Doctoral Training Partnerships

PhD Studentship: Digital Content Creation for Celtic Language Revitalisation 

Bangor University is offering a fully funded PhD studentship commencing in October 2026. The studentship is part of the Celtic Crescent Doctoral Fund Award, one of ten Doctoral Focal Awards funded by AHRC across the UK.  

Celtic Crescent 

Celtic Crescent is a multilingual consortium of seven Higher Education Institutions across Cornwall, Scotland and Wales. Working with non-academic creative economy partners, the consortium aims to help grow the next generation of research and innovation talent in the creative economy. We focus particularly on creative economy micro clusters marked by inequality, under-representation, and marginalisation arising from geographic, socio-economic, and linguistic factors. Studentships may be full-time or part-time, discipline-spanning, and may include practice-based, interdisciplinary, industry-led or minority-language research. 

Doctoral research anchored in a sense of place has transformative potential to generate more diverse creative outputs, more innovation-ready SMEs, and more skilled innovators, thereby helping to sustain longer-term careers in our rural, coastal, and post-industrial creative economies. This vision underpins every aspect of Celtic Crescent’s work. 

Funding 

Studentships are fully-funded for a minimum of three and a half years (42 months) and a maximum of 4 years (48 months max, including any placements). Part-time students will be pro-rata. 

Each studentship covers tuition fees, an annual tax-free living stipend (currently £21,805 for full-time study 2026-27) and includes access to a Research Training Support Grant. Full and part-time applications are welcomed. 

The Project 

This fully funded PhD explores how digital content creators can contribute to reshaping the future of Welsh and other Celtic languages within platform-based media ecosystems such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. As linear broadcasting declines, linguistic vitality increasingly depends on independent creators producing, distributing and monetising minority-language content beyond traditional public service institutions. While promising examples exist, minority-language digital creation remains limited and under-researched, particularly in relation to its cultural, linguistic and economic impact. 

This project addresses that gap by examining minority-language digital creation as contemporary cultural production, creative labour and place-based economic activity. Focusing on rural, coastal and post-industrial regions, it will investigate how creators build audiences, generate value and contribute to local creative microclusters. Using mixed methods, which may include creative practice, digital analytics, interviews, audience research, and regional case studies, the research will develop new frameworks 

to measure impact and inform policy, skills development and strategic investment. 

Working closely with industry partners, including independent production companies and digital creators, the PhD will translate findings into practical skills pathways and development models. The project will include a placement with Rondo Media, offering hands-on experience in producing digital content for platform-based audiences. This unique integration of academic research and practical production will combine rigorous scholarly analysis creative and/or performative elements, enabling the doctoral researcher to critically examine digital creation through active participation in it. The project therefore offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the sustainability of Celtic languages while strengthening inclusive, place-based creative economies. 

Students will be based in Bangor University and will be part of a connected cohort of Celtic Crescent researchers sharing training and experiences. You will take part in at least one three-day residential Crucible Lab bringing the entire cohort together in one of our Celtic nations. It is not possible to study remotely. Due to the nature of the research this PhD cannot be offered as a distance learning opportunity. 

Who Should Apply? 

You will have 

• Academic qualifications and/or professional experience in a relevant field (e.g. social sciences, media studies, sociolinguistics, language policy, creative industries, digital media, communication or related disciplines), equivalent to a UK honours degree at a First or Upper Second-class level;
• A strong interest in minority languages (particularly Welsh or other Celtic languages), linguistic vitality and creative economies;
• An understanding of digital platforms (e.g. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram) and contemporary content creation practices;
• Experience in qualitative and/or quantitative research methods (or a clear willingness to develop mixed-methods skills);
• An interest in applied, collaborative research and engaging with industry partners, including undertaking a placement with Rondo Media;
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work independently while contributing to academic and industry networks 

The project requires a functional level of Welsh, with potential comparative work in Scottish Gaelic or Cornish. This is essential for analysing digital content, conducting creator interviews, and engaging audiences authentically in minority Celtic languages. Support for language development will be provided by both the university and the placement with Rondo Media, ensuring the student can build confidence and skills in Welsh while working with creators and industry partners. The PhD thesis may be written in either Welsh or English, reflecting the student’s language proficiency and the bilingual nature of the research context. 

We welcome applicants from all types of backgrounds, particularly those with professional or creative practice experience or non-traditional educational paths.  

