Magdalen Vernon PhD Studentship 2026

The School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences invites applications for a fully funded PhD Studentship in Psychology, Neuroscience, Psycholinguistics, or Clinical Language Science.

The School has particular strength in psychopathology and emotional disorders, affective and cognitive neuroscience, personalised nutrition, motivation and behaviour change, perception and action, cognitive control, psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics, bilingualism, and clinical language science. For further information, please see the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences website. The studentship is named in honour of Professor Magdalen Vernon (1901-1991), the first female Head of the then Department of Psychology at Reading.

The School is a leading centre for research and was overall ranked 23rd in the UK within its unit of assessment in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). 99% of our research was rated as having international standing, whilst 100% of our research impact was classified as “outstanding” or “very considerable.” Successful candidates will join a thriving postgraduate community of over 70 PhD students who benefit from excellent support and resources from the School and membership of the University’s Doctoral and Researcher College. The studentships are for a fixed period of 3 years.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: 5 December 2025
2. Value: Full tuition + UKRI stipend (£20,780) + £1,000 annual Research Training Support Grant
3. Study Level: PhD (3 years)
4. Sponsor: University of Reading
5. Eligible Countries: UK & International

Eligibility Criteria for Magdalen Vernon PhD Studentship 2026

1. Applicants should have a good (1st or 2.1) first degree in psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, language therapy or a related subject. A master’s degree in a relevant discipline would also be beneficial.
2. Open to UK and international applicants.

Benefits of Magdalen Vernon PhD Studentship 2026

1. Funding covers full tuition fees at the home or international rate, plus a stipend at the UKRI rate (currently £20,780). Also included is a £1,000 per year Research Training Support Grant.

How to Apply

(1) Submit an online application for PhD study at the University of Reading. Please ensure to include a CV, academic transcripts and certificates, and a research proposal of 500-700 words (excluding references) in your application. Quote reference ‘DRC26-002’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’ box, which appears within the Funding Section of your online application.

(2) Complete the Magdalen Vernon PhD Studentship Application Form.

Applicants must complete both an online application for PhD study (1) and the Application Form (2) to be considered.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their research proposal with an appropriate member of Academic Staff in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences before submitting their online application.

Please note that, where a candidate is successful in being awarded funding, this will be confirmed via a formal studentship award letter; this will be provided separately from any Offer of Admission and will be subject to standard checks for eligibility and other criteria.

For more information, visit University of Reading Scholarship webpage.

Application Deadline:

December 5th, 2025.

Application Link(s)

• Apply for Magdalen Vernon PhD Studentship 2026