Externally funded research opportunities

You could benefit from a funded PhD place along with enhanced training and development through our Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP) and Centres for Doctoral Training.

Work experience and placements may also be available through these routes, which are funded by the UK research councils.

Doctoral Training Partnerships 

We are partners in the following Doctoral Training Partnerships:

The White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities (WRoCAH) provides postgraduate researchers with the opportunity to develop their employability skills with a cohort, learning and networking with each other in a unique and tailored training programme, alongside excellent supervision. Find out about current scholarship opportunities on the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures page.

The White Rose Social Sciences DTP

Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the White Rose Social Sciences DTP delivers excellent supervision, first class training and a vibrant intellectual environment across fourteen Leeds Schools. It enables postgraduate researchers to link with national and international networks of industrial partners, opinion formers, policy makers and academics and aims to produce doctoral graduates with outstanding skills and flexibility.

The Engineering and Physical Science DTP

Funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), the Engineering and Physical Science DTP funds postgraduate researchers across the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, offering them the chance to engage with our vibrant research culture and enjoy the benefits of our outstanding resources including state-of-the-art laboratories, high performance computer facilities and one of the UK's major academic libraries. The DTP also provides funding for a number of industrially co-sponsored studentships.

The Panorama NERC DTP

Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Panorama NERC DTP spans the science of earth’s atmosphere, geosphere and biosphere. Through high quality research projects and training, we attract excellent postgraduate researchers into natural environment science research and train them for future employment and leadership, enabling them to contribute to environmental wellbeing and UK economic prosperity.

The White Rose Mechanistic Biology DTP

Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC), the White Rose Mechanistic Biology DTP offers a four year PhD programme in Mechanistic Biology, aligned with the BBSRC’s strategic priorities in food security, bioenergy and industrial technology and world class bioscience. It delivers regional PhD training that has interdisciplinary collaboration and placement opportunities, as well as the opportunity to engage with the very best molecular and cellular bioscience researchers.

The Discovery Medicine North (DiMeN) DTP

Funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Discovery Medicine North (DiMeN) DTP is training the next generation of researchers to tackle the major health problems facing the population, with a focus on the themes of genetic influences on health, ageing and disease, and bioinformatics and personalised medicine. The DTP aims to deliver training in stratified medicine, focusing on the best treatment for every patient.

We are also a partner in the Wellcome Trust PhD Programme, which is similar to a DTP, in that it provides a cohort-based PhD programme, focusing on the molecular basis of biological mechanisms. The programme is based in the cutting-edge Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology.

Centres for Doctoral Training

Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) draw on world class and internationally recognised research from a range of disciplines and faculties across the University. They mostly offer integrated Masters and PhD training and always have an industry focus. Most CDTs at Leeds are funded by the EPSRCOur Satellite Data in Environmental Science CDT is funded by the NERC and the UK Space Agency. We also have a CDT in Data Analytics and Society, sponsored by the ESRC and a CDT in AI for Medical Diagnosis and Care, sponsored by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). 

EPSRC Molecules to Product

The CDT in Molecules to Product will train researchers to design, characterise and develop the next generation of chemical and material based products. This vision has been created in partnership with industry and will be delivered through interdisciplinary research challenges underpinned by bespoke training. Our approach will result in a step change in industry practice by moving it away from the traditional ‘develop and manufacture’ process to one of ‘design and supply’ within the product development lifecycle.

EPSRC Water and Waste Infrastructure Systems Engineered for Resilience (Water-WISER)

The Water-WISER CDT offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the generation of new knowledge about sustainable water, sanitation and waste management services to improve infrastructure and services for some of the poorest people in the world. The CDT is hosted by three world leading water, sanitation and waste management research centres at the University of Leeds, Cranfield University and Loughborough University.

EPSRC Fluid Dynamics

Fluid Dynamics sits at the centre of our lives, the weather we experience, the products we use, the food we eat, cars we drive, medical care we receive all depend on fluid dynamics. As a postgraduate researcher studying at the EPSRC CDT in Fluid Dynamics at the University of Leeds you will tackle fundamental and applied problems, with the opportunity to undertake cutting-edge multidisciplinary research.

ESRC Data Analytics and Society

The Data Analytics and Society CDT is focused on promoting the creation and analysis of new longitudinal and streamed data resources for socio-economic investigations; creating new methods, investigating social processes, and facilitating interventions.

NERC and UK Space Agency Satellite Data in Environmental Science

The Centre for Satellite Data in Environmental Science (SENSE) will bring together expertise in satellite remote sensing, climate change, and advanced data science to nurture the next generation of earth observation researchers. Join us to transform environmental science in the UK using both advanced data science and earth observation techniques.

UKRI Artificial Intelligence for Medical Diagnosis and Care

The UKRI CDT in Artificial Intelligence for Medical Diagnosis and Care will train researchers to lead the transformation of healthcare through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It will focus on cancer in partnership with key partners from the NHS and industry.

In the future AI could automatically identify those at risk of cancer before symptoms appear. It could also suggest lifestyle changes that would reduce long-term risk, speed up and increase the reliability of diagnostic services such as radiology and pathology, and help doctors and patients select the most appropriate care pathway based on personal history and clinical need.

Centre for Doctoral Training partnerships 

We are also partners in the following EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training:

Aerosol Science, led by the University of Bristol

Aerosol science is multidisciplinary, bringing together researchers across the physical, environmental and health sciences, and engineering. Learn to research in diverse teams, gain an advanced understanding of the core science, work with industrial and public sector partners, and undertake groundbreaking research. Find out more about Aerosol Science.

Soft Matter for Formulation and Industrial Innovation, led by Durham University

The CDT combines expertise from three universities, industry and central facilities to deliver a comprehensive training programme and a wide choice of research projects from across the full range of science. It will provide industrially integrated postgraduate training in research, enterprise and innovation for future industrial leaders in Soft Matter and Functional Interfaces (SOFI). Find out more about SOFI.

Nuclear Energy (GREEN: Growing skills for Reliable Economic Energy from Nuclear) led by the University of Manchester

The GREEN CDT is a consortium of the five universities of Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, which aims to train the next generation of expert nuclear scientists and engineers. Undertake a fully-funded, four-year CDT PhD in GREEN (Growing skills for Reliable Economic Energy from Nuclear) and take your place among the next generation of nuclear experts. Find out more about the GREEN CDT.

If you are a UK or EU postgraduate researcher, other sources of funding may be available from the UK research councils. See the following list of websites for full details of the funding they offer. You can then contact the school you would like to study with for information about how to apply.

Terms and conditions apply.