EPSRC PhD Funding

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the main source of UK Government funding for PhD students in subjects such as Engineering, Physics and related subjects. A full EPSRC studentship will cover your PhD tuition fees and give you a living cost stipend currently set at £20,780 per year.

EPSRC studentships are the gold standard for Engineering and Physics PhD students. You’ll have your tuition fee fully covered and get a monthly stipend — so you can focus on solving quantum physics (if you want to)!

In this guide, I’ve detailed how EPSRC funding works for PhD students, who is eligible and how to apply.

The EPSRC is one of seven Research Councils within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Each council manages a budget, provided by the UK Government, for research – a portion of which goes to training PhD students.

The EPSRC supports a large range of research fields from healthcare technologies to advanced materials. It does this by working with universities, businesses, charities and the government in order to create a unique environment for innovation and high-quality research.

The EPSRC fund PhDs in Engineering and Physics subjects, such as:

• Applied Physics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Energy
• Environmental Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Materials Science
• Nuclear Physics
• Semiconductors
• Software Engineering

The EPSRC also has partnerships with other UKRI members, such as the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to provide interdisciplinary funding opportunities.

EPSRC PhD funding

An EPSRC studentship provides:

• Tuition fee payment of £5,006 per year
• Stipend of £20,780 per year (with additional funds for students based in London)
• Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of £5,000 to cover cost of lab equipment and consumables.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the value of both amounts rises annually with inflation, which means you'll get the increased amount in each subsequent year of your PhD. The above figures represent the amounts for 2025/26.

EPSRC PhD funding may also provide a travel and conference allowance of £300 for you to attend and present at conferences, as well as Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).

The EPSRC also has the flexibility to increase the payment above the minimum for projects in national priority subject areas.

How is EPSRC funding allocated?

EPSRC funding is not applied for directly — instead, it’s awarded to universities, which then advertise funded projects.

Most EPSRC funding is delivered within specially established Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) which are set up to target priority research areas. Some studentships are also allocated to more general Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) or provided as Industrial Doctoral Landscape Awards (IDLA).

EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training are set up by networks of universities to target specific priority research areas.

Their aim is to connect distinct fields of expertise in order to train researchers with skills, knowledge and confidence to combat unique issues.

CDTs usually exist within a university, or in close partnership with one (or more) of them. Students normally receive four years of funding and are trained in transferrable as well as technical skills.

It is possible for some EPSRC PhD projects to be advertised as Industrial Doctoral Landscape Awards (IDLA). This is where a business partners up with an academic institute to offer students access to further training and facilities. These were previosuly known as the iCASE studentships.

Studying an IDLA PhD

Typically, businesses take the lead in arranging projects with existing EPSRC academic partners to provide PhD students with a more industrially focussed research training experience. Such projects tend to be more concerned with potential commercial outcomes.

You will receive the same EPSRC funding for your PhD, but your industrial collaborator may cover additional costs for your research / equipment. You will also need to spend a minimum of 3 months working within the facilities of the collaborator.

Unlike for CDTs, iCASE studentships are not managed in cohorts. However, you will still have institutional training and, in some cases, be involved in company cohort activities.

The EPSRC also funds PhD projects through Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs), which are usually comprised of individual universities (in this subject area, anyway).

EPSRC DTPs for 2025

You can browse a selection of EPSRC DTPs that are funding projects in the 2025-26 academic year below.

• University of Cambridge EPSRC DTP

  Find out more about the Cambridge EPSRC DTP or browse PhD projects.

• University of Cardiff EPSRC DTP

  Find out more about the Cardiff EPSRC DTP or browse PhD projects.

• University of Swansea EPSRC DTP

  Find out more about the Swansea EPSRC DTP or browse PhD projects.

For the majority of EPSRC PhD funding, eligibility requirements follow the guidelines set out by UKRI.

Residency

• UK students who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least three years will be eligible for a full studentship (covering fees and including the doctoral stipend).
• International students are eligible for tuition fee cover till the UK amount. However only 30% of the total number of awards available at a university may go to international students.
• EU students may be eligible for UKRI funding on the same terms as UK students if they have settled status in the UK or applied to the EU Settlement Scheme prior to 30 June 2021.
• Irish students are eligible for UKRI finding on the same terms as UK students as part of the Common Travel Area.

Applications for EPSRC PhD funding are made to specific universities, or their CDTs and not to the EPSRC itself.

Application process

To apply for an EPSRC scholarship, you first need to find an advertised opportunity. Once you have found one you would like to apply for, you should read the description and prepare the necessary application materials.

Typically, in your application, you will include a personal statement (providing information on your experience and research interests), a covering letter (demonstrating your interest in the project) and a CV with appropriate referees.

If your application is successful, you will then be invited for a PhD interview which gives you the opportunity to show your willingness to undertake a PhD and discuss the project in more detail.

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