The University of Liverpool is training the next generation of scientists and engineers through PhD studentships funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. This matters because the UK needs a steady pipeline of skilled researchers to tackle major societal challenges—from clean energy and digital infrastructure to advanced healthcare technologies. The programme addresses a gap in how early-career researchers are developed, offering personalised training, industrial placements, and cross-disciplinary collaboration that traditional PhD routes may lack. If successful, these students will go on to work in sectors that quietly underpin modern life: energy grids, computer networks, water treatment systems, and manufacturing processes. The programme also includes a Vacation Bursary Scheme that gives undergraduates paid summer research experience, potentially steering them toward postgraduate study. The research itself is fundamental and applied across chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science, and environmental sciences. While no single breakthrough is promised, similar training programmes have historically produced the researchers behind advances in fibre optics, battery storage, and medical imaging—technologies that now operate invisibly in everyday life.
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The University of Liverpool offers a vibrant & supportive academic environment for PhD Students across the science & engineering disciplines. Our EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) studentships offer students the chance to undertake ground-breaking research that addresses some of the toughest societal challenges that we face today and in the future. This pioneering research activity is led by innovative collaborations across subject specialisms and with external national and international industrial partners. The DTP is provided by EPSRC to help the University grow priority areas and to support Early Career Researchers establish cutting-edge emerging research themes. This ensures PhD students are working on novel research areas at the forefront of their subject. Postgraduate students in Liverpool also benefit from belonging to the Liverpool Doctoral College, which offers innovative doctoral training, a social academic community and additional opportunities for placements and industrial interaction to improve graduate employability prospects. All postgraduate students work with their supervisors to create a personalised training package to support them throughout their studies and to enable each student to take control of their own development as an independent researcher. In addition to PhD studentships, the University of Liverpool offers a Vacation Bursary Scheme. This provides high achieving undergraduate students the opportunity to experience working in an academic research environment. These paid summer placements also give students the chance to consider their potential as a postgraduate researcher and to have an impact on the scientific landscape. The Faculty of Science and Engineering plans to build on our present research strengths and to enhance our priority research themes of Digital, Energy and Healthcare Technologies, which, together with Advanced Materials, align with all of the EPSRC prosperity outcomes for a productive resilient, connected and healthy nation. We expect to offer PhD studentships across the following departments: - Chemistry - Electrical Engineering and Electronics - Maths - Engineering - Computer Science - Physics - Environmental Sciences - Health & Life Sciences Projects are normally advertised from September - December each year and all opportunities can be found on our website: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduateresearch/opportunities/funded/ Students are encouraged to contact the academic supervisors named in the advert for further information on the project and to discuss their academic background and interests. Please fill in our online application form and quote the project title of interest.
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