The Northern Bridge Consortium is partnership of seven universities across two regions. Bridging the Irish Sea, it joins the expertise of Queen's and Ulster universities in Northern Ireland with the five universities of North East England: Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside. With its exciting portfolio of partnerships and unique resources, Northern Bridge offers an outstanding level of research support for our PhD students in the Arts and Humanities.

Northern Bridge students are part of a thriving cohort, and are fully integrated into our vibrant, outward-looking research culture. Our students benefit not just from flourishing groups and clusters at subject level, but from high-profile research centres and Institutes in all seven universities that promote interdisciplinary enquiry. Northern Bridge is deeply committed to the social, cultural and economic health of our two regions and maintains a strong international profile, with partnerships in Europe and North America.

Northern Bridge is an inclusive community, where everybody – staff and students – are treated with dignity and respect and this is part of our vision of how research excellence comes about. We value individual differences and the diversity that this brings and want to ensure that no-one is at a disadvantage – whether at application stage or as part of our cohort – because of who they are. We recognise that (among others) female students, working-class students and BAME students will be more likely to have experienced inequality on their journey to Northern Bridge, and that this forms a part of the broader picture of the candidate and what they bring. We value and seek to include such diverse life experience and recognise the importance of it in developing excellent research.

Studentship Awards

The Northern Bridge Consortium will no longer offer studentships via an open competition. The 2024/2025 competition, for entry in the 2025/2026 academic year, was our last.

Potential students interested in considering an already developed PhD project with one of of partner universities and a non-HE partner organisation should visit our Collaborative Doctoral Awards page.