MusicFutures 2026

MusicFutures is an Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded creative industries cluster that supports research and innovation at the intersection of music, creativity, technology, entrepreneurship, and the wider music ecosystem in the United Kingdom. Based around the Liverpool City Region, it has been linked in the reference postings to funded PhD opportunities at the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.

In practice, MusicFutures appears to offer or support doctoral studentships rather than a single standard scholarship with identical terms for every project. The advertised PhD topics are interdisciplinary and include areas such as music sector management, innovation, digital transformation, entrepreneurship, sustainable music events, music venues, spatial and experiential design, creative technologies, and mentoring or training within the music ecosystem.

Funding in the postings is described as fully funded for PhD study. Typical support may include Home-rate tuition fees and a maintenance grant, with some opportunities also offering teacher training, Graduate Teaching Fellowship experience, conference support, or small annual allowances. However, terms can vary by project. Some postings explicitly note that international applicants may need to cover the difference between Home and international tuition fees.

Applicants are generally expected to hold a relevant master’s degree or equivalent, often with strong academic performance, and to show the ability to develop an original research project in a field connected to the advertised topic. Depending on the project, backgrounds in management, business, innovation, cultural and creative industries, music, architecture, communication studies, or computer science may be suitable.

Students interested in MusicFutures should monitor PhD project calls issued by the participating universities and apply through the specific host institution for each advertised studentship. Because funding structure, eligibility, and deadlines differ by project, applicants should always check the individual opportunity details carefully.