The University of Edinburgh welcomes applications for a prestigious Leverhulme Trust PhD Studentship exploring input and uptake in Mandarin-speaking children. Starting in 2026, this award provides tuition coverage, a competitive stipend, and the chance to engage in innovative crosslinguistic research.

Eligibility is open to UK and international students with a minimum 2:1 degree or an MSc/MRes in a relevant discipline. Applicants must be starting their first PhD and cannot hold another funded scholarship.

Founded in 1583,  the University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious public research universities, located in the heart of Scotland’s capital city. It is a member of the Russell Group and ranks highly in global university rankings, welcoming students from over 150 countries.

Application Deadline: 15th January 2026

Brief Description

• University or Organization: University of Edinburgh
• Department: School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences (PPLS), Linguistics and English Language
• Course Level: PhD
• Award: Tuition fees + UKRI minimum stipend (£20,780 for 2025/26) for 3 years
• Access Mode: Online application submission
• Number of Awards: 1
• Nationality: UK and international students
• The award can be taken in: the United Kingdom

Eligibility

• Eligible Countries: All nationalities
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: The scholarship will be awarded for a PhD in Linguistics and English Language offered by the University of Edinburgh.
• Admissible Criteria: To be eligible, applicants must:
  • Apply for an on-campus PhD beginning in the 2026/27 academic year.
  • Hold or expect to obtain at least a UK 2:1 honours degree (or international equivalent) or an MSc/MRes in Linguistics and/or Psychology.
  • Demonstrate outstanding academic merit and research potential.
  • Have (near) native proficiency in Mandarin and strong knowledge of Mandarin linguistics and experimental methods.
  • Hold a valid English language certificate (IELTS 7.0 overall with minimum 6.5 in each component) if English is not their first language.
  • Not already hold a PhD or equivalent research qualification.
  Highly desirable experience: designing structural priming experiments, statistical analysis in R (mixed-effects models, Bayesian methods), and working with children.
  • Must be available to start on 1 September 2026.
  • This award cannot be held alongside any other funded scholarship.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit the following application package to PPLS PG Enquiries ([email protected])

• Personal statement explaining motivations and relevant qualifications.

• A two-page CV.

• Official degree certificates and transcripts (undergraduate and postgraduate, if applicable).

• Official English translations if documents are not in English.

• Two academic references.

Benefits

• Full coverage of tuition fees.
• Annual UKRI minimum stipend (£20,780 for 2025/26).
• Access to state-of-the-art research labs, recording studios, technical support, and a large developmental linguistics and psychology research community.
• Opportunity to work on a major Leverhulme Trust-funded crosslinguistic project (2025–2029).

Apply Now