Recruitment is now open for applications:
Our EPSRC Creating Our Lives in Data CDT programme aims to establish technologies and methods to enable producers and consumers in the Digital Economy to co-create smarter products in smarter ways, to re-establish trust in the use of personal data. Smarter products combine physical and digital technologies to deliver personalised blends of goods, services and user experiences. These are made through co-creation and data creativity in which consumers actively engage in shaping the products they use.
The EPSRC-supported Centre brings together leading figures from computing and engineering as well as the social sciences, business and humanities from the University of Nottingham; plus researchers from the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility at De Montfort University. We are co-funded by EPSRC and over 40 industry, third sector and international partners.
Our students are innovating applications across sectors including consumer goods and food, creative industries, high value products, transport, and health and wellbeing – seeking out new synergies between them. We do not expect that every student will be an expert in all of the areas mentioned above; our aim is to train people to work in transdisciplinary teams, ready to become future leaders in industry, the third sector and academia.
Our innovative four year PhD programme combines research, technical and professional skills training, an internship with a partner organisation, and opportunities for international exchanges. The programme is led by Professor Steve Benford, previously an EPSRC Dream Fellow, Visiting Researcher at Microsoft, the BBC’s first Visiting Professor, and the recipient of four BAFTA nominations; and Professor Sarah Sharples, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, who led the Human Factors Research Group, and is Past President of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics.
Opportunities available
We have 13 fully-funded PhD studentships available for the Horizon CDT 2020 cohort, which will start at the end of September 2020. A very wide range of themes and partners are available, depending on the applicants interest and previous experience, and this will be discussed as part of the interview process (for an indication, please see Current Research Themes for a list of research topics our current students are studying). We also have a number of pre-identified themes that may be of interest, for example with Ordnance Survey, BBC R&D, Experian and Rail Standards and Safety Board – if you are interested in these specific themes, please specify within the supporting statement section of your application form.
Successful candidates will benefit from:
The minimum academic entry requirement is a 2.1 undergraduate degree. For non-native English language speakers an IELTS average score of 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any element is required.
Please see the How to Apply section.
Recruitment process
After the published closing date applications will be reviewed by a shortlisting committee and candidates will be notified by email regarding the outcome of the shortlisting meeting. Shortlisted candidates will first be invited to an academic interview at the University of Nottingham. Candidates who pass the academic interview will also need to pass a partner interview before a studentship offer can be made. The academic interview date is normally advertised, however candidates should be aware partner interviews will be organised following the outcome of the academic interviews therefore the partner interview dates are unknown at this time. Partner interviews are usually carried out via Skype.
PhD student experience video
In this short video below, Horizon CDT student Pepita Stringer shares her experiences of studying for a multidisciplinary PhD within the EPSRC Horizon My Life in Data CDT.
Horizon Digital Economy Research, University of
Nottingham Innovation Park, Triumph Road, Nottingham,
NG7 2TU
horizon@nottingham.ac.uk
