UCL is offering around 50 fully funded PhD studentships through its EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award (UELA), for students starting in October 2027. If your route into dementia research runs through engineering, physics, maths, chemistry or computer science, from brain imaging and sensors to AI and nanotechnology, this is one to watch. The project catalogue opens on 26 October 2026 and applications close at 12 noon UK time on Friday 8 January 2027.
The studentships are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UKRI, and run through the UCL Doctoral School. Each one is attached to a specific project from the UELA catalogue, so the first job is finding a project that fits you once the catalogue goes live.
What the studentship offers
Each studentship lasts up to four years, with your thesis submitted within the funded period, and covers:
- tuition fees at the Home rate for four years, with a UCL award covering the difference for International students
- a stipend estimated at £26,022 a year for 2027/28, made up of the UKRI London-weighted rate plus a £1,500 UELA enhancement, and rising each year
- a Research Training Support Grant for conferences, workshops, training and other project costs
Some projects are collaborative, co-funded by an external partner, and include time working at the partner’s site. Part-time study at 50%, 60% or 80% is possible for Home students, with the stipend and length of the award adjusted pro rata.
Who can apply
The studentships are open to prospective students with Home or International fee status. You need to meet UCL’s entry requirements and those of the department hosting your project, and academic merit is the main selection criterion.
EPSRC caps International recruitment at 30%, which means no more than 15 International students across the whole programme. Competition for those places is fierce, and UCL strongly encourages Home applicants. Fee status is formally assessed by UCL Admissions after an offer is made.
Not sure whether a standard PhD is the right route? Our explainer on the different types of doctorate sets out the options.
How to apply
Applications go through the UELA online application portal, which is expected to open alongside the project catalogue on 26 October 2026. You’ll answer a set of short questions, so it’s worth drafting them now:
- your motivation for doctoral research (300 words)
- your suitability for doctoral research (300 words)
- your knowledge and skills (300 words)
- a piece of research experience, covering what you did (500 words) and what came out of it (500 words)
- optional contextual information (200 words)
Shortlisting is anonymised. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by project supervisors and panels, and a central panel of UCL experts then ranks nominations for offers. Successful candidates get an informal offer first and then apply formally through UCL Admissions.
Our blogs on how to make your PhD application stand out and assessing and approaching a new lab are worth reading before you start, and three tips for a PhD interview will help if you’re shortlisted.
Key dates
- 26 October 2026: project catalogue and application portal expected to open
- 16 December 2026: recommended date to submit your application and references, as UCL closes over Christmas and there’s no email support
- 12 noon UK time, Friday 8 January 2027: application deadline
- Early to late February 2027: interviews
- Mid-March 2027: offers expected
- 1 October 2027: studentships start
International applicants may need an ATAS certificate, evidence of English language and a Student visa, so leave time for those after an offer. Questions about the recruitment process go to epsrc.dtp@ucl.ac.uk.
Full details are on the UCL EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award studentships page.
Visit funding web page
(https://www.ucl.ac.uk/epsrc-doctoral-training/prospective-students/ucl-epsrc-doctoral-landscape-award-uela-studentships)