DTP 2018-19 University of Sussex

The Sussex EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership is used to support outstanding PhD students in the Schools of: Mathematics and Physical Sciences (Mathematics and Atomic and Molecular and Optical
Physics); Life Sciences (Chemistry); Engineering and Informatics; Psychology; and Business, Management and Economics (Science and Technology Policy Research Unit); Global Studies (Physical Geography) and Media Film and Music (Sussex Humanities Lab). Our aim is to align the EPSRC allocation to the priorities of the University and also to those of research groups and Schools working within the EPSRC remit, making full use of the flexibility which this stream of funding allows. Recent EPSRC-funded studentships have included the following projects:
Machine Learning-Driven Generation of Congestion Control and Flow Scheduling Algorithms for Improving Data Centre Performance (Informatics)
Developing PROTAC's from chemical probes- applications in cancer research (Chemistry in collaboration with Tocris Bioscience)
Determination of structural properties of cold roll formed dimpled steel sections and analysing galling in the forming process (Engineering in collaboration with Hadley Group)
Ultrafast Optics and Terhertz Photonics (Physics)
Optimal Control of Electrical Storage (Mathematics)
Dynamical Systems Approach to Distributed Finance: challenges and new perspectives (Mathematics in collaboration with American Express Ltd).

In early November, Directors of Doctoral Studies in departments in receipt of EPSRC research funding are invited to propose PhD projects to be selected at an EPSRC panel meeting in early December. The projects are then advertised on the Sussex Research Scholarship website and national websites from January and promising candidates are interviewed by supervisory teams in the spring. Candidates considering postgraduate research in EPSRC areas are encouraged to apply to the University's Junior Research Associate scheme in summer of their second year of undergraduate studies to gain some research experience. Schools are requested to propose at least one CASE project to ensure the 10% CASE conversion target.

Some EPSRC students (principally in Mathematics and Physics) are required to attend and pass a minimum number of taught courses in their subject. Apart from the subject-specific training offered by their School and their supervisor, all EPSRC students have access to Sussex's Researcher Development Programme of workshops, training events and online modules. After initial induction sessions organised by the Schools and the Doctoral School, the student and their supervisor conduct a training needs analysis at the start the PhD and at the start of each academic year thereafter in order to identify areas for development and to target specific workshops and courses offered by the Doctoral School that focus on these areas. EPSRC students are also able to use their Research Training Support grant to fund other training courses specific to their research and to fund attendance and presentations at relevant conferences in the UK and abroad. The Doctoral School alerts EPSRC students to any other opportunities for which they are eligible to apply - student competitions, POST internships etc.