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) are fundamental to the delivery of exceptional Higher Education and research. We welcome students from every background, particularly those from marginalised backgrounds. Our goal is to understand your learning style and help you create environments where you can thrive. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) can provide you with funding for extra study-related costs due to mental or physical health conditions, learning differences or any other disabilities.  

Find out more about Bangor University Disability Services. 

International Eligibility 

The studentship is available to home and international students. However, international students should note that the studentship only covers UK fees. This means that the difference between UK fees and international fees would have to be covered by the student themselves 

A maximum 30% of each cohort may be international students. 

Applicant webinar 

An online webinar for applicants will be held on 13 March at 9-10am UK time. This will be an opportunity to understand the Celtic Crescent’s aims and focus, and ask any questions you may have. To register for the webinar, please complete the form here: Celtic Crescent Webinar Registration. 

How to apply 

Applications should be received no later than 10 April 2026 at 4pm UK time including all required documents. Late applications may not be considered. Due to the volume of applications received, incomplete applications will not be considered. 

APPLY HERE 

When applying, please select AHRC Celtic Crescent Doctoral Focal Award as your scholarship opportunity. For your Academic Contact, please enter ‘Professor Ruth McElroy’. 

Please include the following documents with your application: 

• CV: this may be in conventional CV format, in narrative form or as a short video. It should demonstrate how your lived experience, educational and/or work journey showcases your potential;
• Statement outlining your interest in this project, your ideas for it and your suitability to undertake it (2 pages max);
• Details of two academic or professional referees. Referees must be able to comment on the applicant’s research strengths;
• Degree certificates and Transcripts (including translations if applicable);
• If relevant, proof of English Language Competency (see institutional requirements for entry). 

Assessment 

Short-listed applicants will be invited to interview, during which applicants will be asked to give a short presentation and answer a series of panel questions.  Interviews may be held in person but will also be available through Zoom/Teams for all students who wish to participate in that way. Interviews can be conducted in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic if preferred. Interview questions will be provided in advance. Accommodations may include pre-recorded presentations, written presentations, or structured Q&As instead of a presentation. We are open to other accommodations that would help you do your best in the assessment. 

Creative Writing and Ecologies of Place in Collective Practice

The School of Arts, Culture and Language at Bangor University is delighted to offer a four-year fully funded studentship. The studentship is part of the AHRC-funded Lles project, which will fund 28 studentships across universities in Wales. This studentship will commence in October 2026.

Overview

This Doctoral Studentship will support a creative research project in the field of ecopoetics that integrates individual writing practice with participatory, community-based methodologies to explore collective dimensions of place. It offers an exciting opportunity to shape research in the discipline of creative writing by foregrounding the socially transformative aspects of creative practice.

While wellbeing is often imagined as a private, internal, or psychological state, Wales's Future Generations Act offers a more expansive conception, framing it as shaped by cultural, material, ecological, and communal factors that can encompass collective experiences of landscape, shared resources, environmental stewardship, and community resilience. Ecopoetics, as an interdisciplinary field that brings together creative writing and environmental humanities, has increasingly become responsive to this broader perspective.

With a central focus on how specific natural environments in north Wales are experienced and interpreted, the project will enable the development of diverse methods, such the use of interviews, walks, multimedia approaches and interdisciplinary research to create a substantial literary work.

Alongside this artistic practice-led dimension, the candidate will undertake a sustained critical examination of previous works that have enabled new ways of understanding place, environment, and social and ecological wellbeing.

Applications with an interest in how the field of ecopoetics is developing both internationally and in Wales would be warmly welcomed.

Potential research questions could include the following:

• How can ecopoetic practices contribute to collective forms of environmental engagement?
• How can creative methods support communities in articulating shared experiences of place?
• How can writing practices account for the roles of non-human actors?
• How can collective creative work shape or transform understandings of wellbeing?
• What new forms of poetry or participatory art emerge when ecological thinking is placed at the centre of creative practice?
• How might these forms influence broader cultural conversations about environment, sustainability, and responsibility to future generations?

The project will include a placement of at least three months with Literature Wales.

Supervisory Team

Lead supervisor Zoë Skoulding, Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing, is an award-winning poet and critic. She is Co-Director of CAInC, the Centre for Creative Arts Interdisciplinary Collaboration at Bangor University, and active in international networks in poetry, sound and performance in an ecological context.

