The University of Sheffield is recruiting and training a new generation of doctoral researchers across engineering, physics, chemistry, computer science, and mathematics, funded through the EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership. This matters because the UK needs a steady pipeline of skilled researchers to tackle complex challenges in areas such as future energy technology, healthcare, and sustainability. The programme explicitly addresses a gap in traditional PhD training by embedding professional development, industry partnerships, and interdisciplinary work into every studentship. Students can undertake CASE awards that place them directly in a company setting, or work on problems that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. If this succeeds, it will produce graduates equipped not only for academic careers but also for leadership roles in industry, policy, and the public sector. The programme’s Think Ahead framework develops transferable skills like strategic thinking and collaboration, which are essential for translating fundamental research into real-world applications. Many of these students will go on to improve systems that quietly underpin daily life—energy grids, medical diagnostics, sustainable manufacturing, and digital infrastructure. The work is primarily about training people, not solving a specific technical problem, but the long-term impact is a more capable and diverse research workforce ready to address society’s most pressing needs.
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At The University of Sheffield, our mission is to 'Discover the causes of things' and to 'Make a Difference'. We undertake world-leading research across the Engineering and Physical Sciences, which also finds applications for the benefit of society and the economy in a range of exciting and unexpected ways. Our strategy for postgraduate research students (PGRs) is to recruit a diverse range of capable, intellectually curious individuals into areas of research strength, into areas where we are growing in capacity and where interdisciplinary approaches are needed to solve significant challenges. This ensures that our PGR community benefits from exciting projects, with excellent supervision and support for professional development, as well as access to the infrastructure and research facilities required for their research. This approach also ensures that our PGRs benefit from an inclusive and supportive research environment. Projects are challenging, but research is undertaken in an environment which allows students to explore issues of integrity in research, while enabling students to explore their professional development and future career choices. Opportunities funded from the EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership include: Supervisor-led research projects 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 Interdisciplinary projects in strategically important 'challenge' areas such as future energy technology, healthcare challenges and sustainability Doctoral prize fellowships, designed to allow recent EPSRC-funded PhD graduates to identify and undertake an independent research project to develop their own research career. Our professional skills development framework and peer-to-peer support networks ensure that PGRs access the development opportunities needed to explore and expand their thinking, as well as the fundamental research training needed to underpin a doctoral research programme. Alongside the specific skills and techniques required to undertake the research project, students benefit from an on-going focus on a collaborative and inclusive research culture and on issues of integrity, including the open science agenda. Our award-winning Think Ahead programme provides opportunities to develop and recognise higher level transferable skills such as leadership, collaboration, critical and strategic thinking, and prepares students for careers in a range of contexts. We recognise that many postgraduate research students will go on to successful careers outside of academic research and that experience of working with business and other non-academic organisations is valuable. For this reason, we work with Industry, locally and nationally, to ensure that as many of our studentships as possible involve non-academic experience. Studentships are available across Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. We also have studentships in 'challenge' areas which cross between EPSRC remit and other disciplines. Examples might include healthcare technology, energy, sustainability. Studentships are either 3.5 or 4 years' duration depending on the nature of the programme. All students are enabled to submit their thesis by the end of their funded period by our approach to identifying a core set of expectations and competencies we expect students to achieve which are transparent and communicated. EPSRC funded students have the possibility to go on to Postdoctoral scholarships, to access our publication fund and to access high quality careers advice as they make choices about their future direction. Information for prospective supervisors is here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/rs/scholarships/dept Prospective students can search our project directory here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/scholarships/projects
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