Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) - EPSRC Scholarships

What the EPSRC scholarship gives you

You will receive full funding for a PhD programme in engineering or the natural sciences at the University of Sheffield. Your tuition fees will be covered, and you will receive a monthly living allowance (a scholarship) of approximately 1,386 EUR. This corresponds to the UKRI minimum PhD stipend, which amounts to approximately 19,237 GBP per year. Depending on your programme, the funding will run for up to 4 years. Standard research scholarships typically last for around 3.5 years. Places on a ‘Centre for Doctoral Training’ (CDT) – a structured PhD programme – are funded for 4 years and, in addition to research, offer training in technical and transferable skills. Funding is provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), which forms part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and channels its funding through the university.

Who can apply

• Degree level: You are applying for a PhD programme.
• Field of study: Your project falls within the field of engineering or the natural sciences. Examples include materials science, nuclear energy or fusion energy, offshore wind energy, semiconductor manufacturing, water infrastructure or pharmaceutical process engineering.
• University: You’re studying at the University of Sheffield.
• Residence status: These scholarships are primarily aimed at students from the United Kingdom (UK). If you are a student from the EU or the EEA who began your studies on or after 2021/22 without ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status, you are considered an ‘Overseas’ student and are generally not eligible to apply. However, some CDTs may also support international students.
• Project match: Many positions are linked to specific projects listed in the directory of PhD projects at Sheffield. Your application must relate to an advertised project or a specific academic department.

How to apply

First, contact the department in which you wish to undertake your PhD to find out which places are available. You can then apply via the university, the department, or directly through a ‘Doctoral Landscape Award’ or a Research Training Group. You can find advertised funded projects in the directory of PhD projects at Sheffield. Application deadlines vary depending on the programme, so please check which places are currently available before applying. The main round of the ‘Doctoral Landscape Award’ for commencement in 2026 is currently closed.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a comprehensive funding package for doctoral studies, which is linked to specific research areas and, in many cases, to named projects. You are not competing in a broad, open field, but against other applicants who are specifically suited to this particular project. If you are a UK student with a strong background in the relevant field of engineering or natural sciences and are a good fit for an advertised project, your prospects are good. Please pay close attention to the deadlines, as the application rounds start and end at different times depending on the submission route, and the main application deadline for the “Doctoral Landscape Award” for 2026 has already passed.