El Departamento de Lenguas Modernas de la Universidad de Birmingham invita a presentar solicitudes para programas de posgrado en investigación (PhD y MA by Research) en lingüística, con especial atención a la lingüística iberorrománica y románica, así como a diversas áreas relacionadas con las lenguas y las culturas.

El Departamento acoge especialmente propuestas en morfosintaxis comparada, dialectología y enfoques descriptivos y teóricos sobre la variación, el contacto y el cambio lingüístico en las distintas ramas románicas, con atención particular a las variedades iberorrománicas, balcorrománicas y judeorrománicas (en especial el judeoespañol/ladino).

Asimismo, el Departamento ofrece diversas vías de financiación competitiva para estudios de doctorado. En 2026 se otorgará la Beca Sir Henry Thomas, destinada a apoyar investigaciones de excelencia en los campos de los estudios hispánicos, portugueses, catalanes o latinoamericanos (sin limitarse a la lingüística).

Los detalles completos de elegibilidad, financiación, áreas prioritarias y procedimiento de solicitud figuran en la versión inglesa que aparece a continuación.

The Department of Modern Languages at the University of Birmingham welcomes enquiries and applications for PhD study in linguistics, especially Ibero-Romance and Romance linguistics, as well as in a wide range of related fields in languages and cultures.

Sir Henry Thomas Scholarship
In 2026 we will also be awarding the Sir Henry Thomas Scholarship, a competitive postgraduate scholarship for research in the fields of Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan or Latin American Studies (not limited to linguistics).

The scholarship provides Home tuition fees and a maintenance stipend of £15,000 per year for three years, subject to satisfactory progress. International students are eligible; if successful, the Home fee rate will be used as a contribution towards the Overseas fee. The successful candidate will begin in September 2026.

Who can apply?
Students domiciled in any country and of any nationality may apply; both Home and International applicants are eligible. Candidates should hold (or be expecting) a first-class or upper-second-class degree in a relevant subject. To apply for the doctoral award, candidates should also have completed, or be completing, a Masters degree in a relevant subject.

We are seeking applications from outstanding research candidates in the fields of Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan or Latin American Studies. The principal supervisor must be a staff member in Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese within the Department. Special consideration will be given to applications in the areas listed below.

Priority research areas (linguistics):
- Ibero-Romance linguistics and dialectology
- Comparative morphosyntax, dialect syntax
- Grammatical variation, contact and change
- Judeo-Spanish/Ladino, Judeo-Portuguese, Judeo-Catalan

Other fields:
- Film, Media and Video Studies (Catalan-speaking territories)
- Cultural and Literary Studies (20th–21st century Spain, Catalan-speaking territories)
- Interdisciplinary Approaches to Literature (20th–21st century, Catalan-speaking territories)
- World Literature (20th–21st century Latin America; literatures of the Portuguese-speaking world)
- Literary Cultures (19th–21st century Spain; 20th–21st century Latin America; cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world)
- Cultural History (20th century Mexico)
- Visual and Material Cultures (16th–21st century Spain, Latin America, US Latinx)
- Cultural Studies (Spain; 20th–21st century Latin America)
- Exile, Displacement and Migration (Spain, Latin America)
- Censorship, Power and Literature (19th–21st centuries, Latin America)
- Postcolonial Approaches to Literature and Culture (Portuguese-speaking world)
- Decolonial Approaches to Contemporary Thought and Culture (Portuguese-speaking world)
- Digital Textual Editing (Medieval Iberia)
- History (Medieval Iberia)
- Manuscript Culture (Medieval Iberia)
- Literature, Theatre and Visual Culture (Early Modern Spain)
- Military and Maritime Life (Early Modern Spain)
- Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Literary and Theatrical Works

Linguistics Applications for Graduate Study (Beyond This Scholarship)
We warmly welcome enquiries from prospective graduate students (PhD and MA by Research) in linguistics, particularly in Ibero-Romance, Balkan Romance and comparative Romance linguistics (descriptive and theoretically-informed approaches to morphosyntactic variation, contact and change; dialectology; dialect syntax). This includes projects that fall outside the specific thematic or regional remit of the Sir Henry Thomas Scholarship.

Other Funding Routes
Other available funding routes in the Department include:

- Wolfson Postgraduate Scholarships in the Humanities (full; home/international; full-time/part-time; campus-based)

- College of Arts and Law Doctoral Scholarships (full/partial; home/international; full-time/part-time; campus-based)

- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Landscape Awards (targeted at underrepresented groups)

- Self-funded or part-funded routes, which may be combined with doctoral loans or employer sponsorship

Prospective applicants in linguistics and related fields are welcome to seek advice about suitable funding options (contact: calpg-research@contacts.bham.ac.uk)

How to Apply:
There is a single application process covering all College of Arts and Law doctoral scholarships:
(1) Submit an application to your chosen PhD programme.
(2) Complete the College of Arts and Law scholarship application form (available on the https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/schol... target="_blank" rel="noopener">scholarship website), indicating which opportunities you wish to be considered for, by 27 February 2026.

Inquiries:
For questions about the Sir Henry Thomas Scholarship and other College funding schemes, contact: calpg-research@contacts.bham.ac.uk

For linguistics-specific enquiries, please email Alice Corr (a.corr@bham.ac.uk)