A doctoral training programme studentship takes care of your PhD funding so you can focus on your doctoral degree in the subject area that inspires you. We offer built-in training and development to help you prepare for a career in research or beyond academia.
Our programmes forge new paths of inquiry across a range of themes. Some of these include engineering, dementia research, AI for sustainability and quantum technology.
Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and other external partners, they can also be referred to as:
Doctoral Training Partnerships
Centres for Doctoral Training
Doctoral Landscape Awards
Doctoral Focus Awards
Doctoral training programme benefits
The benefits of choosing a doctoral training programme usually include:
funding for fees and an allowance for living costs, plus a grant for research activities
expert supervision and support to help you navigate your PhD
academic and practical training embedded throughout
industry internships or placements – great for professional skills and networking
part-time options so you can fit your research into your life
an inclusive community of researchers from all walks of life, with plenty of opportunities to connect and share ideas
At ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓÆµ, we've received £62m in funding for more than 760 studentships since 2023. We're also one of 50 UK universities to be awarded an Arts and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Landscape Award.
In the 2025 Postgraduate Research Experience Survey we achieved 87% overall satisfaction among our postgraduate researchers.
Our active doctoral training programmes
Our current funded programmes include:
Supporting the development of talented researchers in the arts and humanities disciplines. Learn more about the AHRC DLA.
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
The Advancing Translation of Oral Health Research Doctoral Landscape Award is a partnership with Haleon and 5 leading UK universities, led by Glasgow Caledonian University and including:
Queen Mary University London
Kings College London
University of Leeds
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Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
The is a collaboration between world-leading researchers and supervisors at GSK and from the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓÆµ, developing novel methods in pharmaceutical sciences.
Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
accelerates discoveries and translating them into real-world healthcare improvements through research into the cause, cure, care and prevention of Lewy body dementia.
Funded by the Alzheimer’s Society.
Supporting a safe, secure and prosperous UK by, this Centre for Training in CISDnS trains future research and innovation leaders across the multidisciplinary themes of digital, physical and biological systems engineering.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Specialist training and research across a range of projects in the field of quantum technology, from fundamental principles to application. Learn more about the projects and opportunities with the .
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The drives innovation in acoustics through research into new sound sources, perception of sound, machine learning for sound, and positive uses of sound.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The examines Harnessing the power of mathematics to address the urgent issues presented by climate change. The research focuses on weather and climate modelling, data analysis, and novel mathematical approaches to environmental challenges.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The EPSRC DLA supports students through cross-disciplinary projects and industry collaborations across engineering, physical or mathematical sciences, aligned with cutting-edge research themes such as generative AI and quantum technologies.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
shapes the future of energy transfer technologies for defence and related sectors.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The helps social scientists meet contemporary economic and social challenges, across themes including sustainability and resilience, health and wellbeing, population and policy, and data skills and methods.
Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Promoting interdisciplinary investigations into resilience in the context of societal challenges stemming from environmental change, social inequities, political and cultural disparities, health and wellbeing, and technological evolution. Learn more about the studentship opportunities with this .
Funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
Research with the focuses on cancer, neurological, inflammatory and infectious diseases, anti-microbial resistance and global health.
Funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Helping prepare the world to respond to flooding, through research on themes such as flood interactions; monitoring; modelling and data analysis; and natural, adaptive and cultural management. Learn more about the to find out how to make a difference in climate resilience.
Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
The is about moving engineering biology our of the laboratory and into the real world.
The Focal Award is lead by Cranfield University and partners with:
Newcastle University
University of Glasgow
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Brunel University of London
It is further supported by the National Measurement Laboratory and the National Physics Laboratory.
Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
The is developing the next generation of researchers to lead our responses to environmental challenges to meet the needs of business, government and society.
Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
The is a multidisciplinary programme equipping researchers with state-of-the-art AI technical skills. Research themes include AI and sustainable operations and circular economy; AI and transport and logistics; AI and sustainable energy and buildings; AI and the natural environment; and sustainable AI.
Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Programmes no longer recruiting
Our doctoral training programmes that are no longer recruiting include:
The and nurture disciplinary expertise and interdisciplinary perspectives across the arts and humanities.
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Developing future leaders in biosciences, biotechnology, sustainable agriculture and food, renewable resources and integrated health. Visit the to learn more about the unique opportunities.
Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
equips researchers with the skills, assets and networking opportunities to innovate at the interface between AI and electronics.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).