Funding Your Field: Scholarship Landscapes in STEM vs. Humanities/Arts in the UK & US

The quest for scholarships by international students often varies significantly depending on their chosen field of study. The funding landscapes for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines can look quite different from those in the Humanities and Arts. While major scholarships like Fulbright or Chevening are open to most fields, the prevalence, sources, and types of funding available at the university and departmental level often diverge between STEM and non-STEM areas in both the UK and the US. Understanding these differences is crucial for tailoring a successful scholarship search strategy.

STEM Funding Landscape: Research-Driven Opportunities

STEM fields often benefit from substantial funding driven by governmental research priorities, industry partnerships, and the direct contribution of postgraduate students (especially PhDs) to grant-funded research projects.

• UK STEM Funding:

  • UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): This is the primary public funder of research. UKRI councils like EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences), BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences), MRC (Medical Research Council), and NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) provide significant funding for PhD studentships. These are often administered through Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) hosted by universities. While historically favoring Home students, recent policy changes allow up to 30% of UKRI studentships to be awarded to international students, covering fees and stipends. These are highly competitive and tied to specific research areas or projects.

  • University/Departmental Studentships: Universities often use their own funds or endowments to offer PhD studentships in strategic STEM research areas, mimicking the UKRI model (fees + stipend).

  • Industry Funding: Partnerships between universities and industry can lead to funded PhD projects, particularly in engineering, computer science, and applied sciences. These may come with specific research goals aligned with the company’s interests.

  • Master’s Funding: While less common than PhD funding, some Master’s scholarships exist within STEM departments, often merit-based or tied to specific initiatives (e.g., attracting women into engineering). Major schemes like Chevening/Commonwealth remain key sources.

• US STEM Funding:

  • Research Assistantships (RAs): This is a dominant funding model, especially for PhDs. Faculty members with research grants (often from agencies like the National Science Foundation – NSF, National Institutes of Health – NIH, Department of Energy – DOE, Department of Defense – DoD) hire graduate students as RAs. The RA position typically comes with a full tuition waiver and a monthly stipend in exchange for working on the professor’s research. Securing an RA often hinges on aligning research interests and being admitted into a professor’s lab. While direct NSF/NIH fellowships are mostly restricted to US citizens/permanent residents, international students are widely funded through RAs on grants held by principal investigators.

  • Teaching Assistantships (TAs): Also common, particularly in foundational science/math departments. Students receive tuition waivers and stipends for teaching undergraduate labs or discussion sections.

  • University Fellowships: Many universities offer competitive, merit-based fellowships for top incoming STEM graduate students, often providing funding without work requirements for the first year or longer.

  • External Foundations: Organizations focused on specific diseases (e.g., American Cancer Society) or scientific fields may offer fellowships, though eligibility for international students varies.

  • Master’s Funding: Similar to the UK, full funding for Master’s in STEM is less guaranteed than for PhDs, but RAs and TAs are sometimes available, alongside partial merit scholarships.

Humanities and Arts Funding Landscape: Different Sources, Different Structures

Funding in the Humanities (literature, history, philosophy, languages, classics, etc.) and Arts (visual arts, performing arts, music) often comes from different sources and may be structured differently. Research output is less frequently tied to large external grants in the same way as lab-based science.

• UK Humanities/Arts Funding:

  • Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC): Part of UKRI, the AHRC funds PhD studentships, often through DTPs. Similar to other councils, up to 30% of these can now go to international students. Competition is fierce, and the quality of the research proposal is paramount.

  • University/College Scholarships: Oxbridge colleges and many university departments have specific endowed scholarships or bursaries for Humanities and Arts subjects, often based on historical bequests or specific academic focuses. These can be highly prestigious but may vary greatly in number and value.

  • Charitable Trusts and Foundations: Numerous private trusts in the UK support studies in specific areas of the humanities (e.g., historical research, classics) or the arts (music performance, fine art practice). Finding these requires dedicated searching (see Article 5 on Niche Scholarships).

  • Teaching Opportunities: While perhaps less structured than STEM TAs, opportunities for PhD students to teach undergraduate seminars or tutorials can provide supplementary income or partial funding in some departments.

  • Master’s Funding: Relies heavily on major schemes (Chevening, Commonwealth, university merit awards) and personal funding. Full studentships are rare compared to PhD level.

• US Humanities/Arts Funding:

  • University Fellowships: Often the primary source of full funding packages for PhD students. Competitive universities aim to offer multi-year packages combining fellowships (especially in the first year) with Teaching Assistantships.

  • Teaching Assistantships (TAs): A cornerstone of PhD funding. Humanities PhD students frequently teach introductory language courses, composition classes, or discussion sections related to their field, receiving tuition waivers and stipends. Strong teaching potential and English fluency are crucial.

  • External Fellowships: Prestigious external fellowships exist from foundations supporting humanities research (e.g., Mellon Foundation/ACLS awards – though many target later career stages, some support dissertations) or specific fields (e.g., art history fellowships from museums or dedicated foundations). Competition is intense, and eligibility for international students varies.

  • Need-Based Aid (Undergrad/Master’s): For non-PhD levels, reliance on university merit scholarships and, where available, need-based aid (see Article 8) is common, alongside external niche scholarships.

  • Portfolio/Audition (Arts): For practice-based arts programs (MFA, performance degrees), scholarships are often heavily influenced by the quality of the portfolio or audition, alongside academic records.

Key Differences Summarized:

Strategic Implications for Students:

• STEM Students: Focus on identifying researchers/labs aligned with your interests (especially for US RAs). Highlight research experience and quantitative skills. Look for advertised PhD projects/studentships (UK).

• Humanities/Arts Students: Develop an outstanding research proposal (PhD). Emphasize writing and analytical skills. Gain teaching experience if possible (for US TAs). Showcase portfolios/performance skills (Arts). Dedicate time to searching for specialized trusts and foundations.

• All Students: Apply for major cross-disciplinary scholarships (Fulbright, Chevening, Gates Cambridge, Rhodes, university-wide awards) regardless of field. Network with potential supervisors and departments early.

Conclusion: Tailor Your Search to Your Discipline

While the dream of studying abroad is universal, the path to funding it often diverges based on academic discipline. STEM fields in the UK and US frequently offer funding tied directly to research activity through assistantships and studentships, often supported by government and industry grants. Humanities and Arts funding relies more heavily on university fellowships, teaching assistantships, specialized trusts, and the intrinsic academic merit demonstrated through proposals or portfolios. By understanding these distinct funding ecosystems, international students can target their scholarship search more effectively, craft applications that highlight relevant strengths, and increase their chances of securing the financial support needed to pursue their academic passions in their chosen field.