The University of Manchester is using EPSRC funding to train roughly 53 PhD students each year across engineering and science disciplines, with at least nine of those students spending three months working inside a company. This matters because the UK needs a steady pipeline of skilled researchers who can move between academia and industry. The Doctoral Training Partnership gives departments flexibility to select the best candidates rather than being locked into rigid quotas. Students can either choose from pre-approved projects or design their own with a supervisor, and the selection process prioritises academic ability over other factors. If the programme succeeds, it will produce early-career researchers trained in fields from aerospace engineering to theoretical physics, many with direct industrial experience through CASE collaborations. The top candidates also receive enhanced leadership training as President's Doctoral Scholars. Ten percent of the funding supports EPSRC Doctoral Prizes—fellowships for researchers who have just submitted their PhDs—helping retain talent in UK research. The broad subject range means the impact will be spread across manufacturing, computing, materials science, and other sectors that depend on a skilled research workforce.
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The University of Manchester allocation of EPSRC DTP studentships is based on student excellence (academic record/research potential), & makes full use of flexibility offered by the DTP. For 2018/19 (also 2019/20) we have approximately 53 x 3 ½ year studentships (home fee + standard RCUK stipend) available for application. At least 9 will be in collaboration with Industry (CASE), whereby a minimum of 3 months will be spent by the student researcher in an industrial setting co-supervised by a qualified employee of the company. We will also consider a limited number of exceptional non-UK applications i.e. applicants not fitting the RCUK residential criteria for 'home' student status. Our selection process is straightforward & transparent. Applicants select a pre-approved project from those advertised, or devise their own project in collaboration with a potential supervisor (subject to approval). The project approval confirms that all necessary support is in place for the work, & ensures that any strategic steer by the institute has been considered before a subject is opened for applications. Student ability then becomes the over-riding factor in awarding studentships, excepting where matched funding or CASE support is used to distinguish between students of equal ability. In this situation the project with the additional financial input is usually supported by award of the studentship. A small number of the most exceptional candidates will also be offered the opportunity to join the annual cohort of President's Doctoral Scholars, an honour that provides them with advanced leadership training as well as an enhanced stipend. Applications are made centrally, but the selection of successful applicants is devolved to discipline specific experts. Start here for information about funding, applications & discipline specific projects & programmes: www.se.manchester.ac.uk/ourresearch/funding/faculty-phd-studentships/epsrcdoctoralpartnership2018 Candidates are invited for interview by potential supervisory teams & selection panel, before offers are made. We welcome applications throughout the academic year, but the majority of DTP funded students begin their studies in September, with the studentship offers made during the early months of the year. Decisions are made as soon as possible (from the announcement of offer) although core science subjects tend to interview & offer earlier than the engineering subjects. Our studentship numbers are approximately equal for engineering subjects & science subjects although there are cross-disciplinary aspects to many projects. Broad subject breakdown We have studentships available for PhD programmes in all EPSRC-themed areas: Chemical Engineering & Analytical Science, Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry Materials Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Computer Science Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Composite Materials, Materials Textile Design, Fashion & Management, Mathematical Sciences Aerospace Engineering, Condensed Matter, Photon Physics, Soft Matter & Crystals, Theoretical Physics, Social Sciences, Molecular Biology, Medicine. Training offered In addition to an individual project, all PhD programmes incorporate research training for early career researchers. This is widely available across the University & includes discipline-focused training as well as generic skills illustrated with discipline-specific examples. All training is provided on a needs-based model. Early career researchers undertake an annual skills audit to identify gaps in their skills appropriate to their stage of study. They can then be directed to appropriate training programmes to meet their needs. Finally, we are committed to support for early careers researchers, as such 10% of the DTP will be used to fund the University's EPSRC Doctoral Prizes. These are fellowship awards open to all EPSRC-funded researchers who have submitted their PhD thesis within 6 months of the start of the prize.
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