For Candidates
I am not from the UK, can I still apply?
To be eligible for the CDT you must have British citizenship.
When should I apply?
We accept applications at any time, however, please note we recommend submitting applications within our two advertising rounds: Round 1 (Oct to Jan); Round 2 (Feb to April)
I have no experience in the Defence and Security Sector; can I still apply?
Yes, as long as you have suitable qualifications to study for a PhD, you can apply to the CDT.
Can I study PT? If so, how does that work?
We welcome applications from those looking to study part time as well as those applying for full time research. Studying part time usually takes twice as long (8 years) as full time (4 years). As the programme of doctoral research is integrated with taught modules, as a part time student you will cover the compulsory modules in Year 1 and optional modules in Year 2. Full time students would cover the full taught content within one year. Compulsory modules cover the lecture content in short week-long intensive sessions to try and ease some of the challenges of studying part time whilst in employment. Stipends are available only for full time students.
Can I propose my own research topic, or apply without identifying an academic supervisor or in response to a currently advertised project?
Yes, you can apply to the CDT without naming a supervisor or in response to an advertised project. The CDT will consider your proposal and identify potential supervisors based on your research statement.
What are the typical research projects or topic areas?
All research projects are required to address either physical, digital and biological complex integrated systems research challenges. This can lead to variety of research projects and opportunities for multi-disciplinary research. As an indication of the type and range of potential projects please see the advertised research projects. In addition, please see the team and supervisors pages as these will indicate their research interests and current projects.
I require an ATAS certificate to work study in the UK, would I be eligible for the programme?
Unfortunately you would not be eligible. The programme is for UK candidates. Please consider opportunities with other CDTs at the University of Southampton.
Will I get paid if I pursue a PhD full time within the CISDnS CDT?
Yes. We offer an enhanced stipend.
If successful in my application, when would the PhD start?
The CISDnS CDT would expect all students to start in September/October in line with the academic term.
We would like to support our current employees to pursue a PhD, is this possible?
Yes. We have options for Full-time studentships (50% industrial co-funded) & Part-time studentships (Requires part-time PhD fees (~£2.5k p.a) and release of employees to pursue doctoral training (2 days per week))
We would like to support a PhD on a particular topic. Would the CISDnS CDT be able to support this?
Yes. We can advertise and find students and match you with appropriate academic supervisors
I have an eligible PhD candidate and/or project and/or industrial partner, would the CDT be able to support me?
Yes. The funding requires an eligible candidate, project and partner (co-funding). If you have one or two of these, the CISDnS CDT aims to act as a match maker. If you have an eligible candidate, then please encourage them to apply directly.
If successful, I’d be coming to the University of Southampton and/or Southampton in general for the first time. Any advice?
There is a page on Student life on our main UoS website. This will give you some advice on finding accommodation, our campuses, student communities and things to do in Southampton if you’re new to the city.
For Academic Supervisors
I have a great international PhD candidate, would the CDT be able to support me?
Unfortunately not. We can only offer positions to UK students, due to the requirements of MOD and our industry partners. We would recommend contacting another CDT for support.
I have a PhD project idea, would the CISDnS CDT be able to support this?
Yes. The funding requires an eligible candidate, project and partner (co-funding). If you have one or two of these the CISDnS CDT aims to act as a match maker. If you have an eligible candidate then please encourage them to apply directly. If you have a specific question or query please contact us at CISDnS@soton.ac.uk. Please note: At present we can only offer positions to UK students, due to the requirements of MOD and our industry partners.
Do I need to have industrial co-funding?
Ideally yes – the funding requires an eligible candidate, project and partner (co-funding). However, please note:
We can advertise projects to attract candidates (without co-funding in place), and the CDT aims to act as a match maker through our industrial partners and network to help you secure co-funding.
We also have a limited number of 100% funded Scholarships available.
If you have an eligible candidate then please encourage them to apply directly.
Do the PhD students have to complete the taught program including all assessments?
Yes – all students are required to complete the training and pass the compulsory and optional modules to progress to the research phase. The CISDnS CDT program regulations can be found here:
Integrated PhD and Engineering Doctorate in Complex Integrated Systems for Defence and Security (CDT-CISDnS) 2024-25 | University of Southampton
The program follows the University’s iPhD Framework which can be found here:
Are laboratory and facility costs covered by the CDT funding?
No – supervisors will be required to cover any additional funding for laboratory consumables or facility hire. However, please note that the students do receive a RTSG budget £5k (duration) to support their research (e.g., for attending conferences, training etc). The CDT is considering a call for additional funds to support laboratory and facility costs specifically (and we ask that you communicate any potential additional costs for your projects in advance).
For Employers & Partners
We would like to support our current employees to pursue a PhD, is this possible?
Yes. We have options for Full-time studentships (50% industrial co-funded) & Part-time studentships (Requires part-time PhD fees (~£2.5k p.a) and release of employees to pursue doctoral training (2 days per week))
We would like to support a PhD on a particular topic. Would the CISDnS CDT be able to support this?
Yes. We can advertise and find students and match you with appropriate academic supervisors: Please contact us at CISDnS@soton.ac.uk