Support for PhD and postdoctoral research applications

• 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.

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 on the UCL Studentship Budgets page.

• 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 the relevant prospectuses - Electronic and Electrical Engineering MPhil/PhD and Education, Practice and Society MPhil/PhD. 

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