Deadline for applications: 15 February 2023

E&I School 2023 studentships

Applications are invited from potential candidates under the following topics:

• A New Approach for Mapping of Residual Stress in Complex Structures
• Advanced Functional Materials as Electrodes in Water-in-Salt Electrolytes (WISE) for Aqueous Rechargeable Batteries
• Design for access and mobility in the public realm
• Development of wearable nanobiosensors for health and space applications
• Enabling and Co-designing Retrofit
• Exploring Biochar Production in Applied Smouldering Systems
• Ferroelectric Material for Brain Inspired Computing
• Increasing the life of clothes
• Melting, Processing, and Solidification of Lunar Regolith
• Plastic Vectors in the Air
• Regenerative Design for Place Resilience
• Risk governance for decommissioning of nuclear sites
• Tree greenhouse gas emissions in response to stress and environmental change

How to Apply

If you would like to apply, please send an email to STEM-EI-PHD@open.ac.uk by 15 February 2023 and include:

A completed Open University application form, downloadable from: Application Process. (Note: This is an advertised studentship and you do not need to submit a proposal);

An academic CV containing contact details of three academic references;

A 1000 word cover letter outlining why the project is of interest to you and how your skills match those required;

Applicants will need to demonstrate good competence in the English language.

You are encouraged to contact the lead supervisor of the project(s) for any informal enquiries relating to the project and candidate suitability.

Funding and Entry Requirements

There are various ways of studying for a PhD in the School of Engineering & Innovation:

1. Full-time, fully funded: this is the most common route, as described below, for projects defined by us.
2. Full-time, self-funded: if students have their own funding they can be considered for the same projects as above.
3. Part-time, self-funded: we occasionally take on students by this route, for self-defined projects.

Each year we advertise defined research projects through a variety of media. Students are invited to apply for projects following the advice provided and are appointed via selection and interview.

Applicants with their own funding sources may also apply for any of our advertised projects subject to the academic requirements specified below.

Full-time students will generally be required to be present on campus, whilst part-time students are generally based off campus.

Applicants for all research degrees must satisfy the academic requirements to be considered for recruitment.

Most studentships, which cover academic fees and stipend (living costs) also have eligibility conditions.

Fully Funded PhD

Academic requirements

Funded PhD places in the school are awarded competitively, and have high entry requirements. Such PhDs are normally completed on a full-time basis, with students based on campus in Milton Keynes. Applications will be considered from students with, or expecting to gain, a first degree in any of a wide range of disciplines at first or upper second class level.

We attempt to recruit the best candidates for any of our advertised projects (see the project list) based on qualifications, skills and aptitude for research, although we also have to take account of subject balance, supervisor workload, timeliness and fit to strategic objectives.

Funding

All projects offered have identified funding sources.

Studentship funding from UK research councils is available for certain projects, whilst others are funded from internal University sources. The funding includes all tuition fees and a stipend, as well as an allowance for research training, travel, conferences etc. Candidates for research council studentships are required to have a ‘relevant connection’ with the United Kingdom. A relevant connection may be established if, at the date of application/nomination:
    a) the candidate has been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of an award, and
    b) has not been resident in the UK, during any part of that 3-year period, wholly or mainly for the purposes of full time education, and
    c) has settled status in the UK within the meaning of the Immigration Act 1971 (i.e. is not subject to any restriction on the period for which he/she may stay)
EU nationals who are resident in the UK only need to follow criterion (a) from the above list. If they do not satisfy this criterion, then they are eligible for funding for fees only and will have to make separate arrangements to fund living costs.

Projects funded internally by the University may have less restrictive requirements and therefore be available for overseas applicants.

All studentships offered by The Open University offer fees and stipends at or above the minimum level specified by the Research Councils.

Self-funded PhD

Academic requirements

Self-funded PhDs are normally pursued remotely (off-site) and studied part-time. Part time PhD study is offered by the OU as part of its mission to provide continuing education for people who are not in a position to undertake full time study. The requirement for a PhD is a new and substantial contribution to the research field, and in general the most obvious research lines will be pursued by full-time researchers. Hence, projects for part-time study need to be very carefully designed. The project must produce results which are a novel contribution to the field at the time of completion (usually about 6 years after the part-time student begins work), and it must be possible to undertake the project without regular access to usual university facilities.

Usually, part-time, off-site PhD students pursue research work which draws upon skills or knowledge related to their other activities. Part-time students normally have a minimum of three supervisors, two internal supervisors who are members of the central academic staff at the OU, and an external supervisor who works in the same research field and is geographically close to the student.

In recognition of the challenges inherent in pursuing PhD research outside the daily work environment of an academic school, the OU is careful to select only part-time PhD students who are likely to succeed. The first step for part-time PhD applicants is for them to identify the area in which they would like to work as well as potential supervisors. They are then responsible for writing a detailed proposal describing the research work they will undertake. Once an applicant has submitted a promising research proposal, it will be refined in collaboration with the prospective internal supervisor.

Generally, part-time PhD students are required to be resident in the UK. The only exceptions are in cases where a pre-existing collaboration, or an obvious common research area, exists between the prospective internal and external supervisors.

Funding

Students are responsible for paying their own tuition fees.

Overseas Students

For overseas students coming to do a PhD there are additional requirements concerning visas and demonstrating English language competency.

If you do not already have a visa, the University will provide a Confirmation of Acceptance (CAS) with your offer letter, to enable you to apply for a visa before your study begins. Details of the visa process may be found on the UK Visas and Immigration website. Specifically, the UKVI site contains info about the Tier 4 visa.

The University requires an overall IELTS score of 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any of the four categories (reading, writing, speaking, listening). Further details can be found on the UKVI site under language requirement. That page also includes is a link to approved test providers

Many of the approved centres are run buy the British Council, and there is information about the IELTS on their website. This also includes links to a booking system to register for an IELTS.

Source / More information: Official Website HERE.