DTP - University of Bath

The University of Bath is training the next generation of doctoral researchers through a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). This matters because the UK needs a steady pipeline of highly skilled scientists and engineers to drive innovation in fields ranging from advanced manufacturing and clean energy to digital technologies and healthcare. Without sustained investment in postgraduate training, the country risks losing its competitive edge in research and development. The DTP model provides a flexible framework for universities to recruit and train PhD students across a broad range of EPSRC-relevant disciplines. If this training succeeds, it will produce researchers who go on to work in academia, industry, and the public sector—developing new materials, improving energy grids, designing more efficient manufacturing processes, and creating technologies that quietly underpin modern life. The impact is not a single breakthrough but a sustained contribution to the UK’s research base. This is primarily a training grant, not a specific research project, so its success is measured by the quality and career outcomes of the doctoral graduates it supports.