The Wolfson Foundation has awarded the University of Warwick £225,000 to fund three prestigious three-year Wolfson doctoral research scholarships from 2012.

Warwick is one of only nine universities in the UK to be chosen to take part in the £2 million programme, the Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships in the Humanities.

The three, three year scholarships will be awarded to outstanding students who demonstrate the potential to make an impact in their field and go on to pursue an academic career in history, literature and languages.

From its pool of talented applicants, Warwick will recruit three postgraduate studentS from the selected disciplines, with their doctoral study beginning at the start of the 2012/13 academic year.

Warwick’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Nigel Thrift said: “We are delighted that the Wolfson Foundation has awarded the University these prestigious doctoral research scholarships. This is further evidence of the strength and excellence of research in our Arts and Humanities Departments.”

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive, Wolfson Foundation, said “High quality research in the humanities is of critical importance to British society. The announcement of this pilot scheme reflects our concern about the effect of undergraduate debt on numbers of students continuing to postgraduate research.

“We are also acutely aware of pressures on funding in the humanities. The hope is that many of the students funded through this programme will be future academic leaders.”

Notes to editors

The selected host universities are: University of Warwick, University College London, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, University of Oxford, University of Sheffield, University of Southampton, University of York and the School of Oriental and African Studies. The institutions have been carefully selected based on a formula drawing on 2008 Research Assessment Exercise scores and average number of Arts and Humanities Research Council postgraduate awards.

The awards are available for doctoral research only, and will be paid over three years (or up to six years part time). The value of each award is £75,000 (£25,000 per annum on a full time basis). The award will cover full fees, maintenance and an element for research and training costs. The selection of students to be awarded a scholarship will be made by each university, with recommendations agreed by the Wolfson Foundation.

The Wolfson Foundation is a charitable foundation set up in 1955. Grants are made for the advancement of science and medicine, health, education, the arts and humanities. As a general policy, funding is provided to support and promote excellence, to act as a catalyst and to provide for promising future projects which may currently be underfunded. The Foundation allocates over £30 million each year. 

For more information about the Wolfson Foundation visit www.wolfson.org.uk

For more information contact Luke Hamer, assistant press officer, University of Warwick on 02476 575601, or on 07824 541142. Alternatively email l.hamer@warwick.ac.uk.

PR134 28/09/11