Doctoral Training Programmes
Doctoral Training Programmes are competitive, funded research opportunities advertised by Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) and Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs).
Our centres and partnerships are supported by funders including UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), charitable trusts and other major funders. If you study as part of a CDT or DTP, you'll likely benefit from:
- Funding to help cover the costs of your research, including tuition fees at the home rate and your living costs
- Structured training and supervision delivered by more than one institution
- Cross-institutional collaboration with leading researchers and industry partners
- A community of fellow PhD researchers.
Centres and partnerships
Browse our centres and partnerships by funder and find the Doctoral Training Programme for you. You can also find opportunities advertised through our PhD projects search.
Please note, the centres and partnerships listed below may have different application processes to those advertised directly through the University. You should read the guidance carefully for the each opportunity.
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP)The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are members of NWCDTP. There are 13 NWCDTP pathways funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to which candidates can apply for studentships.
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Doctoral Training PartnershipThe Faculty of Health and Life Sciences are a member of BBSRC. This DTP is a collaboration between the University of Liverpool, Newcastle University and Durham University. It provides an opportunity for the next generation of young researchers to address outstanding scientific questions in the biosciences and offers around 16 fully-funded research opportunities each year.
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP)The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are members of NWSSDTP. There are 20 NWSSDTP pathways funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to which candidates can apply.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Energy Transfer Technologies Skills and Training HubThe Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded Energy Transfer Technologies Skills and Training Hub aims to train the next generation of leaders in energy transfer technologies relevant for defence and other related applications. The hub recruits cohorts of fully funded PhD students each year.
Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital and Automated Materials Chemistry
The Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital and Automated Materials Chemistry offers multiple research opportunities for students from backgrounds spanning the physical and computer sciences. Students will develop core expertise in robotic, digital, chemical and physical thinking, which they will apply in their domain-specific research in materials design, discovery and processing.
Centre for Doctoral Training in Distributed Algorithms
Working in collaboration with STFC Hartree, IBM Research, The Alan Turing Institute, and 20+ project partners, the centre trains 60 PhD students who possess the expertise to meet the world's pressing need for highly-trained data scientists.
Net Zero Maritime Energy Solutions (N0MES)
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centre for Doctoral Training in Net Zero Maritime Energy Solutions (N0MES) involves regional, national and international partners. PhD projects focus on a wide range of net zero maritime challenges, including maritime-based renewable energy, offshore to onshore energy distribution and environmental impacts of renewable energy generation.
Innovate UK
Doctoral Training Centre in Biofilms, Innovation Technology and Engineering (BITE)The Doctoral Training Centre in Biofilms Innovation, Technology and Engineering (BITE) will train PhD researchers at the interface of physical and life sciences to understand the behaviour of biofilms, which are central to the global challenges of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), health, food security, clean water and energy.
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Discover Medicine North (DiMeN)The Discovery Medicine North (DiMeN) partnership is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). It utilises the combined expertise of four world-leading institutions to train the next generation of researchers to tackle the major health problems facing the population.
Trials Methodology Research Partnership (TMRP)
This Doctoral Training Partnership presents a unique opportunity to undertake training and research in major areas where clinical trials need to be improved to help increase the health of society. Projects encompass a variety of subject areas including statistics, mathematics, health economics, epidemiology, psychology, social science, computer science, informatics and health services research.
Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA)
The Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated research into Musculoskeletal Ageing is a collaboration between the Universities of Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle, funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). CIMA hosts a series of unique programmes, offering students multidisciplinary training in the processes and effects of ageing in the whole musculoskeletal system.
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Doctoral Training Programme in Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment (ACCE)ACCE’s academic partners are University of Liverpool, University of Sheffield, University of York, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Natural History Museum. The programme provides doctoral training opportunities in the biological components of the natural environment and related disciplines.
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Centre for Doctoral Training for Innovation in Data Intensive Science (LIV.INNO)The Liverpool Centre for Doctoral Training for Innovation in Data Intensive Science (LIV.INNO) is an inclusive hub for training diverse cohorts of excellent students in data intensive science. The focus of the centre will be on addressing the data challenges presented by research in astronomy, nuclear, theoretical, particle and accelerator physics.
Wellcome
Wellcome Trust Clinical 4 year PhD programme in Global HealthOne of five centres in the UK offering the Wellcome Trust Clinical PhD programme, a flagship scheme supporting the most promising medically qualified clinicians wanting to undertake rigorous research training. The programme aims to address the serious health problems faced by developing countries, offering a broad scope of issues ranging from biomedical through to health policy sciences.