Postgraduate research

Funded opportunities

Listed below are the funded studentship opportunities which are currently accepting research student applications.

College of Life Sciences

Please read the studentship adverts for eligibility criteria, funding and application process.

Respiratory Sciences:  Digital audio-phenotyping system for preventive screening and early diagnostics of chronic pulmonary disease using a smartphone and recorded breath sound

  • UK applicants only
  • Supervisor: Dr Thomas Ward
  • Closing date: 19 October 2025 
  • Start date: January 2026

Population Health Sciences: Genetics of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis subtypes

  • UK and Overseas applicants
  • Supervisors: Richard Allen, Catherine John, Katy Roach
  • Closing date 2 November 2025
  • Start date: January 2026 preferred ( up to 1 May 2026 considered)

Healthcare: Artificial Empathy

  • UK Applicants only
  • Supervisor: Professor Jeremy Howick
  • Start date: January 2026
  • Closing date: 2 November 2025

 School of Psychology and Vision Sciences: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after a stroke: Influences And experiences amongst stroke survivors

  • UK applicants only
  • Supervisors: Dr Navneet Aujla, Professor John Maltby 
  • Closing date 26 October 2025
  • Start date January 2026

September 2026 Studentships

College of Life Sciences/College of Science and Engineering HPRU Studentships

  • Three Studentships /projects
  • Start date September 2026
  • Closing date 9 November 2025

College of Life Sciences matched HPRU Studentships

  • Two studentships from three projects
  • Start date September 2026
  • Closing date 9 November 2025

Self-funded projects

Open to overseas applicants who can fund their own study or hold their own external sponsorship. For further information about the available projects please click on the subject page links.  Projects open until filled unless stated

Population Health Sciences 

  • Dr Rupert Major: Patient support for decision making in relation to arterio-venous fistula formation before dialysis and ligation after a successful transplant: a mixed-methods study (open to UK and overseas
  • Professor Pratik Choudhary: Evaluating the ethnic differences of physical activity on blood glucose
  • Louise Hull: Identifying research priorities to advance the application of implementation science to lifestyle intervention research
  • Dr Tim Lucas: To understand how women’s health during pregnancy is affected by heatwaves and how 24-hour behaviours and technological interventions can reduce these risks
  • Dr Claire Meek: The role of 24-hour behaviours in optimising the clinical management of diabetes in pregnancy
  • Dr Thomas Wilkinson: Optimising the measurement of muscle and physical function in clinical trials of people living with obesity
  • Professor David Wright: PhD in Pharmacy Practice - Longitudinal Placements within the Undergraduate Pharmacy Degree: Defining the value

Respiratory Sciences

  • Dr John E. Pearl: Survey of clinical non-tuberculous mycobacteria isolates for mycobacteriophages: their presence, diversity and potential role in disease
  • Dr Natalie Garton: Rhodococcus equi lipid bodies: Targeting the pathogen’s fat reserves for infection control
  • Professor Andrea Cooper: Stratification of TB risk by immunophenotyping and expression of key diagnostic markers
  • Professor Galina Mukamolova: Development of novel therapeutic strategies to target Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence

Healthcare

  • Professor Joseph Manning: Reducing pressure injury in critically Ill hospitalised infants, children and young people: An intervention bundle development and feasibility testing study
  • Professor Joseph Manning: Paediatric to Adult intenSive care tranSition for chronicAlly critically ill younG pEople: The PASSAGE Study
  • Professor David Wright: PhD in Pharmacy Practice - Longitudinal Placements within the Undergraduate Pharmacy Degree: Defining the value

College of Science and Engineering

Studentships will show here as and when available.

Chemistry: EPSRC funded Direct recycling of Lithium-ion Batteries Using Novel Nanoemulsions

  • Supervisor: Dr Jake Yang
  • Start date: 5 January 2026
  • Closing date: 31 October 2025

EPSRC DigitalMetal CDT studentships

  • Start: 22 September 2025
  • Closing date: open for home students and limited places for outstanding international applicants.

September 2026 entry

College of Life Sciences/College of Science and Engineering HPRU Studentships

  • Three Studentships /projects
  • Start date September 2026
  • Closing date 9 November 2025

College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities

Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Doctoral Landscape Awards

Applications open 27 October 2025 

Supporting research in arts and humanities disciplines, AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards at Leicester offer:  

  • Funding for tuition fees and research development and training costs, together with a maintenance grant.  
  • Expert academic supervision, and training for research- and career-development skills.
  • The opportunity to apply for an Open Award (for a project you design yourself) or a Collaborative Doctoral Award (a project co-designed by an academic supervisor in collaboration with a cultural organisation) 
  • Collaboration and networking with AHRC funded researchers across seven leading Universities, via the AHRC Midlands Hub for PGR Excellence. 
  • The first round for doctoral research projects commencing in 2026 - opens 27 October 2025. 

 Please send any queries about the AHRC DLA to ahrcdtp@le.ac.uk

College of Business

There is no funding currently available.

Research Council Studentships

PhD studentships funded by Research Councils open for September 2025 entry

EPSRC CDT Digital Transformation of Metals Industry (DigitalMetal CDT)

ESRC Midlands Graduate School DTP

CENTA

The Sciences and Technology Facilities Research Council (STFC)

TARGET CDT

BBSRC MIBTP

MRC AIM DTP

EPSRC DLA

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