PIC studentship scheme in Population Studies
The Population Investigation Committee (PIC) scholarship fund facilitates training in demography in the UK. The aim is to increase demographic skills and research capacity.
The scheme has been operating in various forms since 1996. Applications for 2026 will be accepted from April until 1 June. They should be submitted by the institution where the applicant plans to study.
The studentships are for students eligible for UK 'home' fees only, who must be accepted on a PIC-approved Master's course, currently:
London School of Economics & Political Science:
Population studies specialism course units must be taken so that either course comprises at least 70% demographic course units:
MSc Health & International Development with Population Studies
Contact Tiziana Leone - t.leone@lse.ac.uk
MSc Social Research Methods
Contact Wendy Sigle - w.sigle@lse.ac.uk
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine:
MSc Demography and Health
Contact Sarah Walters sarah.walters@lshtm.ac.uk
MSc Reproductive & Sexual Health Research
Contact Melissa Palmer melissa.palmer@lshtm.ac.uk
University of Manchester:
MSc Social Research Methods and Statistics with Demography
Contact Francesco Rampazzo or Tina Hannemann -francesco.rampazzo@manchester.ac.uk; tina.hannemann@manchester.ac.uk
University of Southampton:
MSc Social Research Methods with Demography
MSc Social Research Methods with Applied Statistics
Contact Olga Maslovskaya – om206@soton.ac.uk
PIC is grateful to partner institutions for supplementary awards for successful applicants to the PIC funding: at Southampton, fees are capped at the UKRI maximum, with the rest of the award being made available for living expenses for the student. At LSE, an award of £10,000 is made per person, to cover the balance of tuition fees above £15,000 and a contribution toward living expenses. At Manchester, the balance of tuition fees above £15,000 is covered by the institution.
Additional UK courses may be eligible if the institution can show the course would meet the aims of the scheme to actively increase demographic skills & research capacity. Prospective students would be expected to take a high proportion (70%) of course units with demographic training content, including methods, and candidates would be monitored to ensure these courses were those studied. Please contact the PIC initially at pic@lse.ac.uk
Residential criteria: Scholarships will be awarded only to students who meet the applying institution's requirements for 'home' fees.
Academic criteria: Candidates must have qualifications to the standard of a good honours degree at first or upper second class level from a UK academic institution.
In the majority of cases, candidates will have undertaken an undergraduate course at a recognised UK higher education institution. However, some candidates may have qualifications from outside the UK, or offer a combination of qualifications and/or experience. It is necessary for the institution where the candidate proposes to study to ascertain whether these qualifications can be equated to an honours degree and at what level, and to provide details of the same in the application form.
Number of awards: In 2026, for the academic year 2026-27, there will be a minimum of two awards.
Value of awards: The value of a scholarship in 2026 will be £15,000, to include tuition fees. An initial payment of £12,000 is made at the beginning of the academic year, from which the institution usually deducts tuition fees. The balance of £3,000 is paid in late February or early March of the following year, on receipt of a satisfactory progress report from the student’s supervisor. Tuition fees must be paid from the award. Awards are usually administered by the institution at which the student will be studying.
Application and assessment: Applications are not accepted from individual students. The named contact listed above will coordinate applications, and will be invited to put these forward this year. Three applications per institution, presented in ranked order, is the maximum number allowed. Applications can be accepted from students wishing to study part-time over a two-year period (when the amount of the award will be split between the two years).
Scholarships are not available to students subsequently awarded or holding major grants from other sources such as Research Councils. The closing date for applications in 2026 will be Monday 1 June. Each application will be assessed by the PIC Scholarship Committee, whose decision is final. Successful candidates will be informed of the outcome of their application by early July.
Candidates will be expected to be planning a career in demographic research, or in an area where demographic skills are a necessity. Previous experience of quantitative methods is not essential but would be welcomed, although candidates should be able to demonstrate that they have the numerical skills needed to acquire these essential research methods. Applications will be graded based on the evidence of initial qualifications & references provided, (although the qualifications themselves do not attract a specific grade), outline of proposed research area, demonstration of commitment to demography, relevant experience, & the demonstration or development of quantitative skills.
PIC particularly welcomes applications from global majority candidates, from first-generation students and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Applications via an institution should consist of the following in a single pdf per application, sent to pic@lse.ac.uk by close of play on Monday 1 June 2026:
- A completed application form available here - PIC-Application-Form
- Two references from referees able to confirm the student's suitability for an award