PhD Opportunities
Become a Co(l)laboratory PhD Candidate
Co(l)laboratory’s PhD projects are 3-6 year research projects that involve in-depth study and investigations of several core research questions, all of which relate to a central project focus. Projects are carried out by a PhD candidate, and are supported by teams of Nottingham researchers and partners from local community-focused organisations
Here you’ll find links to all of our 2024 research projects, information about what Co(l)laboratory PhD studentships offer, as well as details of our applicant support sessions.
Our 2024 PhD Projects
Click on any of our projects below to find out more about their focus, their supervisory teams, and to see individual project competency requirements.
Your Application
Co(l)laboratory offers a range of support sessions to ensure that as an applicant, you can be as an informed and prepared as possible before you submit your application. We strongly encourage all applicants to attend one of our four Information Webinars. For those who would like to speak to a member of the team in person, or who would like additional support, we are also offering in person drop in days and application support workshops.
How to apply?
All applications must be made through our online portal, whether you are applying for one of our projects based at Nottingham Trent University or based at the University of Nottingham. We cannot accept applications by email and we cannot accept applications by CV in place of a completed application form. Our online application form will ask you for your personal details, details of your qualifications, for your answers to our standard competency questions, and will ask you to provide the details of 2 referees. An offline copy of the application form will be made available here from 23 October.
How are candidates assessed?
We assess all Co(l)laboratory PhD applicants using our pioneering competency framework. This framework has been designed to assess candidates as holistic individuals and their potential for success, rather than placing a narrow focus on a more exclusionary, limited set of traditional academic metrics alone. Please see individual project adverts which each detail our core and project specific competencies.
Key dates
- Applications open: 9am, Monday 23 October 2023
- Application deadline: 12pm Friday 15 December 2023 (Project with * 12pm Monday 15 January 2024)
- Interviews: To take place during the week beginning 5 February 2024
- Start date for successful candidates: Wednesday 3 April 2024
Support sessions
Information Webinars
Find out about more about Co(l)laboratory. Learn what being a PhD candidate with us entails. Your chance to ask us your questions.
- 5pm-6pm, Wednesday 8 November 2023
- 12pm-1pm, Thursday 16 November 2023
- 5pm-6pm, Tuesday 21 November 2023
- 12pm-1pm, Wednesday 29 November 2023
Face-to-Face Drop In Days
Prefer to talk to someone in person? Come along to one of our drop in days to speak to a member of the Co(l)laboratory team.
Join the team at The Carousel co-working space, 25 Hockley, Nottingham, NG1 1FH.
- 10am-6pm, Monday 20 November 2023
- 10am-6pm, Tuesday 28 November 2023
PhDs Demystified: Online Workshop
What does doing a PhD involve? What does a strong PhD application look like? How can you prepare for application and interview? Our “PhDs Demystified” workshops break down the PhD process and help explain the academic world.
- 12pm-1pm, Thursday 23 November 2023
- 5pm-6pm, Monday 27 November 2023
About our fully-funded PhD studentships
What are Co(l)laboratory PhDs and studentships?
A PhD (short for Doctorate of Philosophy) is the highest level of academic qualification that one can earn. PhD programs are designed to train candidates to become professional researchers. A PhD studentship is an award of funding given to a successful candidate to enable them to undertake a programme of research to earn the degree of PhD.
PhDs operate similarly to on-the-job learning roles, where candidates work full-time (3-4 years) or part-time (6-8 years) to develop and conduct original research, all while receiving full support, training, and other opportunities.
Co(l)laboratory takes a unique approach to PhD research, offering a new way for researchers to work closely with local communities and community-focused organisations to create and deliver new research, based on the needs and priorities of the people of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. All of our PhD research projects, to which you can apply, have been designed to address complex challenges that are specific to communities in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Our PhD program takes on passionate and talented candidates, providing them with training in research skills, civic leadership, evidence-based policy, and more. The program aims to develop our PhD candidates into community research leaders, enabling them to bring about meaningful change in local communities through their research.
What does a studentship include?
Successful applicants will join a cohort of 10 Co(l)laboratory PhD Researchers, starting in April 2024. All candidates will receive a fully funded Co(l)laboratory PhD studentship, which includes the following:
- Payment of tuition fees for the full duration of your PhD, whether part-time or full-time.
- A monthly, tax-free stipend of £18,622, per annum, pro-rata, paid in arrears.
- Access to training and resources from two, world-class universities.
- Dedicated supervision from expert researchers and community practitioners.
- Unique and comprehensive support through our researcher leadership development program.
- Award of a PhD degree on successful completion.
Who are we looking for?
Do you have the qualities of a careful and detail-oriented problem solver ? Do you have experience working in local community settings? We are looking for passionate and motivated to join our 2024 cohort of Co(l)laboratory PhD candidates and take on our latest PhD research project. We recruit our candidates based on their potential for success, grounded in the following competencies:
- Independent and highly self-motivated
- Curiosity and a passion for learning
- Analytical, researcher mindset with keen attention to detail
- Strong organisational and time-management skills
- Ability to collaborate effectively with varied stakeholders
- Perseverance and resilience in the face of challenge and failure
- Genuine desire to undertake community-engaged research
- Handle complex concepts and data/information, confidently
Explore the profiles of our 2023 Co(l)laboratory PhD candidates to find out more about the kind of candidates we’re looking for.
Who can apply?
The Universities for Nottingham Co(l)laboratory PhD Studentship Scheme is open to all UK based candidates (who are eligible for UK Home Students fees) that meet our eligibility criteria.
It is important that all prospective applicants have familiarised themselves with details of our full eligibility criteria before submitting an application to the 2024 UfN Co(l)laboratory PhD Studentship scheme. Any applications which do not meet our minimum eligibility requirements cannot be considered. Click below to see our eligibility criteria in full.
Reducing barriers to excellence in research
Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham and Co(l)laboratory are committed to creating an accessible, equitable, and inclusive research environment for all of our candidates. Our ethos is ‘success for all’ — and if you’ve got the talent, the perspectives and the capacity to deliver change, we’ll support you.
- All applications are blinded before assessment. This means that the panel of experts reviewing your applications will not see any of your personal identifying information such as your name, gender, ethnicity, address, etc.
- We support flexible approaches to working for all candidates to accommodate their personal needs and ways of working.
- We support accessibility accommodations for all applicants and successful candidates. If you require any specific accommodations to support you in making your application, please contact us at collaboratory@universitiesfornottingham.ac.uk
- To support candidates in preparing their application, an offline copy of the full application form is available below.
- Please note that final applications must be submitted online, through the application portal. We do not accept applications by email, post or any other means.
- Disability Confident: Co(l)laboratory will guarantee an interview to any applicant that declares that they have a disability, providing they meet the minimum eligibility criteria.