PhD Opportunities
Applications for studentships will open in December 2025
We anticipate advertising up to 37 projects and awarding up to 22 salaried studentships through a competitive process. Studentships will be for four years full-time and will start in autumn 2026. Studentship opportunities will be available at Aberystwyth University, Brunel University, Cranfield University, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Lincoln, University of Reading and University of Surrey. When studentships are available, they are advertised on this website and on FindaPhD.com.
Timetable for student selection (TBC)
| Action | Date |
| Applications open | 5 December 2025 (10:00 GMT) |
| Closing date for student applications | 26 January 2026 (10:00 GMT) |
| Student interview window (project supervisors will contact shortlisted candidates between the 03 – 14 March) | 27 February – 12 March 2026 |
| Candidates not shortlisted notified by email | 5 March 2026 |
| Award/rejection letters sent to shortlisted applicants | 26 March 2026 |
Being a FoodBioSystems DTP funded student
As a fully funded FoodBioSystems postgraduate researcher student you will undertake training that leads towards a PhD and equips you with extra skills and knowledge to support your future career. Your research project will be co-supervised across two institutes within our academic partnership and you will take part in our training programme to gain a core understanding of food systems, data analysis and modelling. You will also follow a programme of subject specific learning, depending on your needs. In addition, you will carry out a professional internship (generally not related to the research project).
Please also explore our website to find our more about the DTP training programme, current projects at the partner universities and meet some of our researchers to check out what they have said about their research and training experiences so far.
Funding information
You will receive a tax-free stipend (salary) for four years so that you can benefit from the DTP training programme in addition to completing your research and submitting your thesis within 4 years registration period. The stipend is set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and in 2025/26 is £20,780 (or £22,780 for a studentship based at Brunel University). The pay increases slightly each year at rate determined by UKRI. The DTP also pays tuition fees at the standard UK rate and contributes to the research project costs.
We anticipate that some DTP partner universities will cover the difference in the UK/Ireland fees and international fees for international UKRI funded students. For further information on this, please refer to the individual university websites. However, please note that the studentship does not cover the following costs: visa fees, healthcare surcharge, relocation costs and guarantor services. These costs must be found from other sources or met by the individual student.
Funding Eligibility
Residency criteria are very complex. We have summarised information below but please also read guidance provided on the GOV.UK website and UKCISA website to ensure you meet the criteria.
Home student applicants
The majority of our funding (minimum 70%) is available to students with UK/home fees status. To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be a UK or Irish National (meeting residency requirements), or
- Have settled status in the UK (under EU Settlement Scheme), or
- Have pre-settled status in the UK and meet residency requirements (under EU Settlement Scheme) or
- Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.
Further information about eligibility for UK home fees status
UK National
The UK includes the United Kingdom and Islands (i.e. the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). In terms of residency requirements for UK and Irish nationals, candidates will be eligible for home fee status as long as:
- They were living in the EEA or Switzerland on 31 December 2020, and have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least the last 3 years before starting a course in the UK.
- They have lived continuously in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar between 31 December 2020 and the start of the course.
EU Settlement Scheme
EU, EEA or Swiss citizens can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. If successful, applicants will get either settled or pre-settled status. Those with pre-settled status will qualify as a home student if they have 3 years residency in the UK/EEA/Gibraltar/Switzerland immediately before the start of their course.
Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or Indefinite leave to enter (ILE)
Candidates with ILR or ILE can continue to live in the UK without applying to the EU Settlement Scheme.
International student applicants
If you do not meet any of the above criteria, you are classed as an international student. We can award a maximum of 30% of our funding to international students.
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Further funding eligibility information
Funding for PhD studentships from BBSRC is only available to successful candidates who meet the eligibility criteria set out in the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) harmonized training terms and conditions which you can find here. Offers of studentships to successful candidates will be conditional on acceptance onto PhD programmes as home fees students at the host universities.
Academic Eligibility
An upper 2nd class degree (or equivalent) is required in a subject appropriate to the PhD projects applied for (see the project description for more information). Candidates with a lower class of Bachelors degree, but a good performance at the Masters level (merit or above) will also be considered.
To support accessibility to PhD training opportunities, these studentships are only available to applicants that have not previously obtained, or are about to obtain, a PhD degree (or equivalent).
If you have an international qualification, please check the degree course eligibility information provided by the host universities before you apply to the DTP: Aberystswyth University, Brunel University, Cranfield University, University of Lincoln, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Reading, University of Surrey.
Language Proficiency
Candidates, whose first language is not English, must show the necessary levels of English proficiency required by the university that will be hosting the PhD Studentship (the university where the project lead supervisor works). If you have completed a degree or higher degree in a course that was taught in English this may be sufficient evidence of your language proficiency. Please check the relevant university website for further details. If the website does not provide the information you are looking for, please contact the relevant university admissions office.
Aberystwyth University, Brunel University, Cranfield University, University of Lincoln, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Reading, and University of Surrey.
Equity Diversity and Inclusion
The FoodBioSystems DTP is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). We want to build a doctoral researcher and staff body that reflects the diversity of society, and to encourage applications from under-represented and disadvantaged groups.
Applicants with disabilities or specific learning differences
Applicants can choose to disclose a disability or specific learning difference on the application form. The DTP office will contact shortlisted applicants who have made this disclosure so we can offer reasonable adjustments to interviews. This information is kept confidential unless the applicant chooses to share it with the interview panels.
