Centres for Doctoral Training offer an intergrated, 4 year PhD/EngD programme, focusing on specific research and skills gaps, providing cutting-edge doctoral training within a diverse research culture. The Centres provide a unique learning environment, enabling students to work on real-impact research, forge links with industry and become part of a diverse cohort ideal for interdisciplinary research. Each student will work on their own research project, that matches their individual talents and interests but also contributes to the overall aim of the Centre. Centres are able to offer a limited number of fully-funded places to excellent candidates.
There are several Centres for Doctoral Training that enable students to be a member of the LCN community, in addition to the Centre. Further details on our associated Centres can be found below.
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Delivering Quantum Technologies
Quantum technologies involve the control and manipulation of quantum states to achieve results not possible with classical matter; they promise a transformation of measurement, communication and computation. The highly-skilled researchers who will be the future leaders in this field must be equipped to function in a complex research and engineering landscape where quantum physics meets cryptography, complexity and information theory, devices, materials, software and hardware engineering. UCL’s CDT in Delivering Quantum Technologies brings together a team of almost forty academic experts with key players from commerce and government and a network of international partner institutes to train those research leaders.
Based at UCL, the Centre will train a minimum of 60 students over 5 years, offering an intergrated 4 year programme, with a taught first year to provide a strong basis for students to start their research projects. Please see their website for further details on how to apply, or funding opportunities.
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Characterisation of Materials (ACM)
Our Centre will train the next generation of scientists working on the Advanced Characterisation of Materials, providing the innovation and creativity required to lead the world in the development and manufacture of new materials making a real and positive impact on the quality of life of future generations. As part of the Centre, you will be trained as part of a cohort to gain a broad range of expertise across many length and energy scales. You will gain an in-depth expertise in specialist areas of characterisation thus enjoying a unique research training experience.
Split bewteen UCL and Imperial College London, the Centre will train a minimum of 60 students over 5 years, offering an intergrated 4 year programme, with some taught elements. Please see their website for further details on how to apply, or funding opportunities.
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Controlled Quantum Dynamics
The technological revolution brought about by the development of miniaturized electronic devices over the last 50 years has had an extraordinary impact on every aspect of our daily lives. Devices are now reaching the realm where individual structures are made up of only a few atoms. This has led to concern that quantum fluctuations will cause problems for the development of ever smaller, more powerful devices.
Based at Imperial College, the Centre will train a minimum of 60 students over 5 years, offering an intergrated 4 year programme, with a taught first year to provide a strong basis for students to start their research projects. Please see their website for further details on how to apply, or funding opportunities.
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Plastic Electronics
Based at Imperial College London the centre aims to enhance postgraduate teaching and research through placing more emphasis on training, collaborations, networking and transferable skills than traditional programmes. the Programme encompasses cohort-building elements such as outreach activities and a winter school.
The Centre is a joint venture with Oxford University and Queen Mary University of London and several industry partners to train doctoral scientists in this exciting, fast moving and interdisciplinary field. The aim of the CDT is to graduate students with interdisciplinary experience and capability in the science and applications of plastic electronic materials and devices, with an understanding of the associated industry, and with the ability to adapt and develop new technologies and applications. Please see their website for further details on how to apply, or funding opportunities.
Biological Physics Across Scales Centre for Doctoral Training
The Biological Physics Across Scales Centre for Doctoral Training (BiPAS CDT) is a multi-disciplinary doctoral training programme in biological physics based at King's College London.
Their focus is to understand how complex macroscopic phenomena—observed at scales appropriate to tissue, organism, or even population—arise from mechanisms at the cellular, molecular, and atomic level. This programme will give students the tools and skills they need to integrate knowledge across different length and time scales to bring new understanding to the mechanisms underlying the physics of life.
Through a co-supervision model that will immerse students in both the physical and life sciences, students will become highly skilled researchers, equipped with multidisciplinary and transferrable skills and positioned to produce ground-breaking original research that will push the frontiers of biological physics. Please see their website for further details.
Mechanics of Life Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship
There is rapidly mounting evidence that mechanical force impacts a large variety of biological functions including motility, differentiation, infection, and gene expression. Yet, the role of physical perturbations such as force in regulating human physiology is poorly understood. The Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme 'Understanding the Mechanics of Life' aims to train future research leaders to develop new techniques, methodologies and analytical tools required to resolve outstanding challenges underpinning Mechanobiology across a broad range of biological themes.
Based at King's College London the DSP is aimed at students with a degree either in the physical sciences (i.e. physicists, chemists, mathematicians, materials scientists, engineers, computer scientists) or in the biological sciences (i.e. biologists, biochemists, physicians) who show a deep interest in unlocking the complexity and challenges of mechanobiology. We are interested in recruiting an academically excellent cohort, with complementary skills, curiosity, creativity, and aptitude to enthusiasticallyrespond to challenging problems. Please see their website for further details.
Other Centres
All three of the LCN partner institutions have a number of Centres for Doctoral Training. Further details on the other Centres can be found below:
King's College Centres for Doctoral Training
Imperial College Centres for Doctoral Training
UCL Centres for Doctoral Training