Co-supervisor Dr Fiona Cameron's poetry engages with innovative ecopoetics, and she is involved in an ongoing cross-artform collaboration that explores deep time in a discrete six-acre location and focuses on ideas of scale, human tenure, and the non-human life.

Dave Chadwick, Professor of Sustainable Land Use Systems, will have an advisory role in the team. He has world-leading expertise in sustainable agricultural practices, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the risk of transfers of pollutants to watercourses, and understanding the secondary impacts of mitigating diffuse agricultural pollution.

LLes

Lles is a consortium of all Wales’ universities, working in partnership with Welsh public and third-sector bodies. It will fund and train PhD students to investigate issues relating to wellbeing through the arts and humanities. Lles is a Welsh word that means ‘benefit’ or ‘wellbeing’. Its use here captures both how Lles students will benefit from training and career development and how their research on wellbeing will be for the benefit of wider society in Wales and beyond.

Lles and its studentships are guided by the ambition, principles and requirements of the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. This legislation is globally unique and obligates Welsh public bodies to set objectives and take steps to improve the economic, social, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of Wales against seven goals: prosperity, resilience, equality, health, cohesive communities, vibrant culture and Welsh language, global responsibility. Lles seeks to use the arts and humanities to meet and understand these goals.

Lles will fund 28 PhD studentships over 4 cohorts. Lles studentships will explore and demonstrate how the arts and humanities can contribute to a healthy planet, people, and places. At the project’s heart is the Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015. This unique legislation was designed to improve the wellbeing and sustainability of people and places in Wales. The underpinning goal of Lles is to work with and take forward that vision. All its students will receive bespoke training delivered in collaboration with the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales about the Act, its five ways of working and how these can be used in public life and policy. Every Lles student will undertake a sustained placement with a Welsh public body where they will develop their research and employment experiences.

Placement

All Lles students are required to undertake a placement that totals at least three months.

Applicant webinar

A webinar for applicants will be held on 3^rd March at 4pm. This will be an opportunity to go over the Lles project and ask questions. To register for the webinar, please complete the form HERE

Entry Criteria

To receive Lles studentship funding, you should have qualifications or experience equivalent to an UK honours degree at a first or upper second-class level, or a masters. Students with non-traditional academic backgrounds are also welcome to apply.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Lles is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all. We welcome applications from all members of the global community irrespective of age, disability, sex, gender identity, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.

Assessment

Short-listed applicants will be invited to interview. As part of the interview process, applicants will be asked to give a short presentation and answer a series of panel questions.  Interviews may be held in person but will also be available through Zoom/Teams for any applicants who wish to participate in that way. If requested, interviews can be conducted in Welsh.

How to apply

Applications should be received no later than 27^th March 2026 including all required documents. Due to the volume of applications received, incomplete applications will not be considered.

All applications should be submitted HERE 

Please include the following documents with your application:

• CV - This may be in a narrative form, demonstrating how your lived experience, educational and/or work journey showcases your potential
• Statement outlining your interest in this project, your ideas for it and your suitability to undertake it (2 pages max)
• Academic or professional references (candidates must approach referees themselves and include references with their application. The reference must detail the applicant’s research strengths).
• Degree certificates and Transcripts (including translations if applicable)
• If relevant, proof of English Language Competency (see institutional requirements for entry)

Funding

The studentship funded by the AHRC covers tuition fees, an annual tax-free living stipend in line with UKRI minimum rates (currently £21, 805 for 2026-27 full-time) and includes access to a Research Training Support Grant. Full and part-time applications are welcomed. If you have a disability, you may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) on top of your studentship.

  Bangor University are delighted to offer fully funded Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) (ESRC DTP) studentships starting in October 2026.   

Deadline

Applications will close on 11 December 2025.

Subject areas

Studentships will be offered in the following pathway subject areas:

1.  Bilingualism/Linguistics
2. Psychology
3. Sport and Exercise Science
4. Criminology and Law
5. Sociology/Science and Technology Studies
6. Data Science, Health and Wellbeing
7. Education
8. Social Work, Social Care, and Social Policy
9. Economics
10. Management and Business
11. Environmental Planning

Entry Criteria:   

To receive WGSSS studentship funding, you must have qualifications or experience equivalent to an UK honours degree at a first or upper second-class level, or a masters. Students with non-traditional academic backgrounds are also welcome to apply.   

