CAMHRA Master’s Scholarships

Overview

The Centre for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action (CAMHRA) is offering Master's scholarships to people who would not usually study anthropology or ethnographic methods due to existing time, financial and social constraints.

The Centre for Anthropology and Mental Health Research in Action (CAMHRA) is a world-leading research centre dedicated to the anthropological study of mental health, housed within SOAS. Through ethnographic research, education and public engagement, CAMHRA contributes distinctly anthropological perspectives to a growing global understanding of how societies can understand and respond to mental distress and build effective systems of care. 

Scholarships to study at CAMHRA at postgraduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels are open to people from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds starting September 2024. This is primarily through our cutting-edge MA in Medical Anthropology and Mental Health, which includes opportunities for original research and knowledge exchange, and for which scholarships will be offered from 2024. CAMHRA will also build a specialist MRes and PhD programme that will foster doctoral research in anthropology and mental health. Scholarships for MA and MRes positions will be available from 2024, and doctoral scholarships will be available from 2025. 

CAMHRA Scholarships are designed to offer opportunities for people who would not usually study anthropology or ethnographic methods due to existing time, financial and social constraints. Specifically, we seek applications from candidates who are currently working in or have lived experience of accessing mental health services, as well as those from underrepresented groups. We hope to support such candidates in building distinctive anthropological research skills, and in applying them to their lifeworlds or professional contexts through an MA or MRes dissertation project. In your application, please specify the experiences that you bring to the programme, and the research project that you hope to conduct.

Scholarships available

There are three CAMHRA Scholarships available for 2024/25. Each full-time award covers 2024/25 tuition fees in full. For part-time students studying over two years, the award will provide funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26 tuition fees.

Eligible programmes 

• Full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) MA Medical Anthropology and Mental Health starting in 2024/25.

• Full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) MRes Social Anthropology starting in 2024/25.

Candidate criteria 

• The scholarship is open to UK/EU and Overseas applicants.

• Applicants for MA Medical Anthropology and Mental Health must hold a minimum 2:1 bachelor’s degree in Anthropology or related subject; OR in health sciences including medicine, psychology, nursing, social work.

• Applicants for MRes Social Anthropology must hold a minimum 2:1 bachelor’s or master’s degree in Anthropology.

• All candidates must have a strong idea for a research project that uses ethnographic methods to understand an issue related to mental health.

• Scholarship applicants must have applied to SOAS but are not required to have received an offer of admission by the scholarship deadline. An offer will need to have been received by the time the relevant panel meets to discuss scholarship applications.

• Please note that this scholarship does not cover funding for pre-sessional courses.

Preference may be given to

• Candidates with lived experience of working in or accessing mental health care as a professional or service user.

• Candidates from underrepresented groups, including racialised and minoritized groups. 

Candidate assessment 

• Candidates will be assessed based on their academic merit, research proposal and personal statement by a Selection Panel.

• The assessment of your application will be based on the information provided in your scholarship application and in your online application for admission. Selectors will be looking at the degree results, statement and other relevant information.

Scholarship application deadline

• Scholarship applications must be received no later than 12:00 PM (midday UK local time) on 31 May 2024.