MS Society PhD Fellowships

MS Society PhD Fellowships

Supports three-year doctoral training pathways in multiple sclerosis research led by United Kingdom university supervisors.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The MS Society PhD Fellowships are annual career-development grants from the Multiple Sclerosis Society UK that fund three-year doctoral studentships in MS research. The award is made to the prospective supervisor (the principal investigator), not to the student; the student does not need to be named at application stage. The package covers a PhD stipend at UKRI rates, up to GBP 7,000 per year toward tuition fees, up to GBP 45,000 in running costs over the project duration, and up to GBP 3,000 for conference attendance and travel. The 2026 round opened in October 2025, with a deadline of 12 noon on 10 February 2026; outcomes will be communicated in August 2026. Success rates were 43% in 2024 (3 of 7 funded) and 17% in 2023.

Eligibility requires that the supervising PI be based at a recognized UK university or NHS institution. The fellowship is open to any MS research topic area; no thematic restriction applies beyond the MS Society's 2025–2029 Research Strategy scope. Prospective Fellows — the students — may contribute to writing the application but cannot be listed as co-applicants. Eligible running costs follow the standard MS Society framework: research staff, consumables, equipment, and travel. Lead and co-applicant salaries are not claimable. Applications are submitted through the Symplectic Grant Tracker at research.mssociety.org.uk and undergo peer review by expert MS researchers and lay reviewers from the MS Society Research Network under AMRC standards.

The next PhD Fellowships round is expected to open around March 2027 following the planned return to normal cycle timings post-Grant Tracker transition. Supervisors who wish to build a new doctoral research programme in MS should identify a strong research question aligned with the MS Society's top ten research priorities and the 2025–2029 Research Strategy. Early contact with the grants team at research@mssociety.org.uk is recommended, particularly for supervisors new to the scheme, as the MS Society provides pre-application guidance and the peer-review process places weight on the supervisor's track record in MS-relevant research.