Please note, the LAHP funding scheme will open for applications in early December 2024.
The LAHP application process operates on the basis that applicants will have arranged for an academic to agree to act as their supervisor prior to submitting their formal application for funding by the time of the LAHP funding deadline.
The application process for the School of Law PhD programme also encourages applicants, prior to formally submitting their application, to have first contacted an academic and gained their agreement to supervise their proposed research.
However, applicants interested in applying for LAHP funding who wish to make an application to the PhD programme without first having secured supervision can do so. They should formally apply no later than early December 2024, so there is time for a supervisor to be appointed who can therefore complete the Supervision Statement Form by the funding deadline date.
LAHP applications are very competitive, and a successful LAHP application usually takes a considerable amount of time to finesse. Thus, the School of Law strongly recommends you apply by the 2 December, so that there is enough time to work on your proposal together with your proposed supervisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.
If you are a current First year PhD student, then you should arrange for your current primary supervisor to provide this Supervisor Statement.
Queen Mary uses an online application system. For information on how to apply, what our entry requirements are, what documentation is required, and for a link to the online application system, please go to the Law PhD programme page.
Applicants should indicate on the Queen Mary PhD Online Application Form, in the ‘Other information’ section, that they wish to be considered for LAHP Studentship funding. In response to the question – ‘Are you applying for a Doctoral Training Programme (DTP)? you need to confirm ‘Yes’ from the drop-down menu. Then, from the next question ‘Which Doctoral Training Programme are you applying for?’, you need to select ‘LAHP’.
If you wish to apply for other Queen Mary funding awards simultaneously, you may do so. If you are unable to indicate this on the on-line application form, please e-mail g.skehan@qmul.ac.uk with notification by the time of the relevant funding deadline.
Also, applicants are responsible for ensuring their proposed doctoral supervisor has completed and submitted the ‘LAHP Supervisor Statement Form’ document by deadline which, for both the LAHP application form and the Supevisor Statement is January 2025.
Access the LAHP funding application form.
Important - The main LAHP application form can only be submitted once the Supervisors Statement has been submitted by the first supervisor named on your LAHP application form. You must let your first named supervisor know that you will be notifying them via the LAHP online application portal. This notification will include a link for your supervisor to submit their statement as part of your application to LAHP. You will not be able to submit your application without the Supervisor statement having already been submitted. Please see the ‘Contacting Supervisors’ section below for more information.
The LAHP web-page mentioned above should also include blank pdf versions of the application form and Supervisor Statement form that can be printed off to practice completing and drafting answers on.
As mentioned above, you must also have submitted your main PhD application prior to the LAHP funding deadline.
Please note, the LAHP application form requires applicants to submit specific information about their proposed research. This information is therefore in addition to that, such as the Research Proposal, provided as part of the main Queen Mary PhD application form and supporting documentation.
Applicants are expected to meet the entry requirements of the Queen Mary School of Law PhD programme – these require applicants to gain a ‘Pass with Distinction’ on an LLM or equivalent post-graduate qualification in Law, such as an MA. For degrees taken outside of the UK the applicant must obtain the grade equivalent to a UK ‘Pass with Distinction’. For applicants from non-English speaking countries, proof of English language competency may be required. While these requirements are higher than the general requirements the LAHP has, applicants should note these, higher, requirements of the School of Law’s PhD programme take precedence.
The LAHP award is open to applicants look to study either on a full- or part-time basis (although the School of Law would prefer applications for full-time study). In both cases, a fee waiver is provided – for part-time students, the stipend is provided on a pro-rata basis.
The LAHP award is available for both Home and International applicants.
LAHP will be funding a minimum of three studentship places to UK Black and Global Majority students in its open studentship competition for entry in September 2025. Whilst the application process is the same, further details can be found on the how to apply webpage.
Your proposed topic of research, as outlined in your research proposal submitted with your main application, must be within the subject areas covered by the AHRC and the AHRC Research Funding Guide (in the ‘AHRC subject remit and proposal classification’ sub-section, in ‘Section 7: Additional Information’).
The School of Law would generally come under the area of ‘Law and Legal Studies’ as the AHRC defines it, which incorporates the following specific areas of legal research:
The award is open both to applicants wishing to commence their doctoral studies in September 2025, and to existing first year PhD students, who wish to apply for funding in their 2nd and 3rd year of study – applicants must have at least 50% of their doctorate to complete to be eligible.
For information about the LAHP scheme’s own eligibility criteria, please see how to apply for an open studentship - LAHP.