Duration of study:  

Durations of study varies from 3.5 (PhD) to 1+3.5 (MSc + PhD) years full time (or part time equivalent). The duration study is dependent on prior research experience and training needs of the student which will be assessed by completing a Development Needs Analysis. We welcome applications for both full and part-time study.  

Research in practice placement:   
All WGSSS funded students are required to complete a funded Research in Practice placement of 3-months in total (or part-time equivalent). All students will have the opportunity to complete a placement in academia, policy, business or civil society organisations.   

International Eligibility:   

WGSSS studentships are available to home and international students. Up to 30% of our cohort can comprise international students. International students will not be charged the fee difference between the UK and international rate. Applicants should satisfy the UKRI eligibility requirements.     

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:  

WGSSS is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all. We welcome applications from all members of the global community irrespective of age, disability, sex, gender identity, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.   

Assessment:   

Short-listed applicants will be invited to interview. As part of the interview process, applicants will be asked to give a short presentation and answer a series of panel questions 

How to apply:  

Applications should be received no later than 11.12.25 including all required documents. Due to the volume of applications received, incomplete applications will not be considered.   

All applications should be submitted using the following links, please use the correct email address for the pathway being submitted to:

Bilingualism/Linguistics – bilingwgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Psychology – psychwgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Sport and Exercise Science –      spexwgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Criminology and Law – crimwgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Sociology/Science and Technology Studies – socwgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Data Science, Health and Wellbeing -dshwbwgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Education eduwgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Social Work, Social Care, and Social Policy – socialworkwgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Economics econwgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Management and Business businesswgsss@bangor.ac.uk
Environmental Planning envirowgsss@bangor.ac.uk

Please include the following documents with your application:  

• WGSSS Application Form [WGSSS Studentship Application Form 2026]
• Academic CV (two pages maximum)
• 2 academic or professional references (candidates must approach referees themselves and include references with their application. The reference must detail the applicant’s research strengths).
• Degree certificates and Transcripts (including translations if applicable)  
• If relevant, proof of English Language Competency (see institutional requirements for entry)  

Funding:  

The studentship funded by the ESRC covers tuition fees, an annual tax-free living stipend of in line with UKRI minimum rates (currently £20,780 for 2025-26 full-time) and includes access to a Research Training Support Grant. Full and part-time applications are welcomed. If you have a disability, you may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) on top of your studentship.   

All WGSSS funded students are required to complete a funded Research in Practice placement of 3-months in total (or part-time equivalent). All students will have the opportunity to complete a placement in academia, policy, business or civil society organisations.   

The Envision Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) brings together a powerful group of UK researchers with industry and non-governmental organisations’ partners to provide a new generation of environmental scientists with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to take on the challenges of a changing world. Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

Members

• Lancaster University 
• University of Nottingham
• Bangor University
• the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
• British Geological Survey
• Rothamsted Research

Applications are now open for October 2025. 

Check out the available projects here

Apply here

NERC Centre for Doctoral Training in Real-Time Digital Water-Based Systems (RED-ALERT CDT)

RED-ALERT CDT's will train a new generation of leaders to transform how we manage aquatic environmental health via Real-Time Digital Water-Based Systems. 

Red-ALERT convenes private, government, regulatory/public sector organisations with world-leading researchers in genetics, ecotoxicology, sensor technology, Internet of Things, autonomous real-time data collection, mathematical modelling & data analytics.

The Red-ALERT CDT has been co-developed, and works collaboratively, with partners across industrial and government agencies.

Red-Alert CDT

The Medical Research Council (MRC) / National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Trials Methodology Research Partnership (TMRP) aims to improve health by improving trials. Our MRC Doctoral Training Partnership presents an opportunity to undertake training for a PhD in trials methodology.

DTP projects are available in various areas including statistics, data analytics and informatics, computer science, health economics, qualitative methods, mixed-methods, clinical medicine and psychology.

Students will become members of the TMRP, offering a broader spectrum of training activities and networking opportunities beyond their host Research Organisation. Students will be encouraged to join relevant TMRP working groups, where they will meet other PhD students, post-doctoral researchers and senior academic staff from relevant and complementary research themes. In addition to a structured ‘core’ training programme, we are able to provide a range of more specific training that students may choose to attend following consultation with their supervisors.

