How to apply

Entry requirements

If you have received or expect to receive either 1) a first class honours degree* or 2) a 2:1 honours degree and a Masters* (*or the international equivalents) in any of the following, or associated subjects, we would like to hear from you:

Biology
Chemistry
Computer science
Earth science
Engineering
Geography
Mathematics
Physics
Psychology

If your first language is not English, or you require a Tier4 student visa to study, you will be required to provide evidence of your English language proficiency level that meets the requirements of the Aura CDT’s academic partners. This course requires academic IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.0 in each skill.

Please contact auracdt@hull.ac.uk for further guidance or questions.

Funding

The Aura CDT is funded by the EPSRC and NERC, allowing us to provide scholarships that cover fees plus a stipend set at the UKRI nationally agreed rates, circa £15,000 per annum (subject to progress).

Eligibility

Research council funding for postgraduate research has residence requirements. Normally, to be eligible for a full award, a student must have no restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the scholarship (with some further constraint regarding residence for education). For full eligibility information, please refer to the EPSRC website.

However, the University of Hull is additionally offering fully funded international scholarships, which cover both international fees and stipend.

Alternative funding

Students who are not eligible for EPSRC funding, and who wish to study at the Universities of Durham, Newcastle or Sheffield as part of the Aura CDT, will need funding to cover the cost of their tuition fees and living costs. If you are not eligible for EPSRC funding and have, or are seeking, alternative funding you must state this on the application form.

Recruitment for our second cohort is open from 9 October 2019 to the closing date 13 December 2019. This is for the cohort beginning September 2020.

You can apply online which enables you to track the progress of your application and upload supporting documents.

You will need to create a University of Hull ‘Myadmin’ account in order to make your application.

On the second page of your application, under Programme Type, choose the following option from the drop-down menu: Aura CDT PhD (inc. PGDip).

For term type, please select full-time or part-time as appropriate (part-time study is only available to UK/EU students due to Tier 4 rules).

You will then need to choose which of the six Aura CDT scholarships are appropriate to you, based on the Research Theme that most closely matches your interests.

With your application, you need to upload copies of the following supporting evidence:

complete transcripts (and final degree certificate(s) where possible). If your qualification documents are not in English, you will need to supply copies of your original language documents as well as their official translation into English.
current Curriculum Vitae.
personal statement (please see guidance below on what you need to include in your statement).

Guidance on completing your personal statement

Your personal statement should be around 2 pages long. In your statement you should highlight:

your interest in the Aura CDT and how it fits with your career aspirations
how your previous study links with the Aura CDT
why you have an interest in offshore wind and the environment, particularly if your background is in an academic discipline not included in the list above
any reasons for specifically needing to undertake your PhD at the University of Hull, Durham, Newcastle or Sheffield
relevant work experience or other experience relevant to the Aura CDT
which of the Aura CDT’s main research themes you are most interested in and tell us why (themes listed here)
anything else you would like to tell us about yourself that makes you a great candidate.

Please also describe:

any relevant research experience (such as a project completed during a previous degree)
any academic work you have published or which is awaiting publication including venue/s
why you believe you are the best candidate to study with the Aura CDT.

International students must tell us about all prior UK study (whether completed/passed or not, including any short courses).

Interviews

Interview dates for the current round of applications will take place in January 2020. Interviews will be conducted by a panel of academics from the Universities of Hull, Durham, Newcastle and Sheffield and a representative from our industry partners.