Types of training

Doctoral Training Partnerships

Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) normally leading to the award of a PhD are for a minimum of three years and enable postgraduate students to undertake training in research, research techniques and employment related skills.

If you are interested in an STFC-funded PhD studentship you should contact the research organisation in which you would like to do your PhD to check the availability of places.

Centres for Doctoral Training

Centres for doctoral training (CDTs) in data intensive science were set up in 2017.

Industrial CASE studentships

Industrial CASE gives students experience outside a purely academic environment. Industrial CASE awards are for a minimum of three and a half years and provide for training of a research student on a project which involves the joint supervision of the student by a member of staff at an academic Research Organisation and an employee of a UK industrial firm or an organisation in the public service (the non-academic partner).

Find out more about Industrial CASE Studentships and Industrial CASE-Plus studentships.

Policy internships

Find out about policy internships.

Summer schools

STFC funds summer schools in each scientific remit and you will be able to attend one or more of these courses during your award.

Find out more about upcoming short courses and summer schools.

Read about high energy physics summer schools.

Find out about getting funding for short courses and summer schools.

Other types of research studentship

Spanish (IAC) studentships

STFC has an agreement with the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC), Tenerife, Spain to support a maximum of two IAC students at any one time to study for an astronomy PhD in Great Britain. The Spanish Studentships scheme operates in a similar way to the Gemini scheme. The IAC co-ordinates the selection process, and the successful students receive an identical award to their UK counterparts.

Project studentships

You can also receive studentship support through research grants. These studentships are known as project studentships and are applied for by a research grant applicant as part of a research grant proposal. Project studentships will be closely associated with the work on the grant.

You can find out more information about research grants on the UKRI Funding finder.

Last updated: 27 July 2023

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