DTP 2020-2021 University of Bristol

The University of Bristol will work closely in partnership with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to offer a wide range of research opportunities to Doctoral Research Students and Early Career Researchers. The DTP funding will enable the University to attract the next generation of highly talented PhD students and world-class Early Career Researchers, working closely with our industry partners and stakeholders to craft exciting research projects of the widest possible value and impact
The University of Bristol research is fully aligned with EPSRC priorities, the Strategic Plan (2015) and the Delivery Plan (2019). Examples of strategic research areas include Quantum Engineering, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, Digital Creativity, Digital Health, Future Communications and Networks, Cyber Security, Statistics and Mathematics, and Materials Research across all disciplines, including Composites.
The DTP award will be managed by the EPSRC DTP Management Group to ensure responsive mechanisms, targeting specific opportunities aligned with both funders' priorities and our own strategic ambitions in Science and Engineering. We will employ a Strategic Core Allocation (80% of the DTP award) to support our strategic research areas, for example in Synthetic Biology, Quantum Information, Digital Environment, Mathematical Biology, Tactile Sensors, Computational Neuroscience and Machine Learning. This portion of the DTP award will be allocated strategically to Schools, considering the quality of the student, supporting the research of new and early career academic staff, and supporting successful EPSRC-funded research grants.
We are committed to maximise the value-for-money of the award and will expand our collaborations in doctoral research and training to deliver leverage of EPSRC funding. We will allocate 10% of the DTP award to collaborations with Industry partners, partner Universities and other PhD stakeholders. It will also strengthen our responsiveness to the Industrial Strategy and the Global Challenge Research Fund.
We will continue to use the Doctoral Prize Fellowship to support individual Early Career Researchers, directly after completion of their EPSRC-funded PhD, where there is a case for significant development and evolution of their PhD research. This will provide a launchpad for talented individuals at the start of their academic careers, enable the University to identify new strategic areas, and inspire the cohort of DTP PhD students by providing opportunities for developing leaders.
Our academic staff will access the DTP funding through notices on their Faculty websites: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/faculties/. Interested PhD candidates will be able to see opportunities at a relevant School level, but also centrally via the PhD admissions portal http://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/, via the Bristol Doctoral College http://www.bristol.ac.uk/doctoral-college/prospective-research-students/, and on external sites (e.g. findaphd.com https://www.findaphd.com/phds/bristol/?M0w9M-00&Keywords=epsrc). DTP studentship candidates will submit a PhD application using our online application system www.bristol.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply/
We are committed to creating and sustaining an excellent research and development environment for our EPSRC DTP students. We attribute the highest level of importance to the development of both the DTP students and their research, honing their professional and research skills to increase their effectiveness as researchers, and to underpin their future careers.
The Bristol Doctoral College (www.bristol.ac.uk/doctoral-college/) will work with Supervisors, Professional Service units, and the Faculties to deliver a comprehensive offering of training, development and wellbeing activities for all research students (www.bristol.ac.uk/doctoral-college/current-research-students/ppd/).