The University of Sheffield is training the next generation of engineers, physicists, chemists, mathematicians, and computer scientists through an EPSRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership. This matters because the UK needs a steady pipeline of highly skilled researchers to tackle major scientific and technological challenges—from engineering solutions for healthcare to future energy systems. The programme does not focus on a single problem but builds the human capacity to address many. It funds supervisor-led projects, interdisciplinary networks, and CASE partnerships where PhD students work directly with companies on industry-defined problems. It also provides undergraduate research experience and post-doctoral prize fellowships for recent graduates to launch independent projects. If successful, the programme will produce researchers equipped with higher-level skills in leadership, critical thinking, and collaboration—whether they pursue academic careers or work outside universities. The impact is indirect but fundamental: a more capable research workforce that can strengthen UK manufacturing, energy grids, medical diagnostics, and other systems that quietly keep society running. The programme also prioritises research ethics and integrity through a compulsory module, ensuring these skills are built responsibly.
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Sheffield has research strengths across Engineering and the Physical Sciences, evidenced by the outcome of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (a national peer review exercise). We have both disciplinary and interdisciplinary groups, collaborating within and beyond Sheffield with the aim of making a broader contribution to, and impact on, the major scientific, social, environmental and technological challenges of our age. Opportunities funded from the EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership include: - supervisor-led research student projects; - research student networks in strategically important and interdisciplinary areas, such as engineering approaches to solving healthcare challenges and future energy technology; - CASE partnership awards, which enable research students to work closely with a company or other partner, on a problem which the company has helped to define and spending some time gaining experience of a company setting; - undergraduate research experience awards; - University of Sheffield - EPSRC doctoral prize fellowships, designed to provide a year's funding for recent EPSRC-funded PhD graduates to identify and undertake an independent research project. Research students at Sheffield benefit from excellent Professional Development opportunities. Our Think Ahead programme won a Times Higher Education award for outstanding support for Early Career Researchers. Research student needs are identified and met through the Doctoral Development Programme. We take a twin-track approach, recognising that some research students aspire to an academic career whilst others aspire to either research or non-research careers outside of the university sector. It is critical that research students gain higher level skills such as leadership, collaboration, critical and strategic thinking and that they develop a sense of self-confidence and professional integrity, as these skills will be required whatever career path they ultimately pursue. All of our professional development opportunities are mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework. Think Ahead Programme: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ris/ecr/training Doctoral Development Programme (DDP): http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/ddpportal/home Compulsory DDP module on Research Ethics and Integrity: http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/ddpportal/reit Researcher Development Framework: https://rdf.ris.shef.ac.uk/ Our doctoral research opportunities are advertised on our prospective doctoral research student webpages: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/scholarships/projects We advertise our scholarship funding between November and the end of January each year, with decisions made on funding in February and March. The University encourages collaboration with non-academic partners via CASE awards and considers these a priority. Funding is distributed between CASE awards, post-doctoral prize fellowships, funding for academic departments and faculties to support strategic areas or strength or growth or larger scale (usually interdisciplinary) networks or projects. The distribution is across Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
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