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UCL Centre for Engineering Education

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Support for PhD and postdoctoral research applications

The Centre is delighted to offer two funded (home rate) PhD studentships (fees, stipend and research expenses) as part of its expanding research activity. Both home and international students are welcome to apply. The application window is currently closed - more information on this page when we open for applications in 2025.

Potential Projects

 

  • Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering with topics ranging from attraction/recruitment through inclusive curriculum developments, to retention, professional development and career progression. 
  • Project Based Learning and innovations in the engineering curriculum development 
  • Responsible Innovation in Engineering, including ethics, sustainability, global responsibility and topics relating to the education of responsible innovators. 

In addition, we are specifically looking to recruit for a PhD project in the area of skills for Industry 4.0. The gradual development and embedding of AI in workplaces is transforming the nature of work and skills, and by extension occupational specialisation and the skills-sets required by graduate engineers. The implications of emergent AI-based work practices for education, both within the higher education sectors as well as in the workplace needs urgent investigation.  

Projects may be based in either the Faculty of Engineering (Electronic and Electrical Engineering) or the Department of Education, Practice and Society in the UCL Institute of Education depending on the specific project topic. If the former, the assigned first supervisor will be Professor John Mitchell, and if the latter, the assigned first supervisor will be Professor David Guile. Students will also benefit from strong links to the Centre for Engineering Education.

What is covered by this studentship? 

A stipend (£20,622 pa) and fees at the home rate (£5,860 pa if based in Engineering, £7,580 pa if based in the Institute of Education) for a period of 3 years. Funding to cover a 3.5 or 4 year period will be considered once on the programme, on an individual basis. This studentship also covers the cost of consumables and travel expenses to attend conferences during the same period. Although the fees are only covered at home rate (and not international rate), the overseas candidates are still welcome to apply. However, they would need to fund the difference between home and overseas fees themselves and specify this in their application. 

Rates quoted are from 2023/24.

Applications for part-time student will also be considered. 

More details about the stipend and fees can be found here:  https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research-innovation-services/award-services/research-studentships/studentship-budgets  

Person specification
  • Should have at least an upper second-class honours degree (2:1 or equivalent qualification) and a Master’s degree in a social science appropriate discipline or equivalent professional experience 
  • Have experience in engineering education or research in STEM education 
  • Ability to think independently, interpret data, and knowledge of statistics (e.g. basic data clustering and classification methods). 

For informal enquiries please contact Professor John Mitchell (j.mitchell@ucl.ac.uk) and/or Prof David Guile (d.guile@ucl.ac.uk). 

For further information on admissions entry requirements please see here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/electronic-and-electrical-engineering-mphil-phd 

And here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/education-practice-and-society-mphil-phd   

How to apply

In the first instance, prospective students should email a covering letter outlining the research proposal (max 2 pages) and CV to centreforengedu@ucl.ac.uk 

After emailing a proposal you may be invited to interview, and if successful asked to apply on the application portal. Applications would be made to the relevant department (Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, or the Department of Education, Practice and Society in the UCL Institute of Education). 

Closing Date: TBC for 2025. Applications currently closed.

Start Date: 2025/26

Other opportunities

We also welcome expressions of interest from anyone whose research matches the Centre’s research interests in Engineering Education.  We will support candidates who can demonstrate a track record of excellent research, evidenced through doctoral funding and/or publications in top journals. We are willing to offer support to applications for a number of postdoctoral research schemes, for example,

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme.
The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme offers up to 3 years of support for outstanding early career researchers to build their research and teaching experience. The primary emphasis is on completion of a significant piece of publishable research. Successful candidates will also have the opportunity to develop their teaching portfolio. Full details of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, are available on the British Academy website.(https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/postdoctoral-fellowships/)

Marie Curie Individual Fellowships.
Individual Fellowships (IF) are a great option if you are an experienced researcher looking to give your career a boost by working abroad. They offer exciting new learning opportunities and a chance to add some sparkle to your CV. European Fellowships are open to researchers moving within Europe, as well as those coming in from other parts of the world, can restart a research career after a break, such as parental leave and can help researchers coming back to Europe find a new position. Further details are available on the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action site (https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/actions/individual-fello...)
 

Applying
If you are interested in joining our team, please ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria for the particular Fellowship first. Then send the following information to CEE Centre Manager (centreforengedu@ucl.ac.uk):

  • A summary of your proposed project (max. 500 words).
  • One paragraph on why you see the UCL CEE as a good fit for your planned project (max. 400 words).
  • A CV, including full publications list and the date of your PhD submission or date of your doctoral viva.