Members

• University of Aberdeen

• Bangor University

• University of Birmingham

• University of Cambridge

• University of Glasgow

• Institute of Cancer Research

• University of Leeds

• University of Liverpool

• Newcastle University

• University of Plymouth

• Queen Mary University London

• University College London

PhD Studentship opportunities for 2026 entry

Applications are now open for October 2026. The closing date for applications is 12th January 2026.

Available projects from Bangor University:

• Methods for Addressing TRial-based economIc evaluation compleXities (MATRIX), Lead Supervisor: Dr Will Hardy
• Value of fundIng a Similar trIal after discontinuatioN (VISION); Lead Supervisor: Dr Will Hardy.
• How should the environmental impact of medicines be considered in the context of trial outcomes? Lead Supervisor: Dr Catrin Plumpton.

Before making an application, applicants should contact the project supervisor to find out more about the project and to discuss their interests in the research before 2nd January 2026.

The application form is available online at: https://mrctmrpdtp.com/current-opportunities/

Please complete the form fully. Incomplete forms will not be considered. CVs will not be accepted for this scheme. Please apply giving details for your first choice project. You can provide details of up to two other TMRP DTP projects you may be interested in (from any of the partner Universities) at section B of the application form.

Completed application forms must be returned to: enquiries@methodologyhubs.mrc.ac.uk. The deadline for applications is 12 noon (GMT) 12th January 2026. Late applications will not be considered.

Link to TMRP DTP

The AIMLAC Centre for Doctoral Training provides 4-year, fully funded PhD opportunities across the broad areas of particle physics and astronomy, biological and health, and mathematical and computer sciences.

The CDT is built upon longstanding research and training collaborations between the universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Bristol, Cardiff, and Swansea. In addition, Supercomputing Wales and the University Computing Academies provide bespoke support via Research Software Engineers and access to HPC facilities in a coordinated fashion. 

Please visit  CDT website for more details about the centre and how to apply.

A limited number of positions is available for international students, including fees and bursaries.

Training

The programme consists of a substantial training component in the first year, including cohort-based training in AI and computational methods, to establish a common base. Engagement with our external partners is embedded throughout and includes a short-term placement in Year 2 and a further 6-month placement across Years 2/3. Transferable skills training is delivered via residential meetings, at our annual CDT conference, and in cooperation with the Alan Turing Institute. More details can be found on the Training and Events pages.

Research

Our doctoral training programme is constructed around three research themes:

• T1: data from large science facilities (particle physics, astronomy, cosmology)
• T2: biological, health and clinical sciences (medical imaging, electronic health records, bioinformatics)
• T3: novel mathematical, physical, and computer science approaches (data, hardware, software, algorithms)

While the themes are diverse as academic disciplines, in our CDT they are linked through the use of AI, machine learning and advanced computing methods. Therefore, a crucial role is played by knowledge exchange across themes via cohort training, joint supervision, peer-to-peer interaction and student mentoring. Research project are embedded within one of the themes, with supervisory support across themes, to develop new synergies. More details can be found on the Research page.

Fully funded PhD positions

Fully funded PhD positions are available for students with a strong interest and aptitude in computational science and in one of our research themes. Positions are funded for 4 years, including the placements with the external partners. Considerable funding is available for training, workshop and conference support, as well as for a laptop and other computational resources. The CDT will recruit 5 cohorts, with a minimum of 11 PhD students per cohort. The first, second, third and fourth cohorts have started in October 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively. For details on how to apply, see the Applications page.

The Nuclear Energy Futures CDT is a EPSRC funded centre for postgraduate training, bringing together PhD students from Bangor University, University of Bristol, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and The Open University.

The Nuclear Energy Futures CDT combines innovative research and teaching, guidance from academic and industry experts and a supportive environment to help you make a better energy future.

CDT SuMMeR has been designed to deliver the next generation of innovative transdisciplinary engaged researchers

The CDT SuMMeR draws together a collaboration of interdisciplinary research experts from the Universities of Plymouth, Bangor, Exeter, Heriot Watt and Portsmouth, as well the research organisations Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the Marine Biological Association, the UK Centre of Ecology & Hydrology and the Zoological Society of London.

The CDT SuMMeR PhD studentships are co-funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), UK Research and Innovation

More details here

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 956124.

**(Applications for 2021 are now closed)

Hywel Dda University Health Board provides healthcare services to a total population of 380,000 throughout Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

Two Funded PhD Studentships in Public Health Economics at CHEME Bangor University