PhD students:
90% of the students in the lab are funded by the department via demonstratorships and special fellowships given by UCL.
These include the opportunities listed in the table below which have an (*) next to them. To apply via these routes to our lab you should take the following steps:
1) Fill in THIS FORM anytime between Aug 1 and Dec 1. The sooner the better.
2) If we think you would be a good fit, we will invite you to an interview.
3) If you pass the interview we will invite you to write a research proposal and submit a full application. More useful information on the application process can be found on the PALS website. The deadline to submit an application to PALS is January 2027.
4) To submit your application you should apply formally to UCL, indicating that you are applying for a position in the Experimental Psychology Research Department under the supervision of Prof Tali Sharot.
If you have already secured funding (for example via your home country, such as a Fulbright scholarship mention this when you fill in THIS FORM.
In addition:
You can apply directly to any of the funding opportunities listed in the table that do not have an (*) next to them. If you get in, we would be delighted to discuss having you rotate in our lab.
There is no need to contact us in advance if you intend to apply to an opportunity that does do not have an (*).
Note, we do not take self funded students.
PhD Funding Opportunities for UCL Psychology
(*) – Only opportunities with an asterisk requires you to first contact us and submit an application via our department after consultation with the PI.
| Funding Opportunity | Target Applicant Pool | Typical Deadline Window | Funding Duration | Key Eligibility & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCL Research Excellence Scholarship (UCL-RES) * | International | Early January | 3–4 | Fully funded (covers Home/Overseas tuition, full London-rate stipend, and research costs). Replaces/consolidates the former UCL GRS. |
| UBEL ESRC DTP *(this is the main funding route for international citizens via our lab) | Any Country (Home & International up to 30% cap) | Prelim: Mid-Nov (~10 Nov) Full App: Jan | 3-4 | Social & behavioral sciences (includes experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and social psychology). |
| UCL Birkbeck MRC (DTP & iCASE) | Any Country | Early January (~8–12 Jan) | 4 | Focuses on biomedical science, neuroscience, and mental health. Includes 1-year rotation or direct iCASE. |
| BBSRC LIDo DTP | Any Country | Early December (~10 Dec) | 4 | Bioscience & computational biology research. Includes two 4-month rotations in Year 1. |
| Wellcome PhD in Mental Health Science | Any Country | Nov-Dec | 4 | Interdisciplinary mental health research at UCL. Includes 1 foundation year followed by a 3-year PhD project. |
| UCL EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award (UELA) | Any Country | Early January (~5–10 Jan) | 4 | Formerly UCL EPSRC DTP. Relevant for computational psychology, human-computer interaction (HCI), AI, and quantitative data science. |
| AHRC LAHP DTP (London Arts & Humanities) | Any Country | Late January (~31 Jan) | 3–3.5 | Covers interdisciplinary humanities, philosophy of mind, and linguistics-focused cognitive research. |
| Soc-B DTP (Biosocial Research DTP) | Any Country | Early May (~1 May) | 4 | Interdisciplinary training integrating social, biological, and biomedical research. |
| UCL-RXD (Res. Excellence Scholarship Cross-Disciplinary) * | Any Country (Current UCL PhDs) | Early January (~10 Jan) | 1 extra year | Enables existing UCL doctoral candidates to spend 1 year acquiring research skills in a second discipline. |
| UCL Research Opportunity Scholarship (UCL-ROS) *(this is the main funding route for UK citizens who are also of minority ethnic groups) | UK Only (Home status) | Early January (~9–10 Jan) | 3–4 | Supports UK-resident who are also Black, Pakistani or Bangladeshi |
| PALS Demonstratorships *(this is the main funding route for UK citizens) | UK / Home | Early January (~9–10 Jan) | 4 | Includes teaching assistant duties (demonstrating up to 300 hrs/yr) alongside doctoral research within the PALS department. |
| Fulbright | US Citizens | Early October (US National deadline ~6 Oct) | 1 | Covers initial postgraduate tuition and living stipend for US students pursuing study/research at UCL. |
| https://www.marshallscholarship.org/ | US Citizens | Late September (~25–29 Sep) | 1–2 | Covers tuition, fees, living allowance, and travel for US citizens pursuing graduate study in the UK. |
| CSC-UCL Joint Research Scholarship (UCL-CSC) *(this is the main funding route for Chinese citizens via our lab) | China | UCL RES nomination: Early Jan CSC portal: March | 4 | Co-funded by UCL (full tuition via RES Scheme B or Dean's Prize Scheme A) and CSC (living stipend, airfare, visa) for Chinese nationals. |