Fees and funding
The CDT will fund up to 15 studentships each year, depending on the support available. Each studentship will be funded for 4 years. This includes tuition fees, stipend and a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG).
- Stipend: Students will receive a tax-free stipend of ca £17,000 per year.
- RTSG: A generous allowance will be provided for research consumables and additional training, and for attending UK and international conferences.
UKRI will be opening up UKRI studentships to home and international students from the 2021/22 academic year, to include a stipend and fees at the home level. However, there is a limit in the proportion of international students to 30 percent of the total.
The information here is intended to summarise UKRI guidance on eligibility. Further details will be laid out later this year, and our guidance will be updated in line with UKRI announcements. Please revisit this page regularly for the latest information.
Home students
Home students will be eligible for a full UKRI award, including fees and stipend, if they satisfy UKRI criteria, including residency requirements (typically having lived, worked or studied within the UK for 3 years prior to the funding commencing).
International students
International students will be eligible for full UKRI-funded studentships, including fees (at the home level) and stipend, from the start of the 2021/22 academic year, UK Research and Innovation has announced. Studentships for international students will be limited in number and competitive, and we encourage strong international candidates to apply.
EU students
Following the written statement by The Minister of State for Universities, EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for home fee status from the academic year starting in August 2021. It will not affect EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals benefitting from Citizens’ Rights under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, EEA EFTA Separation Agreement or Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement respectively. It will also not apply to Irish nationals living in the UK and Ireland whose right to study and to access benefits and services will be preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement.
We anticipate that students living within the EU will need to submit applications as international students. Further details will be laid out later this year, and our guidance will be updated in line with UKRI announcements. Please regular revisit this guidance for the latest information.
Part-time students
It is possible to apply to the CDT to study on a part-time basis and we welcome applications from people who are unable to study full-time due to managing, for example, caring responsibilities, a disability or chronic illness. Because of the nature of the CDT and its training programme, the demands on part-time students are somewhat different to those made of part-time students on a standard PhD programme. All part-time students enrolled in the CDT are required to:
• Be physically present in the department during normal working hours for at least two days a week.
• Attend all compulsory elements of the CDT, including all training activities and all cohort building activities. This may sometimes necessitate full-time attendance over a period (for example, full-time attendance at the CDT Summer School will be expected over a 3 – 4 day period), and such activities may fall outside a student’s typical part-time hours. (Note that the CDT has a Carers’ Fund, which students may apply to in order to cover caring costs incurred by attendance of CDT activities that fall outside of normal hours.)
Part-time students will be supported by a pro-rata studentship in line with their mode of registration (assuming eligibility for a studentship as per UKRI Terms and Conditions).
If you are interested in the possibility of part-time study within the CDT please send an email to stai-cdt@kcl.ac.uk in advance of the application deadline in order to discuss this. The CDT is unable to consider part-time applications from applicants who do not do this.
Students in full-time employment
Applicants should note that it would be exceptional for the CDT to enrol a student who is in full-time employment. It is extremely challenging to manage a standard part-time PhD alongside full-time work responsibilities; CDT students will additionally need to commit to the substantial part-time student requirements outlined above. In order to consider an application from a part-time student in full-time employment (not self-employed), the CDT will require the applicant’s employer to provide a signed letter confirming that they understand and accept the commitments associated with the CDT and are supportive of their employee’s application.
Students in full-time employment are not eligible to receive a tax-free stipend. They may be eligible to receive a fees-only award, dependent on residency.
If you are in full-time employment and are interested in the possibility of part-time study within the CDT please send an email to stai-cdt@kcl.ac.uk in advance of the application deadline in order to discuss this. The CDT is unable to consider part-time applications from applicants who do not do this.
Self-funded students
We also welcome applications from students (Home/EU/International) who have secured their own funding or are in receipt of alternative scholarships.
If you are a self-funded student and wish to study within the CDT please send an email to stai-cdt@kcl.ac.uk in advance of the application deadline in order to discuss this.