Scholarship Programmes

Doctoral Scholarship Programme

Deadline for Applications: 15th October 2024

If you would like to chat to someone about funding please email us at enquiries@cstg.org.uk.

The Culham St Gabriel’s Doctoral Scholarship Programme is a way to help teachers and others working in the field of Religion and Worldviews (RE) to undertake doctoral studies in an affordable, manageable way. It is a unique programme based on a partnership between the participant, the university and Culham St Gabriel’s Trust. It offers participants an opportunity to undertake doctoral studies at reduced cost, and to see the impact of it in their workplace e.g. in their teaching, advisory work. There are a very limited number of scholarship places allocated each year.

What is Culham St Gabriel’s offering?

Culham St Gabriel’s will pay up to £2000 per year of your fees for up to five years part-time (or equivalent over three years full-time) doctoral study up to a total of £10,000. Doctoral programmes include PhD, EdD, DProf or another approved doctoral programme. Your doctoral study must relate to religion and worldviews, and align with the Culham St Gabriel’s vision, mission, and current strategic objectives. In most cases you will be employed as a qualified teacher, teaching assistant or HLTA in a school in the UK and undertaking your studies part-time. However, applications will also be considered from those working as advisers, educators or researchers in other settings. You will become a member of the Culham St Gabriel’s Doctoral Scholarship virtual community of practice. This community will be meet virtually together on a regular basis providing opportunities for you to discuss your research and disseminate your findings. The community of practice is led and organised by our Lead Consultant for Research, Dr Kevin O’Grady. Participants on the programme will also be encouraged to network more informally.

What is expected of participants?

You are asked to make up the university fee i.e. the difference between the bursary funding and tuition fee total required by the university. You may want to ask your place of employment to contribute to this and/or seek grant funding from another source if you wish. You are expected to contribute to a virtual community of practice with your time. Sessions are usually held as twilights (e.g. 4-6pm). There will also be other opportunities to contribute to the religion and worldviews community such as writing a blogs, posters, case studies and so on for RE:ONLINE and/or sharing your research findings through an online seminar hosted by Culham St Gabriel’s. Participants are asked to ‘pay forward’ and give back to the religion and worldviews community.

Am I eligible for the Doctoral Scholarship? You need to be:

  • Working in the field of religion and worldviews e.g. as a teacher, educator, adviser. If you are not sure, please contact us enquiries@cstg.org.uk
  • intending to take a part-time or full-time doctorate (e.g. PhD, EdD, DProf) that relates directly to religion and worldviews and aligns with the Culham St Gabriel’s Strategic objectives.
  • intending your doctoral studies to directly lead to development, innovation and improvement in religion and worldviews in your school, place of employment, local area or region and/or nationally.

When can I apply?

Applications are open all year round. Applications are taken to our Grants, Programmes and Education Committee where decisions are made. These take place three times per year, usually in November, March and June. If places are allocated early on in the academic year, there is a possibility you may have to wait until the following year’s round of funding. We would therefore advise applying in the Autumn or Spring Terms and speaking to us before you submit an application to ensure there are still places available.

How do I apply?

  1. Select a university and secure a place on a doctoral programme. Make sure you have a conversation with those who may supervise you, and make them aware of this scholarship.
  2. Once you have secured your doctoral place, complete the online doctoral scholarship application form. This application form asks you to state clearly how your research relates to religion and worldviews, as well as with the Trust vision, mission and strategic objectives. There are guidance notes accompanying the form which we encourage you to read. There are conditions of the funding which you must agree to in your application.
  3. Once you have submitted your form, send documentary proof that you have secured a doctoral place at your chosen university. (i.e. an offer letter, details of the course and your acceptance) to enquiries@cstg.org.uk:
  4. When we have received your application form and supporting document we will request two references. These will be the two referees you will have been named on your application form.
  5. All applications, supporting documents and references are then considered by the Trust in their next Grants and Education Committee meeting.
  6. You will normally be notified of the outcome of your application as soon as the committee have met.
  7. When you begin your studies it is very important that you ask your university finance department to send two invoices, one to Culham St Gabriel’s and one to you. It is very important that you make clear to the university finance department exactly who they should send invoices to, and how much they should charge in each case.
  8. Culham St Gabriel’s will send you a welcome pack explaining how to become part of the virtual community of practice and details of ongoing support and advice offered for scholars.

Chat to us!!

If you are interested in our doctoral scholarship programme we strongly advise you contact us for an informal conversation before submitting an application. To set this up, please email enquiries@cstg.org.uk

A list of current participants can be found below:

Current Participants

Fran Bailey
I live in Leeds with my husband and teenage children. I teach RS in a local school and am also a part time chaplain at the school. In my spare time, I enjoy long dog walks, eating cake with friends and playing not very complicated board games with my family.
My doctoral research is about spirituality in Church of England secondary schools which I am undertaking through an EdD program with Canterbury Christ Church University. I am particularly interested in how Religious Studies helps young people to develop spirituality, alongside the impact of whole school ethos.” I am contactable at fbailey@abbeygrangeacademy.co.uk

Catriona Card
I am an Early Years teacher and RE Subject Leader at a 3 form entry Primary School in North Lincolnshire. After training as a Nursery/Infant teacher I have been an RE Subject Leader for most of my teaching career and have taught in EYFS for many years. I completed a Farmington Fellowship in 2001 and an MA in RE at the University of Warwick from 2002 to 2004.
I have a particular interest in RE in the Early Years and my research is focused on this area. I am researching using an age-appropriate disciplinary approach to teaching RE to children aged 4-5 years (the Reception year in English schools). Exploring what is meant by age-appropriate, what is meant by a disciplinary approach and what an age-appropriate disciplinary approach for young children might look like. I then intend to assess the effectiveness of this approach.

Anna Donaghy
I am a first-year DPhil student at the University of Oxford working within the Department of Education. I previously undertook a BA in Philosophy and Theology, a PGCE in Secondary Education (Religious Studies) and an MSc in Higher Education. I also taught for three years in a Further Education College in the South West of England before moving into full-time education.
My thesis is titled: Antisemitism and Religious Education: The impact of teaching Jewish and Christian scripture in state-maintained secondary schools. With the growing political and social significance of this work, I am happy to be contacted by those with an interest in this area of research and would be happy to discuss my work so far. I am contactable at: anna.donaghy@hmc.ox.ac.uk

Fay Lowe
I am a Head of Religious Studies at a Secondary School in Rochdale. I also lead the Rochdale RE Teacher Hub and am a teacher representative on the Rochdale SACRE.
As a teacher I have had pupils mention in lesson far-right extremist group’s activities or far-right extremist narratives they had encountered in their local communities and online. My PhD research reflects on how RE teachers might best respond to this. It considers moral education, identity (specifically white British working class), curriculum design and development, and cross-curricular contributions to preventing radicalisation and violent extremism.

Helena Moore
I am subject leader of Religious Studies at the University of Birmingham School in Selly Oak. I have been teaching for 7 years after graduating from Newman University (BA) and the University of Birmingham (PGDipEd). I completed my MA through the University of Birmingham in the 2021-22 academic year, examining pupil reflections on the teaching of religious attitudes to homosexuality in the Religious Studies classroom. My PhD will continue this research, reflecting on the role of religion when teaching issues of sexuality within school. I am contactable at hkm528@student.bham.ac.uk