Imperial College London is training the next generation of scientists and engineers through a flexible PhD funding programme that supports students across core disciplines like physics, chemistry, and engineering. This matters because the UK needs a steady pipeline of highly skilled researchers to sustain its research base and tackle complex challenges—from climate change to advanced manufacturing. The programme provides responsive funding that can be directed where it is most needed, including theoretical subjects and emerging areas that fall outside specialised training centres. Without this flexible support, these critical fields risk losing talent and momentum. If successful, the programme will produce PhD graduates who go on to lead research in universities, industry, and international collaborations—such as the IPCC Working Group. Students already benefit from partnerships with companies like AstraZeneca, Airbus, and Rolls Royce, meaning their work can directly influence real-world technologies in aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and energy. The Graduate School also provides professional skills training and interdisciplinary events, helping build a connected research community that can respond to future challenges.
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Imperial is a global research-driven university that encourages discovery and innovation without boundaries. Guided by our mission of achieving enduring excellence in research and education, in science, engineering, medicine and business for the benefit of society; our strategy to contribute to the global challenges ahead is to focus our research around four themes: discovery and the natural world; engineering novel solutions; health and well-being; and leading the data revolution. Our strength in the core disciplines practiced by our academic Departments was demonstrated in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework in which over 90% of the research submitted by Imperial was judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent. Combined with our emphasis on multi-disciplinarity, collaboration and the extensive support and infrastructure provided by our Graduate School, this provides an excellent PhD training environment. In addition to being supported in the acquisition of high-level research skills, our students are provided with a wide diversity of opportunities to exploit our worldclass research capabilities to become leaders in their chosen field. Approximately 66% of our postgraduate research student population is working in EPS disciplines which are core to Imperial. We invest our EPSRC DTP funding in supporting Excellence (see President's PhD Scholarships Scheme http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/fees-and-funding/scholarships/presidents-phd-scholarships/), supporting Early Career Researchers (see Doctoral Prizes Fellowship Scheme http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/research-office/funder-information/funding-opportunities/internal-funding-opportunities/) and to support research-led education (see http://www.imperial.ac.uk/urop). However the bulk of EPSRC resources is used to provide the responsive and flexible support needed for underpinning our core disciplines (particularly theoretical subjects) or for developing emerging areas outside the remit of our Centres for Doctoral Training. Thus the flexibly allocated DTP student cohort is the lifeblood of our research base-sustaining our future ability to engage successfully in core and cross-disciplinary impactful research. Studentships will be available in all our academic EPS disciplines, see http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/ and https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/prospectus/ Our EPSRC-funded students collaborate with other Universities locally, nationally and internationally, such as the IPCC Working Group. They regularly benefit from exposure to expertise, culture and infrastructure within industry and other research users through non-academic collaborations (such as AstraZeneca, Airbus, Eli Lilly, Rolls Royce, Schlumberger, Siemens and Toshiba). The Graduate School (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/graduate-school/) enriches the postgraduate student experience by delivering a tailored programme of professional skills training which enhances the impact and helps to ensure personal ambitions are realised. In partnership with academics, students across Imperial and the Graduate Students' Union, the Graduate School provides opportunities for students to meet each other at a variety of social and academic events, promoting interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, encouraging collaborations and creating supportive global research communities and peer groups. Applications for PhD places are accepted all year through our online postgraduate research application form. Applicants are strongly advised to contact potential supervisors before making a formal application and to do this soon after the start of the academic year prior to the year in which they wish to start a PhD programme. The College's Postgraduate Open Day is usually held in December each year. Staff who wish to supervise PhD students are advised on local processes and the grant terms and conditions by their Departmental Operations Manager, Director of Postgraduate Research or equivalents
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