PhD studies with the Astrophysics Research Institute
The Institute offers higher degree programmes at PhD level for part-time or full-time students. We are currently hosting around 40 PhD students. Most of them follow a 3.5-year full-time route leading to the award of PhD.
Studentships are generally funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council and our own research funds. For PhDs starting in 2026, you can expect the studentship to correspond to £20,780 per year, and to be accompanied by funding for travel and equipment. If you are from a group currently under-represented in physics, you might also consider applying for a Bell Burnell scholarship (see below). We currently take in several new students every year.
Informal enquiries may be made to Dr Marie Martig.
Funding opportunities
For PhDs starting in 2026, we have several available opportunities:
Standard 3.5 year studentships
Funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council and our own funds. We do not ask you to pick a PhD project at this stage: students choose their project during the first two weeks of their PhD, after discussing possible options with a range of staff members. We are providing a list of potential PhD projects.
Apply before 13 February 2026.
VC studentships
VC studentships are studentships 100% funded by LJMU, for 3.5 years. Your application needs to be supported by a staff member, so start thinking about this well before the deadline. Note that as part of this scheme, up to three scholarships are ringfenced for UK applicants from under-represented ethnic minority backgrounds.
Apply before 30 January 2026.
Bell Burnell scholarship
Bell Burnell scholarship: see details below, apply before 4 January 2026
Distance Learning PhDs (full time or part time)
If you are unable to move to Liverpool but would like to study with us. We do not offer studentships for DL PhDs, but might have a small number of bursaries to cover the fees. The full cost of fees for a DL PhD is currently £15,018 for home students, and £26,625 for international students (see fee information). The first step for anyone willing to apply for a DL PhD is to find a potential supervisor and a project: we will not consider your application if you have not found a supervisor. If you wish to apply for a fee-only bursary, please follow our standard application procedure described below, before 13 February 2026. Applications for a fully self-funded PhD can be submitted at any time of the year
Eligibility
Successful applicants need to have gained an MPhys or MSc degree in an appropriate subject (for example, physics, astronomy, mathematics) by the time they start their PhD.
Please note:
Applications from international students (EU and non-EU) are not accepted this year for our standard studentships, nor for the Bell Burnell studentship (please check if you qualify for home or international fees).
By contrast, VC studentships are open to both home and international students.
We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity, and we value the diversity of our staff and students. We see diversity as a positive force to generate excellent research and explore the unknowns of our Universe together. We strongly encourage candidates of all different backgrounds and identities to apply.
Application procedure
- Fill in the online application form.
- Send your transcripts as a single PDF file to Dr Marie Martig.
- Ask two referees to send a letter of reference by email to Dr Marie Martig before the application deadline. Please make sure that at least one of your letter writers can comment on your research experience and research skills.
For full consideration, applications including reference letters should be submitted by the deadline, when the committee will begin reviewing applications. Applications received after the deadline may be considered at the discretion of the committee until the positions are filled. We will conduct interviews in early March.
How we will review your application
Our aim is to perform a rubric-based holistic review of applications, inspired by the method described in Young et al 2021 (adapted to the UK system and our own criteria). Our first criterion is 'academic preparation', this ranking will be based on your marks. Next, we will assess your research experience, the nature and quality of your research project(s), the technical skills you have learnt, your general commitment to and enthusiasm for research, and if you understand what the process entails (this ranking will be based on your written application and on the interview). Based also on both application and interview, we will attempt to assess non-cognitive competencies such as conscientiousness, initiative and perseverance. While there is no obligation for you to share anything too personal, feel free to explain in your application if and how you have had to overcome obstacles (including social, economic, and personal obstacles). Finally, we will assess how well you fit with the ARI, if you can explain clearly why you want to do a PhD with us, if you have made positive contributions to your community, and if you either belong to an underrepresented identity group or have been an active advocate for diversity in physics.
Don't worry, we don't expect anyone to fulfil all those criteria, but we hope that this holistic process will give us a fairer view of PhD applicants.
Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship fund
Internal deadline 4 January 2026
Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship fund guidance notes
The Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship fund aims to encourage greater diversity in physics, by supporting students from groups currently under-represented in physics who wish to study towards a doctorate in physics. Successful doctoral students can study either part-time or full-time. For the purpose of this fund the definition of under-represented groups in physics refers to: women, students of Black-Caribbean, Black-African and other minority ethnic (BAME) heritage, students with disabilities, or who require additional funding to support inclusive learning, LGBT+ students and students from disadvantaged backgrounds who may struggle to find the levels of funding needed to complete their studies. People with qualifying refugee status who meet these criteria are also encouraged to apply.
If you wish to apply for the fund to study at the Astrophysics Research Institute, please fill our standard application form no later than Sunday 4th January 2026. You should also arrange for two letters of reference to be emailed to Dr. Martig by that deadline. We will have a round of pre-selection to decide which candidate we support. The application form to the Institute of Physics will then need to be completed by the student, prospective supervisor and the Head of school, and submitted by 19th January 2026. For this scholarship application, a supervisor and a project have to be identified, so start discussing projects with staff members as soon as you can.
If you are not selected for a Bell Burnell application, you will be automatically considered for our standard scholarships, there is no need to apply twice.