How to apply

• Read through this page, as well as the application supporting documents, selection process and FAQs pages.
• Select the project (or projects) you're interested in, and make sure you fit the eligibility and entry requirements. You may find it helpful to get in touch with the named contact for that project to find out more details about what the project will involve. If you're not sure which project might be best suited to you, get in touch with us and we'll help you to figure it out.
• You can apply for a maximum of 3 projects
• Gather your application supporting documents
• Start your application here. Guidance on completing your application can be accessed below.

All the projects will start on 1 September 2026.

Application guidance (pdf)

Entry Requirements

A first or strong 2:1, at BEng or MEng level, in a relevant science or engineering subject, including (but not limited to): Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, Physics or Computer Science. Each project will have its own specific requirements.

If English isn't your first language, we require an overall IELTS score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.

English language requirements

Funding

We provide fully-funded four-year scholarships to our CDT students that cover tuition fees (Home or International), plus an annual tax-free stipend of £28,000 (equivalent to a £34,000 taxable salary). Each student also has access to £35,000 each across the four years, which can be used for equipment, conference attendance, travel and project consumables. Our scholarships are available to UK and international students, but not every project will be open to international students (see below).

Eligibility

Our projects state whether they are open to home (UK) or international students. Please check the project advert before applying. To be considered a UK Home student, you must have no restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK, and should have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the scholarship.

UKRI residential eligibility criteria