STUDY

The London Centre for Ancient Philosophy is home to a world-leading community of scholars and philosophers that is exceptional in its scale and breadth and in the range of disciplinary expertise on offer, with specialists in various areas of ancient Greek, Indian and Roman philosophy. Our postgraduate students receive training at the highest levels to equip them with the tools pertinent to the professional study of the history of ancient philosophy, honing their philosophical rigour, expanding their interpretive horizons and developing their command of ancient languages. With a wealth of specialists covering a great variety of interests and types of expertise, and with a culture of collaborative and cross-institutional supervising, the London Centre for Ancient Philosophy can support projects relating to numerous periods and aspects of ancient philosophy and taking all sorts of methodological approaches. Whether your interests lie in, for example, the analytic study of ancient philosophy, in relating it to modern philosophical debates, in the interdisciplinary examination of ancient philosophy’s cultural, historical, literary and religious contexts, or in its later reception, you would find in London a stimulating and nourishing intellectual environment.

Prospective students are encouraged to approach the Centre Member whom they wish to have as their primary supervisor and to apply for a suitable programme in that person’s institution (Birkbeck, King’s College London, Royal Holloway or University College London). Every student, however, will have access to all of the activities and opportunities in the Centre as well as to secondary support from available Members based in the other institutions (subject to Members’ availability, supervisory load and interest in the project).

• Birkbeck: Department of History, Classics and Archaeology and Department of Philosophy

• King’s College London: Department of Classics and Department of Philosophy

• Royal Holloway: Department of Classics and Department of Philosophy

• University College London: Department of Greek & Latin and Department of Philosophy

• Many of our international students have secured postgraduate grants from their home country: it may be worth looking into the funding opportunities available in your country.

• AHRC funding for eligible UK and International students, through the CHASE consortium for applicants to Birkbeck, the LAHP consortium for applicants to KCL and UCL, and the TECHNE consortium for applicants to Royal Holloway.

• For eligible applicants to Birkbeck, Bonnart Trust PhD Scholarships (for research on themes concerned with either ‘diversity and belonging’ or ‘minorities and social justice’) and Boughton PhD scholarships (alternating each round between ‘historical’ and ‘interdisciplinary’ projects).

• For current KCL PGR students at the Philosophy Department, supplementary assistance (awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need): Susan Stebbing Studentships (for women graduate students), Sorabji Graduate Bursaries, Peter Goldie Awards; also: Norman Malcolm Fellowships (funding exchanges between King’s and Cornell).

• College Studentships for applicants to Royal Holloway.

• For applicants to graduate research programmes at UCL,  Graduate Research Studentships (for UK, EU and overseas applicants), Wolfson Scholarships (for UK and EU applicants), and Overseas Research Scholarships (for overseas applicants to UCL, covering the difference between Overseas and UK/EU tuition fees).

• For applicants to graduate research programmes in the Philosophy Department at UCL, Keeling Scholarships (equivalent in value to AHRC funding) are available for research in any area of ancient Greek or Roman philosophy. Up to 2 Keeling Scholarships are available each year; also available are the Jacobsen Scholarship, and other smaller awards from the UCL Department of Philosophy.

• For applicants to graduate research programmes in the Department of Greek & Latin at UCL, Bob Sharples Postgraduate Studentship Fund (supplementary financial assistance).

• For further information, follow these links for postgraduate funding opportunities at Birkbeck, KCL, Royal Holloway and UCL.

• The funding competitions listed below are often available for early career scholars wishing to pursue post-doctoral research in London. In recent years, successful applicants for post-doctoral positions have included Merrick Anderson (Keeling Research Fellow and British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in the Philosophy Department at UCL), Ilaria Andolfi (Newton International Fellow in the Classics Department at KCL) and Daniel Ferguson (Newton International Fellow in the Philosophy Department at KCL).

• British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships (for UK and EU researchers).

• Keeling Research Fellowships at the Philosophy Department in UCL (appointees to this post-doctoral position will work primarily on their research in any area of ancient Greek or Roman philosophy, in addition to some light teaching duties (e.g. lecturing a course per year, and occasional graduate supervision); tenure is 2-3 years; the Keeling Centre expects to advertise the position once every 5-6 years).

• Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships (for researchers with a degree from a UK higher education institution or in eligible fixed-term academic employment in the UK).

• Marie Curie Individual Fellowships (for researchers based in the EU and eligible associated countries).

• Newton International Fellowships (for eligible researchers from countries outside the UK).

• Each of the four associated institutions offers excellent libraries, which provide a great working environment and often feature strong collections in ancient philosophy (as well as in philosophy and the study of ancient cultures more broadly). 

• The Philosophy collection in the Senate House Library is a leading national resource and includes ancient philosophy among its areas of strength.

• The Institute of Classical Studies, located in the Senate House, hosts a world-class research library: a fantastic place in which to study all aspects of ancient Greece and Rome.

• In addition to these resources, London is home to The British Library, one of the world’s largest research libraries.

• London is ranked the world’s best Student City in the 2023 QS rankings.