EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) — Oxford CS

What you get

You get a living-cost stipend of about EUR 25,300 per year (GBP 21,805 for 2026/27, the standard UKRI rate). A stipend is a regular payment to cover your living costs. On top, the award pays your full tuition fees at the UK Home rate. The funding runs for the normal length of the doctorate, usually 3.5 to 4 years of full-time study. The money comes from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the UK government body that funds engineering and physical-sciences research. Oxford's Department of Computer Science administers it.

Who can apply

• Degree you study: You apply for the DPhil (Oxford's name for a PhD) in Computer Science at the University of Oxford.
• Research topic: Your project fits an EPSRC theme, such as algorithms, artificial intelligence and machine learning, automated verification, computational biology, programming languages or quantum security.
• Fee status: Mainly for students with UK Home fee status, meaning UK nationals or people who have lived in the UK for at least three years. A small number of awards also go to overseas applicants.
• Grades: You have a first-class or strong upper-second bachelor's degree in a relevant subject. This means a four-year degree, or a three-year degree plus a master's with merit or distinction. A US GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 also meets this.
• Field background: Computer science, and depending on the project also mathematics, engineering or physics.
• English: You meet Oxford's standard level, for example IELTS 7.0 (no part below 6.5) or TOEFL iBT 100.

How to apply

There is no separate application for this award. You apply through Oxford's standard online graduate application for the DPhil in Computer Science. Every Home-fee applicant with a fitting EPSRC research topic is considered automatically. Applications for 2026/27 entry are closed. The round for 2027/28 entry opens later, and you should apply by the early deadline.

How realistic are your chances?

Competition is strong. Oxford reports roughly 481 applications a year for about 50 doctoral places, and the award goes mainly to top applicants with Home fee status. Overseas applicants compete for only a small share. If you have first-class results and a research plan that clearly fits an EPSRC theme, and you apply by the early deadline, you have a realistic shot. Still, this is a selective route at a leading department.