have been completed; your primary supervisor has accepted and completed their section; and your referee has accepted and completed their section, where required. 

If you have checked all these points and are still unable to submit your application, please contact the LISS DTP team as soon as possible. Please include screenshots of the issue, as this will help us investigate your query more quickly.

No. Applications are locked after the published deadline, and we are unable to make amendments or accept additional information after this point. 

This includes adding new publications, research activities, qualifications or other achievements that were not included in the submitted application. 

This policy is applied consistently to ensure fairness to all applicants.

If you do not yet have a final transcript, please request an interim transcript or a letter confirming your study and academic results from your current or previous programme’s administrative team. 

A module list may be accepted where appropriate, but we cannot guarantee that this will meet the application requirements. Please provide the most complete official documentation available.

Please upload evidence of your name change (E.g. deed poll) alongside your academic transcripts in the application portal.  

Questions about your institutional Masters/PhD application, including admissions portals, application status, programme requirements, fee status and institutional documentation, should be directed to the admissions team at your chosen institution.

No. You can submit your LISS DTP Open Competition application while your institutional PhD application is still being considered. 

If you are successful in the Open Competition, you will need to meet the requirements of your institutional offer before your LISS studentship can start. 

If you are successful in the Open Competition, LISS DTP will work with the relevant institutional admissions team to check your admission status. 

You must receive an offer of a place on an eligible PhD programme and meet all conditions of that offer before your LISS studentship can start.

Students on joint programmes can apply to the Open Competition. To be eligible for LISS funding, the total time spent overseas during the studentship should not exceed 12 months. As long as the joint programme can meet this requirement, the applicant would be eligible to apply.

The Open Competition normally launches in late October. Please check the LISS DTP Open Competition webpage for information about future competitions and application deadlines. 

Please refer to the visa guidance on your host institution’s website. 

• Information about costs associated to a Student Visa applications can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa
• Specific information about extending your Visa from inside the UK can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/extend-your-visa
• Specific information about switching to a Student Visa from another Visa if you are already in the UK can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/switch-to-this-visa
• Additional related costs for the Immigration Health Surcharge can be found at: https://www.immigration-health-surcharge.service.gov.uk/checker/type

Please note that these figures and the information are subject to frequent changes.

If you have any additional queries you are invited to contact the Admissions Office at your host institution and/or speak with the International Student Advice team (or equivalent) at your host institution.

A LISS DTP studentship will normally start on 1 October. A later starting date may be possible in exceptional circumstances, for example in the case of illness, or if a student needs to give notice to a current employer. Please contact the LISS DTP Team as soon as possible if you would like to discuss a later start date as an option.

Studentships cannot be deferred a full academic year. Studentships can be deferred to a later date within the academic year, if the student’s supervisor and host department/ course of study approves this. 

If a candidate wishes to defer a full academic year, they will need to reapply for the next round of studentship funding. If in those circumstances the funding for the award should come from the following year’s allocation.