Applications are open for CoSTAR PhDs starting in September/October 2025 with funding for up to 9 PhD students.

We welcome applications from talented individuals to be based at one of three higher education (HEI) partners, Royal Holloway University of London, University of Surrey/Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI, and Abertay University. The world-class research and training environments of these institutions are enhanced by the creative industries partners of the CoSTAR National Lab, including Pinewood Studios, BT, Disguise, and the National Film & Television School.

Lead Supervisors and co-supervisors will be provided by the host institution, and Mentors from partner institutions will bring additional expertise from across CoSTAR where needed.

Applicants should contact the Lead Supervisors and work with them to develop an Expression of Interest by Friday March 14th, 2025.

The Six CoSTAR Futures

These PhDs align with the wider CoSTAR National Lab research programmes - called ‘Futures’:

Creative Futures takes the best of sector creativity enabling the application of emergent technologies to current and future opportunities in storytelling for screen and performance.

Business Futures focuses on developing our understanding of ‘life-centric’ personalised experiences for customers, adapted to their ever-changing needs and priorities.

AI Futures embed cutting-edge and foundational AI into creative industry pipelines, transforming the creation, production and delivery of personalised content.

Createch Futures seek rich, distributed and connected interactive virtual environments, real-time rendering and simulation in virtual production and AI.

User Futures applies the understanding of human factors, human cognition, emotion and user preferences for inclusive, accessible and engaging experiences.

Inclusive Futures explores inclusive innovation and social justice in creative technology for marginalised users, through distributed, democratised, and sustainable tools and methods.

For more information on CoSTAR and the PhD opportunities please see: https://www.costarnetwork.co.uk/latest/come-research-with-us-at-costar-national-lab

Funding

There are 18 PhD opportunities available, and 9 places will be offered after interviews.

View all available projects here.

These opportunities are for UK-based students only, apart from those listed for Abertay University.

Awards cover UK tuition fees and provide a stipend at the UKRI rate for a period of 3 years. The stipend (Tax-free maintenance payment based on the UKRI minimum rate) is £20,780 from 1 October 2025 (£22,780 if London weighting applies).

As a doctoral student, you may be able to access added funding to cover the cost of training and development. 

Applying

Stage 1: Please contact the Lead Supervisor of the PhD opportunity via email and work with the Lead Supervisor and supervisory team to send your CV and 500-word Expression of Interest by Friday March 14th, 2025.

Please label your files clearly with your surname plus PhD ID reference code plus your surname, e.g: SURNAME_RHUL1. Please quote this ID and the PhD topic in correspondence.

Stage 2: Interviews before Thursday March 27th, 2025.

Stage 3: Offers made by Friday April 25th, 2025.

*Incomplete or late applications will not be considered*

Projects available at Royal Holloway, University of London:

Projects available at University of Surrey:

Projects available at Abertay University: