The Open University is currently recruiting for DTP studentships in several areas.
Applications are currently closed. The application period for an October intake will open in the preceding November/December. Application closing dates will be confirmed closer to the time.
The Open University has partnered with the University of Oxford (lead university), Oxford Brookes University, The Pirbright Institute, Diamond Light Source, and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source to launch the BBSRC-NERC funded Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Science Landscape Award (ILESLA). This ambitious doctoral training programme will prepare a new generation of creative, collaborative, and entrepreneurial researchers who are equipped to meet the complex, cross-disciplinary challenges the world faces.
The primary aim of ILESLA is to cultivate researchers capable of developing innovative solutions to challenges in and at the intersection of biological and environmental sciences, focusing on five interconnected themes:
- Climate and Earth – Advancing understanding of climate and earth systems.
- Biodiversity and Sustainability – Sustainable approaches to support food, feed and energy security, manufacturing and biodiversity.
- Animal and Human Health – Innovative approaches to understand and support animal and human health.
- Rules of Life – Frontier science addressing fundamental questions about biological organisms and ecosystems.
- Transformative Technologies – Development of tools and technologies underpinning biological and environmental research.
View a full list of research topics within each theme.
This exciting award is expected to fund at least ten new PhD students at The Open University, across five intakes (2025 – 2029) and to fund students registered at the University of Oxford or Oxford Brookes University who will be co-supervised by researchers at The Open University. Recruitment will be annual.
Entry requirements
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a relevant academic subject (e.g. biochemistry, biology, chemistry, geology, geography, physics, mathematics, statistics, computer science).
International applicants will need to demonstrate that they are sufficiently proficient in English to support successful study at research degree standard before any offer of registration can be made. To find out if you need to prove your English language abilities with an English proficiency test, please see our International research student applications page or visit the government student visa website.
Please note that if you are required to take a test, higher level English language is required for this opportunity. This equates to:
- Minimum overall IELTS academic score 7.5, with no less than 7.0 in each component.
Further information on eligibility including what other tests can be accepted can be found on the University of Oxford's website.
How to apply via The Open University
Applications are currently closed. The application period for an October intake will open in the preceding November/December. Application closing dates will be confirmed closer to the time.
If you wish to be supervised by Open University academics, or to conduct your research at The Open University, you should apply via the Open University, following the procedure outlined below.
Please read the general ILESLA admission procedures located on the University of Oxford’s website before applying:
To apply via The Open University please complete the below essential (and optional if required) documents, save as either .doc, .docx or .pdf and email to ILESLA@open.ac.uk by the deadline shown above. Please do not combine the files into one document. File naming convention should be ‘Name of form – Surname – First name – Research theme’.
Essential documents to submit:
- A completed Application form (UK) (if you are a UK citizen) OR Application Form (International) (if you are not a UK citizen or settled UK resident). If you are unsure whether you would be classed as a UK or international applicant, please see further information on our website. Please ensure you note which of the five research themes you have chosen in the ‘Research Proposal’ section of the application form.
- A completed OU ILESLA Admissions Form. Please note that you do not need to submit a CV: all the relevant CV information will be contained in the OU ILESLA Admission form. CVs submitted in any other format will not be considered.
- Three written references. Your references will support proven and potential academic excellence in terms of intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work in a group and independently, and relevant experience or skills. At least two, ideally all three of these references should be academic references that can comment on your suitability to study for a research degree. One professional reference can be accepted if you have relevant work experience, but academic references are preferred.
Optional documents to submit:
- Socio-Economic Background Information Form. Applicants are optionally invited to provide information on their socioeconomic background and personal circumstances, which may be used as contextual information during admissions processes, including the allocation of scholarships targeted at students from groups that are under-represented in doctoral research.
- Contextual Statement Form. We recognise that socio-economic data may not fully capture an individual student’s personal circumstances, so if any of the criteria listed in this form apply, we encourage you to submit a statement providing additional detail on your personal circumstances using this contextual statement form.
- Qualification transcripts (if available). Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only submit official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
- Language qualification certificates if required for you and if available at application stage. Please see information above as to whether this applies to you, and which tests we accept. We recommend academic IELTS but do accept others. If you have not yet undertaken the test, please still do apply and you can send these to us later. We do recommend obtaining these as soon as possible, to avoid delaying the progression of your application. We cannot provide an offer without it (if you require it).
Further information on the research degree application process at The Open University can be found on our website. International research student applicants should also see the further information and guidance on our International research student applications page. All appointed students will need to adhere to The Open University Research Degree Regulations for the duration of their study. Please note that applications will be coordinated centrally by the ILESLA lead university, the University of Oxford. This will mean that applications will need to be shared outside of The Open University during the shortlisting and interview stage.
Supervisor information
Please consult the LHCS research webpages, The EEES Research webpages and The Open University Research site for suitable supervisors. If you have further questions, please contact us via ILESLA@open.ac.uk. Please note that sometimes, despite our best efforts, it might not be possible for you to work with the specified supervisor(s).
Funding Information
ILESLA is co-funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and The Open University. Awarded applicants chosen for funded studentships will receive a monthly stipend equating to £21,237 per annum for four years and will also have their tuition fees funded for the four-year funding duration. Where part-time study is chosen, students will study at 50% full-time equivalent (18.5 hours per week), receive £10,618 stipend per year over eight years and have their part-time fees funded for up to eight years. UKRI training grant terms and conditions will apply. A budget will be provided for project costs during the PhD.
Contact Information
Email: ILESLA@open.ac.uk
The Grand Union DTP is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership that unites The Open University, the University of Oxford and Brunel University London. The partnership builds on the recognised research and doctoral training strengths of all three institutions. The DTP covers 23 subject areas (‘pathways’), themed into five broad clusters. Different pathways offer students opportunities to:
- undertake a research masters, followed by a PhD (known as ‘1+3’, ‘2+2’ or ‘2+3’ routes)
- enter directly onto a PhD, having already completed appropriate masters-level training (‘+3’)
- undertake doctoral study over a longer period (‘+4’) in order to gain master-level training and skills in a flexible and personalised way, meeting individual students’ needs.
All OU pathways are available for students studying part time as well as those studying full time.
These studentships are funded by the ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Partnership. They’re fully funded for 4 years full time or 8 years part time, covering tuition fees (at UK/EU level) and a stipend. Learn more about Grand Union funding support.
How to apply
Studentships are advertised in October/November via the Grand Union DTP and OU Studentship pages with closing dates in the subsequent January.
OU Training Pathways
Development Policy and Practice Pathway – Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University
This pathway draws on the OU’s research excellence in Development Policy and Practice (DPP). Many students come to this pathway with some work experience in development and related professions and use this prior knowledge to inform their doctoral research and knowledge exchange activities.
DPP at the OU challenges 'top-down' and aid-driven development policy models and promotes research into more participatory and inclusive approaches. In particular, its approach to 'inclusive innovation' focuses attention on how technological, economic and social innovations in food, health, and education systems can bring benefits to marginalised groups. Underpinning this pathway is a history of research in DPP on sustainable energy infrastructures, migration, security, heritage, sustainability, climate change, and the political dimensions of development, all with a strong orientation to policy and practice.
DPP is the OU’s main centre for international development research and teaching and is also the hub for the University’s inter-faculty Innovation, Knowledge and Development activity. Additionally, DPP is joint home to the Innogen Institute (with the University of Edinburgh), which promotes research into the social and economic impact of innovation in the life sciences. Therefore, students have access to academic researchers across the University and to a wide range of networks in policy and practice.
Find out more about the Development Policy & Practice Pathway.
Geography Pathway – Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University
The Geography & Environmental Studies Department at The Open University has a record of producing innovative research and teaching in both human and environmental geography. Research is conducted through the OpenSpace Research Centre, which encourages a vibrant research environment, drawing on research expertise both within and beyond The Open University and academia.
Find out more about the Geography Pathway.
Health and Wellbeing Pathway – Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, The Open University
Achieving good health and supporting wellbeing for all is essential to achieving social justice, and this lies at the heart of the Open University’s mission. We have expertise in and place value on participatory and inclusive research, with a particular focus on groups that are marginalised, ‘hard to reach’ or have complex needs. We welcome proposals for research that locates the experiences of service users, ‘patients’, carers, family members and practitioners at the fore of inquiry. The pathway will equip students to address health and wellbeing as complex, dynamic and fluid phenomena across the life course and to use established and innovative social research methodologies to address these challenges.
Applications are invited on one or more of the following themes:
- ageing and later life
- children, young people, parenting and families
- death, dying and bereavement
- disability and long-term conditions
- reproductive and sexual health
- care and caring
- mental health
Find out more about the Health and Wellbeing Pathway.
Innovation in Learning Pathway – Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies, The Open University
Innovation in learning embodies a wide diversity in research, including creative learning and teaching in formal, non-formal and informal contexts, understanding children and young people’s worlds, intercultural communicative competence, academic and digital literacies, language learning, mobile and ubiquitous learning, citizen engagement, open education practices, issues of inclusion, social justice and well-being, and research into addressing real-world problems of learning in contexts of disadvantage and ill-health. It also includes new disciplines such as learning analytics and new fields of inquiry such as learning futures and performance augmentation.
The pathway offers opportunities for collaborative, participatory and interdisciplinary research, alongside research in technology-enhanced learning. Educational research relevant to this pathway sits within the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS), which is home to the UK’s only Regius Professor in Open Education, the Institute of Educational Technology, the Centre for Literacy and Social Justice, the Children’s Research Centre and the new Centre for the Study of Global Development. WELS is also home to the OU's largest group of postgraduate research students and offers an inclusive and cohesive research community.
Find out more about the Innovation in Learning Pathway.
Organisation, Leadership and Governance Pathway – Faculty of Business and Law, The Open University
The Organisation, Leadership and Governance pathway draws on the OU’s wide-ranging expertise in the fields of organisational studies, ethical leadership, governance, and sustainability. Sitting within the Business School (OUBS) and supported by our Law School, this expertise and knowledge informs and is informed by the OU’s Open Societal Challenges programme, because organisational practices are simultaneously the problem and potential solution to contemporary global crises.
Faculty academics publish in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals. Expertise, including supervisory and mentoring experience, is available in many pathway-related topics such as gender, leadership, precarious work, the refugee experience, post-COVID working arrangements, as well as human trafficking, digital vulnerability in the financial sector, gamification, economic citizenship and governance, and renewable energy entrepreneurship.
The pathway draws upon four main research centres that enhance its research environment: the Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL), the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership (CVSL), Research into Employment, Empowerment and Futures (REEF) and the Law School’s Open Justice Centre (OJC). In addition, smaller Research Clusters provide PhD students and postdoctoral fellows with opportunities to share specific theoretical knowledge within supportive internal and external networked alliances. For example, Gendered Organisational Practice (GOP) has hosted a series of ‘how to write about gender’ workshops facilitated by a world-renowned gender expert, which PhD students and academics attended.
Find out more about the Organisation, leadership & Governance Pathway.
Psychology Pathway – Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University
Psychology is a key component in all aspects of social life. Questions about how individuals think, feel and act and how these relate to wider social, cultural, economic and societal issues lie at the heart of studying Psychology. It explores principles of human behaviour that link the social sciences. For example, investigations of the role of learning and memory in education, individual and group decisions in financial and political systems, perception and decision-making in legal contexts, or inter-group conflict arising from public policy or migration. At the same time, as an empirical science, Psychology forms a critical bridge from economic and social research to the natural and medical sciences, both in methodology and academic scope.
The School of Psychology and Counselling at The Open University has a vibrant research culture that is noted to be an international leader in transdisciplinary and applied research. Our School houses three research streams: i) Culture and Social Psychology (CuSP); ii) Psychology of Health and Wellbeing (PHeW), and iii) the Forensic Cognition Research Group (FCRG), which form part of the Open Psychology Research Centre (OPRC). Psychology at The Open University produces psychological research that seeks to understand, transform and enrich the lives of individuals and communities by foregrounding methodological and theoretical pluralism with a commitment to social justice. Students will be equipped to examine complex psychological phenomena as they unfold as part of social practices in real settings.
Using established, innovative and creative social science research methodologies, students will develop research to address wider societal challenges. Postgraduate students play a central role in developing new ideas with a contemporary focus, examining the impact of exceptional and everyday situations through a psychological lens. The School of Psychology and Counselling provides students with first-class training and resources which will enable them to be future research leaders in distinctive and emergent social practices constituting and transforming everyday lives.
Find out more about the Psychology Pathway.
Social Justice and Inequalities Pathway – Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University
The Social Justice and Inequalities pathway provides a rigorous interdisciplinary framework for exploring the complexities of inequality and injustice at both national and international levels. Based in the School of Social Sciences and Global Studies (SSGS), this pathway is closely aligned with the new Global Challenges and Social Justice (GCSJ) Research Centre, which has particular strengths in applied research and the co-production of knowledge with relevant community and policy stakeholders.
Students enrolled on this pathway will be immersed in a vibrant research culture, backed by two leading research units specialising in Politics and International Studies, and Social Work and Social Policy. These units have been lauded for their research quality and have secured significant research funding, attesting to their academic vitality. Together, they encompass approximately 75 academic staff members and potential supervisors in the School.
Find out more about the Social Justice & Inequalities Pathway.