Below is an advertisement we have been invited to share for a number of funded studentships at Queen Mary University of London. It states that, to apply:

You must be a UK permanent resident from an underrepresented group in research, e.g. Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic (with the priority for this round given to those from Black origin).

Here is the full advertisement:

For the record, according to Grok:

The most recent publicly available data from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) itself indicates that 77% of domestic (home) undergraduate students are from BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) backgrounds. This is stated on its official facts and figures page, which appears to draw from relatively current profiles (referenced in guides like the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide around 2024-2025).

Birkbeck, University of London offer Diversity100 PhD studentships to students who self-identify as BAME applicants, as does the University of York.

It’s worthwhile noting that under the Equality Act 2010 (Sections 158-159) universities must demonstrate under-representation to justify ring-fencing. Based on QMUL’s ‘Student Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Data Report’ of 2020, 42% of home fee-paying postgraduate students were BAME. The figure for the Faculty of Science and Engineering, for which these posts are advertised, is likely higher since STEM subjects attract proportionally more BAME students than non-STEM subjects according to the Royal Society. By comparison, to determine if BAME students are under-represented at postgraduate level, according to the most recent census data, between 20-25% of young adults (18-24 age group) in England and Wales are BAME.

Read More: UK University Funding Prioritises Chinese, Black and Ethnic Minority Students and Asylum Seekers