Newcastle University doctoral students will be supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), who are making an investment of more than £500m to help thousands of doctoral students across the UK develop their skills and experience in their respective universities’ areas of strength across the biological sciences, engineering and physical sciences, and natural and environmental sciences.

At least 25% of these studentships will be delivered in collaboration with non-academic partners.

NEEDL

Newcastle University will lead North East England Doctoral Landscape in Biosciences (NEEDL) in partnership with the universities of Durham, Northumbria, Teesside, Sunderland, and with industry.

NEEDL has received around £6m from UKRI’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and has the goal of widening participation for bioscience students, enabling equitable access to research careers. Led by Professor Frank Sargent, Dean of Newcastle University’s Biosciences Institute, it will create 100 doctoral studentships in five cohorts over eight years, with the first students arriving in October 2025.             

The vision is to train the next generation of scientists in technical and professional skills for diverse careers in modern, sustainable, biosciences in areas such as chemical biology, food security and neuroscience and ageing.

Newcastle University EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Awards

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) will invest £279 million in university doctoral landscape awards, which they will use to support around 2,400 studentships at 40 universities over three annual intakes.

Within the faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, Newcastle University has been awarded £5.7m from the EPSRC as part of their newly launched Doctoral Landscape Awards. This will enable Newcastle University to recruit a minimum of 45 Doctoral Researchers over the next three years, who will work in emerging areas of research aligned to the Newcastle University Centres of Research Excellence (NUCoREs) strengths, and in collaboration with new and existing industrial partners.

IAPETUS partnership

Newcastle University will extend its long-standing partnership with the NERC funded IAPETUS Doctoral Landscape award. Led by Durham University, and in partnership with the universities of Newcastle, Heriot Watt, Glasgow, St Andrews, and the British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, this provides strong doctoral collaborations across the North-East England and Scotland.

Next generation of researchers, specialists and industry experts

Professor Matthew Grenby, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation, Newcastle University, said: “We are delighted to be leading and helping deliver these critical projects. The funding will play a vital role in preparing the next generation of researchers, specialists and industry experts across a wide range of sectors and industries. These awards are testament to our world leading researchers and the technical and Professional Services teams and will put the University at the forefront of the drive to Net Zero.”

WE50 Engineering Hero

Newcastle University’s Dr Jennifer Olsen, funded from two awards by the Newcastle University EPSRC DLA, was named as one of Women in Engineering Society’s ‘WE50 Engineering Heroes’ for her PhD work at Newcastle University, improving the function and comfort of prosthetic limbs.

She did this by investigating new materials, manufacturing methods and socket designs, computer aided design, 3D printing, and collaborating with healthcare professionals to bridge the gap between academic research and clinical practice.