Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) and Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) - A Guide

Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) and Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) are simply how UK Research Councils fund PhD students. They’re both formed by universities and industry partners, alone or in a consortium, that help fund and train PhD students. Research Councils provide funding to a CDT or a DTP. Students then receive funding through their CDT or DTP instead of directly via the Research Councils.

Before we go any further, I have an important update for you. UKRI funding is changing. All new funding will be provided through two new awards: the Doctoral Focal Awards and the Doctoral Landscape Awards. I still urge you to have a look at this guide if you’re after UKRI funding. Any existing awards are unaffected and there are still similarities between the new and old awards.

If a PhD funding application wasn’t nerve-wracking enough, there is the added consideration of acronyms, councils, centres and partnerships! Do I need to apply for a CDT and DTP to get UKRI funding? Do I need to make multiple applications? Is there a mandatory training element I have to complete?

If your head is swarming with questions like these, I’ve created this guide to help answer all of them and more. I’ll be talking about what CDTs and DTPs are and how to apply for them. I’ll also lay out some pros and cons to help you decide if they’re right for you.

Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) are collaborations between universities and industry partners that provide structured PhD training. Funded by UKRI, CDTs offer fully-funded four-year studentships. In some cases, they may even offer an integrated Masters in the first year (also known as a 1+3 programme).

Key features

• Cohort-based training: Unlike traditional PhDs, students in a CDT train in groups, benefiting from structured learning and collaboration.
• Comprehensive support: Funding covers tuition fees, a monthly living cost stipend and additional research costs.
• High-quality training: CDTs are intended to specifically train PhD students. They focus on both academic knowledge and practical skills.

Doctoral Training Partnerships

Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) are similar to CDTs in what they offer students but the scope of research at a DTP is much broader. They’re still collaborations between universities and industry partners and involve both research and training elements.

Key features

• Broad research scope: Unlike CDTs, DTPs cover a wider range of research topics and training approaches.
• Internship and placement: DTPs usually include a self-organised internship or placement lasting up to three months.
• Collaboration: Can be formed by universities, alone or in a consortium, along with industry partners (though their role is smaller).

A CDT or DTP studentship can fully fund a doctoral student through their study. For 2025-26, this includes:

• Full UK PhD tuition fees up to £5,006. This is paid to the university each year for your full-time study (you won’t be charged anything extra)
• A doctoral stipend up to a minimum of £20,780 per year to cover living expenses. This may be higher for London-based studentships.

This funding lasts for the full four years of the PhD study.

Depending on the studentship award, a Research Training and Support Grant of around £5,000 may also be awarded. This is used to cover the costs of equipment, travel, additional fees, facilities and specialist training over the course of the PhD programme.

In addition to monetary support, a CDT or DTP will also provide research training throughout your PhD. This can vary between training centres, but you'll learn technical and transferable skills relevant for a doctoral researcher.

The training provided by a CDT or DTP studentship may have several advantages over a traditional PhD programme. The collaborative nature means there may also be emphasis on multi-disciplinary or inter-disciplinary knowledge, training and research. The training is tailored to address the skills needed at a PhD level. You'll work more closely with industry, develop industry-relevant skills and share training and development with the rest of your cohort.

The application process for a CDT or DTP studentship can vary depending on the Research Council, university and specific CDT or DTP. Therefore, it's important to follow the application guidelines for the particular studentship you're applying for.

You'll not apply directly to the UK Research Council; instead, you apply either directly to the CDT or DTP or to the university hosting the programme.

You can either apply for a pre-set or advertised PhD project or submit your own project proposal, which each have different processes.

If you're proposing your own topic, you may need to first be accepted for a PhD at a university before applying for funding. In the case of advertised PhDs, you can apply for both the PhD position and funding at the same time, which is usually in the same applicaton.

Required application materials can include:

• An application form
• A research proposal
• A personal statement
• A CV
• References
• Previous degree transcripts
• A statement of purpose

The pros and cons of studying at a CDT or DTP

If you’re wondering whether a DTP or CDT project is for you, I’ve put together some pros and cons:

Pros

• DTPs and CDTs are fully funded: DTP and CDT projects are almost always fully funded by research councils, meaning all course fees are paid directly to the university and you’ll receive a tax-free stipend each month. Depending on your project and subject area, your university might also receive a consumables budget to be spent on your books or lab equipment. Some even provide students with laptops.
• You’ll have the opportunity to learn core skills: CDT and DTP projects include various training activities. These could include modules in core skills relevant to your research such as statistics or data collection.
• Cohort activities and networking opportunities: DTPs and CDTs take on many students per year who go through the training year together and continue to meet over the course of the four years at annual symposiums and conferences. Being part of a cohort means you’ll really get to know others in similar fields, even across universities if the DTP or CDT covers several institutions. This is great for future collaborations – or just to discuss the progress of your research.

Cons

• Your PhD will take an extra year: Due to the extra training you’ll receive, a full-time PhD at a DTP or CDT typically takes four years instead of three. If you have a Masters degree, you might cover content during the training year that you already studied in your Masters. For some, covering some of this content again is a nice refresher but others may feel ready to dive straight into their PhD project without any more training.
• Less freedom in project choice: DTPs and CDTs tend to have advertised projects that you apply for, with less opportunity to propose your own research. That said, it is well known that no PhD project ends up exactly like the initial proposal. If there is a project similar to your interest advertised, chat with the supervisor – you may be able to sculpt it more towards your interests.
• DTPs and CDTs are highly competitive: DTPs and CDT projects have some great advantages and so are popular and very competitive. The application process will be very rigorous and is likely to involve an interview and possibly some tests.

Tips from the author

#1 It’s a longer PhD so watch out for added expenses

A CDT or DTP PhD usually takes four full years due to the additional training year at the start. Even though the funding covers the entire duration, it is important to factor in that extra year when thinking about expenses. This means an extra year of accommodation, utilities and travel costs! Even if you’re confident that your PhD stipend will cover all your living costs, it’s another year of budgeting like a student. This is even more important if you’re partially or fully self-funding!

#2 Make the most of the training year

Unlike traditional PhDs, you’ll be spending an entire year in training. You may feel ready to jump straight into your research, especially if you already have a Masters degree. But, CDT and DTP training is specially designed depending on your research area so it's important you make the most of it! Think of a plane taxiing on the runway — it may not be the most exciting part of the journey but it’s essential for take-off!

Frequently Asked Questions

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