The University of Warwick is to receive almost £5million funding to support the next generation of engineering, technology & science researchers.

Today (1 March) it has been announced the University is to receive funding to support 66 PhDs from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for doctoral training partnerships (DTPs).

The training will be spread across the Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, the School of Engineering and WMG.

Professor Pam Thomas, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) said: “The Warwick DTP programme will deliver engineers and scientist’s in-depth, advanced research training as well as a broad understanding of their subject area.

“This will equip them to address important 21st century questions linked to EPSRC research areas with alignment to Warwick’s strategic priorities.”

The allocation is part of a major investment in science research announced today by the Minister of State for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson. He said: “We are committed to securing the UK’s position as a world leader in science and innovation, and supporting the vital work of scientists in these areas is key to this.

“This £4,824,774 of funding for the University of Warwick will enable them to take on more Doctoral students to support their most promising research, leading to new discoveries and commercial partnerships. It will also give more students the chance to study at PhD level, boosting high level skills in engineering and physical sciences and supporting jobs and growth.”

The DTP funds will help support PhD research training in Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) over a five year period for the academic years beginning October 2016 and 2017.

There will be 20 mathematical sciences studentships, 24 in manufacturing and engineering and 15 physical sciences. In addition seven studentships will be awarded to strategic research programmes, such as the Energy Research Accelerator and the Alan Turing Institute

Professor Pam Thomas, Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) said: “The Warwick EPSRC DTP offers an exceptional programme of research training with opportunities for interdisciplinary research and industrial collaborations. Researchers will receive access to world leading technologies and state-of-the-art facilities and excellent standards of supervision, management and mentoring.

“They will also receive ongoing career advice to enable them to explore the impact they can have in a wide range of sectors and so develop and manage their careers.”

Research in EPS is one of Warwick’s key strengths; four of Warwick’s EPS departments were ranked in the top 10 of the 2014 REF rankings (Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics) and all seven were ranked in the top 10 of the 2016 Complete University Guide (Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, WMG). Warwick’s EPS postgraduate researchers work alongside the world’s top academics and we provide state-of-art research facilities and infrastructure.

The PhD students will be offered a broad range of training opportunities on topics which aid training and are critical to a life beyond PhD research. All EPS PhD students are enrolled on the accredited PG Certificate in Transferable Skills in Science which provides graduates with a skill set appropriate for any future career, develops critical analysis and encourages reflective thinking.

Information on Warwick doctoral research opportunities can be found on the Graduate School website Questions about the Warwick EPSRC DTP programme should be sent to graduateschool@warwick.ac.uk

1 March 2016

Notes to editors:

Details about Warwick EPS research priorities can be found on the University website

 

Doctoral Training Partnerships

This year 40 universities will benefit from the Doctoral Training Partnership funding, which ranges from £489,000 to nearly £ 18.5 million. The DTPs are awarded to universities for the provision of doctoral study and are allocated on the basis of EPSRC research grant income, and fellowships. They were previously known as Doctoral Training Grants.

The flexibility of the DTP allows universities to leverage funds, for example from industry, and potentially support higher numbers of students. Previous use of DTP has resulted in award-winning research papers that have sparked further investment in research from industrial partners and other international funding bodies.

The grants allow institutions to be flexible in terms of student recruitment and retention, and enable them to vary the length of support (between three and four years) dependent on the project.

The 2016 DTPs have been awarded to the following 40 universities:

Aston University

Brunel University London

Cardiff University

Cranfield University

Durham University

Heriot-Watt University

Imperial College London

King's College London

Lancaster University

Loughborough University

Newcastle University

Queen Mary, University of London

Queen's University of Belfast

Swansea University

The University of Manchester

University College London

University of Aberdeen

University of Bath

University of Birmingham

University of Brighton

University of Bristol

University of Cambridge

University of Dundee

University of Edinburgh

University of Exeter

University of Glasgow

University of Huddersfield

University of Leeds

University of Liverpool

University of Nottingham

University of Oxford

University of Reading

University of Sheffield

University of Southampton

University of St Andrews

University of Strathclyde

University of Surrey

University of Sussex

University of Warwick

University of York

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

As the main funding agency for engineering and physical sciences research, our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world to Research, Discover and Innovate.

By investing £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, we are building the knowledge and skills base needed to address the scientific and technological challenges facing the nation. Our portfolio covers a vast range of fields from healthcare technologies to structural engineering, manufacturing to mathematics, advanced materials to chemistry. The research we fund has impact across all sectors. It provides a platform for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture.

We work collectively with our partners and other Research Councils on issues of common concern via Research Councils

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For further details please contact Nicola Jones, Communications Manager, University of Warwick 07920531221 or N.Jones.1@warwick.ac.uk