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Applying to TCRS for PhD Studentship Funding

Application Deadline: 30 September 2025, 5pm

Schools will be able to bid for up to £400k (and any unused TCRS funds rolled over from the previous Cohort 1 starting in October 2025) for TCRS commencing in the 2026-27 academic year. University related non-School institutions are not eligible to apply.

Applications for TCRS Funding need to include the TCRS Spreadsheet Template and be sent to the Director of the Isaac Newton Trust. The TCRS Management Committee will meet to assess Schools’ matched funding on 16 October 2025.

To bid for TCRS, Schools need to secure new matched funding and provide the following information about each source on the TCRS Spreadsheet Template:

  • The name of each source of matched funding
  • The type of funding (from the choice on the drop-down list) for each source, a very brief description of the funds and an explanation of why the School understands the funds to be ‘new’
  • The actual amount per source and the corresponding amount you are bidding for in relation to it from TCRS (the maximum limit your funding source can contribute towards an individual studentship is 80%, at least 20% should be made up of TCRS funds)
  • An overall total of matched funding your School is putting forward and your total request from TCRS

The TCRS Spreadsheet Template needs to be returned to the Director of the Isaac Newton Trust with an accompanying letter which lists each source of matched funding and the total matched funds being put forward by the School. Please also note if the School has secured a donation which will provide funds for cohorts beyond Cohort 2 do not include this information on the spreadsheet.

The Schools of Arts & Humanities and Humanities & Social Sciences can also apply for up to 30% of their TCRS matched funding to be utilised for MPhil degree studentship support. The remaining 70% of the TCRS grant must be utilised for PhD studentships.
 

Eligibility for TCRS Match Funding

New matched funding for the purposes of TCRS are funds not previously used in support of doctoral studentships and/or has been newly secured (after 1 October 2024). The use of funds for doctoral studentship support with agreements predating 1 October 2024 will need to be authorized by the TCRS Management Committee.

The individual sources for funds can be for any amount and do not have to make up 50% of a full PhD studentship. Departments will need to liaise with their School about the funding they can put up for possible matched funding. The School will determine how this funding and any other funding they hold together with TCRS funding will be utilized to make up studentships. 

It is up to the School and its Departments to manage the creation of studentships and to ensure that fund proportions meet with TCRS eligibility criteria.

Eligible sources of matched funding may include:

Internal funding:

  • Pro-Vice-Chancellor level (i.e. central University/Chest) funds
  • School level funds
  • Departmental/Faculty funds, including trust funds/endowments that have not been used for PhD funding before. The School can employ these funds for a studentship in another Department of Faculty if the donor Department or Faculty is content with this
  • College funds (including subject restricted funds) which meet the required eligibility criteria for TCRS
  • Dormant Trust or other Funds which have been dormant for at least three years
  • New for Cohorts 2 and 3: Please note that for Cohorts 2 and 3 (i.e. bids made during 2025-26 and 2026-27; cohort entry in 2026-27 and 2027-28), ‘orphaned’ funding may be included as matched funding. That is, funds previously used for PhD funding and since orphaned because of the withdrawal of original match funding from an external funding source (e.g. UKRI), and not capable of supporting PhDs without a match. Schools will need to explain why the funds are orphaned.

External funding includes new funding that may originate from:

  • Philanthropic foundations
  • Individual philanthropic donations
  • Trusts
  • Industry (philanthropic giving)

Please note that the same source of internal funding should not normally be provided as TCRS matched funding for more than three years. Schools should look to generate further new matched funding for the programme. A special case can be made to the TCRS MC where:

  • Funding is secured which is currently used for fees only / maintenance only / or any fraction of a PhD studentship.  The funds will need to activate some other funding not previously made available for studentships in order to be eligible in the bid made to the TCRS MC
  • Funding has been previously or intermittently used for studentships, but not capable of sustaining a full-studentship any longer

Ineligible sources of mathced funding may include:

  • TCRS cannot be matched with industrial research contracts, nor UKRI or ERC grants
  • Any research grants provided by the UK Government

Please note that Schools will be expected to have checked matching funds for eligibility and undertaken due diligence with their CUDAR representative before presenting it to the TCRS MC.

Formal notification of TCRS Grants

INT’s Director will write to Schools shortly after the TCRS MC’s meeting to formally confirm grant awards with further information. TCRS Grants can only be approved by the TCRS MC and confirmed by INT’s Director in writing.

Any School allocation of TCRS funds not matched by new funding in a given year will be rolled over to the subsequent year. Any TCRS funding for which a School is unable to find match-funding by the time Cohort 5 is recruited will return to Trinity College.

Allocation of TCRS Funding

The University’s Student Funding Team (SFT) will invoice INT for TCRS funding for the forthcoming year during August each year. TCRS funds can only be paid from INT to SFT and no other party (e.g. a College). Funds allocated to Schools will remain with SFT who will set up accounts for each School.

Once studentships have been agreed, SFT will make maintenance payments to the students directly. SFT will also arrange for the payment of the University Composition Fee and college fees from the funds.

TCRS Administration Timetable for Cohort 2 (starting October 2026)

30 September 2025

Application deadline for matched funding bids from Schools

16 October 2025

TCRS MC considers proposed matched funding (in terms of eligibility of funding sources) presented by Schools for Cohort 2 and approves grant offers

23 October 2025

INT to make grant offers to Schools

October to December 2025

Schools manage delivery of TCRS with their Departments

October 2025 to February 2026

Departments make early offers to their best candidates and report to Schools  NB: Where top ranked candidates receive alternative external funding of a greater value, Departments make offer to first reserve candidate

28 February 2026

Schools to provide details of studentships to be awarded to Student Funding Team (studentship value breakdown, student names and reserves)

30 April 2026

Schools to provide information to TCRS MC on progress to date for Cohort 2 and an update on Cohort 1

14 May 2026

TCRS MC consider reports and agree summary points

18 May 2026

INT to send invitation to Schools to bid for matched funding from TCRS MC up to £400k for Cohort 3 with information about TCRS grant administration and procedures

30 June 2026

Schools to notify Student Funding Team of students and funding package details for Cohort 2

INT Funding Rounds

For Research Grants:

Michaelmas: 25 September 2025

Lent: 09 January 2026

 

For Early Career Fellows:

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships 2026

Trustees' Meeting Dates

Thursday 20 November 2025

Thursday 19 March 2026

Thursday 16 July 2026

Information about INT