The award is funded partly by a bequest from the distinguished Handel scholar and editor, and founder member of the Handel Institute, Terence Best (1929–2024). It is intended to support a registered doctoral student at a UK university or conservatoire who is working on a project relating to the music or life of George Frideric Handel or to any individual, group or institution with whom/which Handel or his music was/is associated. This theme will be interpreted widely: applications are welcome from a range of disciplines, including (but not limited to) historical musicology, critical editing, reception studies, performance practice and practice-based research.
The award will cover the annual cost of doctoral fees for three or four years (full-time) or six to eight years (part-time), depending on the requirements of the institution concerned, and will be paid at the going UKRI rate (see https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/developing-people-and-skills/stfc/training/studentship-information-for-students/payments-to-students/). For reference, in 2025/26 this would amount to £5,006 (full-time) or £2,503 (part-time). A student liable to pay higher fees would need to fund the difference individually. The award includes no provision for maintenance.
Applicants must already hold an offer of a place on a doctoral programme in the UK before applying for the award. Students who have already begun their research are eligible to apply for the remainder of their programme.
Some mentoring and guidance may be available from members of the Council of the Handel Institute, as appropriate.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 5 May 2026. Applicants should submit the application form (which asks for a research proposal and personal statement), a reference from someone who knows their work well, and an acceptance letter from the institution at which they will be (or are) studying in PDF format by email to the Chair of the Doctoral Award Committee, Dr Carrie Churnside [email protected]
The successful applicant will be notified in June 2026, and the first instalment will cover fees for the academic year 2026/27.
Any enquiries about the award can be directed to Dr Carrie Churnside [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
Funded partly by the distinguished Handel scholar and editor Terence Best (1929–2024), the Handel Institute Doctoral Award will provide financial support to a doctoral researcher working at a UK university or conservatoire on a project relating to the music or life of George Frideric Handel or to any individual, group or institution with whom/which Handel or his music was/is associated. We welcome a wide range of approaches, including historical musicology, critical editing, reception studies, performance practice and practice-based research. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not your topic is eligible, please feel free to contact Dr Carrie Churnside [email protected] for clarification.
The award will cover the annual cost of doctoral fees at the going UKRI rate (see https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/developing-people-and-skills/stfc/training/studentship-information-for-students/payments-to-students/) for three or four years (full-time) or six to eight years (part-time), depending on the requirements of the institution concerned. If your fees are higher than the UKRI rate for that year, then the Award can be used in partial payment, but you will be required to make up the difference. Funds are limited, so there is no provision for maintenance and the fund is unable to cover any of the direct costs of research. The award holder will be eligible to apply to the Handel Institute conference award scheme and/or the Handel Institute research awards, as appropriate, but any such applications will be considered in open competition.
To apply, you must already hold an offer of a place on a doctoral programme at a UK university or conservatoire with a project relating to Handel or to any individual, group or institution with whom/which Handel or his music was/is associated. If you have already started your doctoral programme, you are eligible to apply for the award to cover the remaining period of your study.
You can make your application via the form available here. The form first asks for some brief personal details. Please note that we do not expect a full CV, only a list of relevant qualifications and/or professional experience. You are then asked to provide a research proposal of no more than 1,500 words. This may be closely adapted from the proposal that you used in your doctoral application to your institution. However, make sure that you use and address the following headings:
- Working title
- Context of the research
- Research question(s)
- Proposed methodology/methods
- Ethical considerations
- Indicative timeline
We are looking for applications that demonstrate a good understanding of the work that has already been done in your proposed research area, and a clear sense of what your project will add to the field (i.e., its original contribution to knowledge). There should be a clear outline of the methods and approaches that you will use to address your research questions, and a sense that the project is realistic and achievable within the timeframe. You should also outline relevant ethical considerations. If your project includes practice, please include a link to a sample of your work.
The personal statement asks you to outline how your previous study and/or professional experience has prepared you to undertake your proposed project. Do think broadly about the range of skills that your doctoral project will involve: as well as specific skills in (for example) critical editing, foreign languages or performance, it may be relevant to mention here any experience of project management or written communication. You are also asked to explain why your institution and supervisory team are best-placed to support your project. Use this section to tell the panel how the expertise of your supervisors directly relates to your project and why your chosen institution is the best place for you to undertake this work (e.g., relevant research clusters, mode of study or access to performers).
Overall, the panel is looking for an application that makes a case for a clear and convincing research project, demonstrates that you are prepared with the necessary skills and experience to complete it successfully, and shows that your chosen institution is the best place to support your work.
In addition to the application form, you will also need to provide proof (in the form of an offer letter or proof of registration) either that you have been accepted on to a doctoral programme or that you are already a doctoral student at your chosen institution.
You will also need to ensure that one reference is submitted to Dr Carrie Churnside [email protected] by the deadline. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that your referee sends this through in time: we will not directly reach out to referees. The reference should be written by someone who knows your work well and can speak to your ability to complete the proposed project. If you have already commenced your doctorate, it is expected that this will be written by your current supervisor. If you are in education or a recent graduate, this may be someone who taught you on a Master’s programme; if you are yet to begin your doctoral programme and your prospective supervisor knows you only through your application, it is unlikely that they will be the best person to comment on your work. If you are not currently in education, you may submit a professional reference.
Applications are due by Tuesday 5 May 2026.
We aim to notify applicants of the outcome by early June 2026 and will cover fees from September 2026.
The award will be paid to you in annual instalments on receipt each year of a satisfactory report from you and your supervisors. This short annual report will update us about your progress and your plans for the remainder of the award, to demonstrate that you are on course for timely completion. The Handel Institute will not be liable to pay any fees beyond 3–4 years full-time or 6–8 years part-time: you would be required to cover any fees beyond those limits.
We understand that there may be exceptional circumstances in which you need to take a break from your studies. If this were the case, you would need to notify the Handel Institute, and we would pause payments until receiving proof that you had re-registered and resumed work on your programme.