Guaranteed interview scheme
FoodBioSystems DTP offers a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates from eligible under-represented ethnic groups. This is an opt-in process. Applicants can participate in this scheme if they meet the following criteria:
- Hold UK home student fee status for 2026 entry (details on UK fees status are available from UKCISA)
- Identify as:
- Black, African, Caribbean or Black British
- Asian or Asian British
- Belonging to mixed or multiple ethnic groups
- Hold or expect to obtain a minimum of a 2.1 undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent qualification
Candidates with a guaranteed interview must also provide full written answers to all questions about research and transferable skills in the application form. Assessment of written answers and interview performance are both considered when awarding studentships (see assessment criteria).
Part-time registration
Our studentships can be offered to home students on a part-time basis, and studentship end date and stipend payments will be amended to reflect the part-time registration. We regret that part time registration is not available to international students due to complexities of visa restrictions.
Candidates who are awarded a studentship, and wish to register part-time, must discuss arrangements with the project supervisor and DTP office before enrolment. Please note that students in full-time employment are not eligible for an award of any kind from UKRI, and we recommend that if part-time studentships are combined with paid employment, the combined time commitment does not exceed 48 hours per week.
The minimum registration for DTP funded part-time students is 0.5 FTE (studying an average of 20 hours per week over 8 years). However options for part-time study vary at different universities. If a university offers a maximum part-time registration period of six years, the DTP studentship will be awarded at 0.67 FTE (studying an average of 27 hours per week over 6 years).
How to apply
Applications are by an online application form (CVs will not be accepted). Before you decide to apply, please check the information below on academic and funding eligibility and language proficiency and read the following guidance:
- All applications to FoodBioSystems DTP are made via the University of Reading, whether the projects you are interested in are based at Reading, Surrey, Cranfield, Queen’s, Aberystwyth, Brunel or Lincoln.
- You will be able to apply to a maximum of TWO PhD projects. Each project description indicates the name and institution of the lead supervisor and has a project ID number. You are welcome and encouraged to email the lead supervisors of projects to ask them any questions you may have or to discuss the project.
- You will need the following documents to support your application
- Official transcripts of your higher education qualifications, inclusive of grades
- Evidence of your proficiency in English, if English is not your first language.
- You will also be asked to provide the name and email address of someone who will provide a confidential academic reference letter. The DTP office will request the letter from your referee if you are shortlisted for interview.
Previous applicant success rates
Success rates for home and international student applicants to the DTP (2022-25) are outlined below:
| Cohort | Number of projects advertised | Number of studentships awarded |
Number of international student applicants |
% international applicants awarded a studentship | Number of home student applicants | % home student applicants awarded a studentship |
| 2022 | 37 | 27 | 501 | 1.4% | 86 | 23% |
| 2023 | 50 | 30 | 774 | 0.9% | 90 | 26% |
| 2024 | 57 | 29 | 1176 | 0.9% | 87 | 24% |
| 2025 | 37 | 22 | 761 | 0.8% | 85 | 18% |
How we select students
Applications received before the closing date and time are considered in two stages:
Shortlisting
Applications are checked for academic and funding eligibility. Eligible applications are anonymised and then considered by the PhD project supervisors. They mark the application answers against the assessment criteria. At this stage supervisors do not know the name, contact details or degree-awarding university of applicants. The four highest scoring candidates for each project will be invited to interview.
Interviews and selection panel assessment
Interviews
If your application is shortlisted you will receive an invitation to an online interview (on Skype, Teams or Zoom). As part of the interview, you will be asked to give a short research presentation (maximum five minutes) followed by five minutes for questions about the presentation. Additional questions will explore:
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- Your motivation to do a PhD with the FoodBioSystems DTP
- How your skills and experience prepare you for the specific project
- Other questions about potential impact of the proposed research project, problem-solving skills, and how a PhD fits into your career plans
Selection panel assessment
If you are selected for an interview, a panel of reviewers from the DTP Selection Committee will also assess the written answers from your application form. They will not know your name, contact details or degree-awarding university at this stage.
Assessment criteria
We ask applicants to provide information about their academic qualifications, research experience and transferable skills/competencies. It is essential that all applicants (including those applying for a guaranteed interview) provide full answers in their written application, as these are assessed at least once during the selection process.
The table below shows what essential criteria the DTP is looking for in our PhD student candidates and where in the selection process we assess those criteria.
| Essential Selection Criteria | Stage Assessed | ||
| Shortlisting | Interview | Selection Panel review of application form answers | |
| Suitability of academic qualifications and background for the project | x | x | |
| Academic and technical understanding of a research topic presented during the interview | x | ||
| Suitability of project specific research experience and technical skills | x | x | |
| Suitability of general research experience and technical skills for doing a FoodBioSystems DTP PhD | x | x | |
| Ability to relate own skills to the proposed PhD project | x | x | |
| Transferable skills/competencies (organisation, problem solving, team-working, and interpersonal/communication) | x | x | x |
| Understanding of the proposed PhD project in context of the UK agri-food sector | x | ||
| Motivation for undertaking PhD research with the FoodBioSystems DTP | x | ||
| Awareness of how the PhD project fits into own career plans | x | ||
The selection panel will make the final decision on project allocation, considering applicants’ performance at interview and reviewer assessments of written answers.