Deadline: 8 October 2018
Open to: master’s postgraduates and early-stage researchers who have not been resident, nor carried out their main activity, in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years and are not already permanently employed
Benefits: contract of employment with a minimum annual salary of around USD 27.000 (£20,989)

Description

University Alliance is a mission group representing and supporting modern civic universities with a professional and technical focus. Their work includes developing collaborative programmes through which our member universities seek to enhance their student experience and research such as the Doctoral Training Alliance – a unique cohort-based doctoral training programme with a strong interdisciplinary and industry-focused ethos. Its objective is to train and develop highly employable researchers in strategically important areas.The extended University Alliance Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA3) brings together their existing doctoral training initiatives in Applied Biosciences for Health, Energy and Social Policy following a €6.5million award from the European Commission, under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) COFUND scheme.

The DTA3/COFUND Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD Fellowship programme (DTA3 / COFUND) will be delivered across a consortium of 15 universities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The fifteen universities are:

• University of Brighton
• Coventry University
• University of Central Lancashire
• University of Greenwich
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Huddersfield
• Liverpool John Moores University
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Nottingham Trent University
• The Open University
• University of Portsmouth
• Sheffield Hallam University
• University of South Wales
• Teesside University
• Ulster University

It will develop 83 early stage researchers from across the EU and beyond as internationally-connected, independent researchers with interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral skills and experience, ready for industrial employment in the European and UK priority challenge areas of healthcare, clean energy and social policy.

The programme will foster transnational mobility through an extended network of international associate partners in Europe and overseas, including Australia and South Africa, to provide recruitment and international placements.

You can read all FAQ’s here. 

Eligibility

To qualify for a DTA3 / COFUND Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral fellowship opportunity, applicants must:

• Be an early-stage researchers’ (i.e. in the first four years of their research careers and not have a doctoral degree). See Guidance from the EU for the definition of an early-stage researcher;
• Not have been resident, nor carried out their main activity, in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before taking up a DTA3 / COFUND opportunity
• Not already be permanently employed by the entity where the DTA3 / COFUND opportunity will take place.
• Have a postgraduate master’s degree or a first/upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the chosen research topic (see individual project details for more information);
• Have a strong scholarly interest in the research, and a high level of motivation;
• Demonstrate English language competency, as specified by the respective university.

Read more about the eligibility criteria here.

Benefits

As a DTA3 / COFUND Marie Skłodowska Curie PhD Fellow you will be employed by the host institution and paid a minimum annual salary of around USD 27.000 (£20,989) with your host institute also paying National Insurance and pension contributions. The exact salary, holiday entitlements and any other terms and conditions will be advised by individual partner universities.

As well as benefiting from the world-class facilities, supervisors and support at their chosen institution, researchers on a DTA programme will be joining a much broader professional community – where they can enjoy the collaborative power, expertise and reach of the Doctoral Training Alliance.

By combining vital research skills such as critical reasoning and epistemology with practical innovation and entrepreneurial expertise, the programmes will produce postgraduate researchers who are job-ready and can apply the results of their excellent research to deliver real world impact.

Researchers on a DTA programme will be encouraged to collaborate on their work with colleagues in the cohort; attend annual induction, summer school and networking events; co-delivered training and development courses; as well as employer and industry events relevant to their chosen field.

How to apply?

In order to apply please read the guide and fill in the online application form. 

For more information please visit the official website.