EPSRC PhD in Computational Statistics and Data Science

A 4-year PhD training programme in the statistical and computational techniques of data science, with partners from across the University of Bristol, industry and government agencies.

This bespoke four-year PhD programme enables students to develop their knowledge and capability to pursue a cross-disciplinary PhD programme, under the supervision of internationally leading researchers, in a sector with a recognised skills gap.

The cross-disciplinary programme offers exciting collaborations across medicine, computer science, geography, economics, life, and earth sciences, as well as with our external partners who range from government organisations such as the Office for National Statistics, GCHQ and the AWE, to industrial partners such as LV, Improbable, and EDF.

Students are co-located with the Institute for Statistical Science in the School of Mathematics, which occupies the Fry Building, a historic building which has undergone a £35 million refurbishment.

The School of Mathematics was ranked in the most recent national research assessment exercise REF2021 4th in the UK. Overall, the University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK, with a remarkable 94% of its research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent. Find out more about the University’s REF 2021 results.

Hear from the first two cohorts of COMPASS students at compass.blogs.bristol.ac.uk.

Funding

A COMPASS studentship provides four years of tuition fees at the UK student rate, a tax-free stipend of £21,668 per year (plus inflation) for living expenses and a travel allowance to support research related activities. We will be announcing the number of fully funded studentships available for September 2023 on our website as soon as details have been finalised. For excellent International/ EU candidates, the CDT may choose to provide open eligibility for up to 30% of the students starting in an academic year. To be considered please apply as early as possible.

Application

We are currently only accepting applications for the reserve list for September 2023.

Compass is offering specific projects for PhD students to study from Sept 2023. We are pleased to announce that there are 4 new project opportunities to study. The full list of the projects/ supervisors has been updated. All the supervisors listed are open to discussion on the projects provided and can also talk to applicants about other project ideas. Please provide a ranked list of 3 projects of interest: 1 = project of highest interest. Project supervisors will be happy to respond to specific questions you have after reading the proposals. Applicants should contact them by email if they wish beforehand.

PhD Project Allocation Process

Application forms will be reviewed based on the 3 ranked projects specified or other proposed topic. Successful applicants will be invited to attend an interview with the Compass admissions tutors and the specific project supervisor. If you are made an offer of PhD study, it will be published through the online application system. You will then have 2 weeks to consider the offer before deciding whether to accept or decline.

We welcome applications from all members of our community and are particularly encouraging those from diverse groups, such as members of the LGBT+ and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, to join us.

To find out more about the application process, entry requirements, application dates and how to apply, visit here. If you have questions regarding the programme or the application process, please contact the Admissions Team on compass-cdt@bristol.ac.uk.