Sustainable Design and Innovation | Research Degrees

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Award Award	Duration Duration	Start dates Start dates	Application Application
PhD (MPhil also available) PhD (MPhil also available)	Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years	February and October February and October	January to April January to April

Sustainable design and innovation research has a long legacy at The Open University. In the 1970s seminal work was undertaken framing up alternative technologies, particularly in the context of energy and sustainable policy (Boyle and Elliott). In the 1980s and 1990s work originated here on ‘green innovation’ theory and practice within commercial, social and policy contexts (Roy & Potter) and the UK’s first PhD on Ecodesign strategies was published (Dewberry,1996). Today in the Design Group we continue this tradition, emphasising the relational and multi-scale nature of sustainable design and innovation and the diverse landscapes it inhabits. Adopting a critical stance, more recent work has focused on among other things the potentialities of smart city initiatives and artificial intelligences in attaining transitions and transformations to more sustainable urban environments.

We welcome doctoral research applications that align to the following areas of research interest:

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

Research projects will be advertised on the Design Blog when they are available. General applications that respond to the themes listed above are welcome.

UK fee UK fee	International fee International fee
Full-time: £5,006 per year Full-time: £5,006 per year	Full-time: £16,420 per year Full-time: £16,420 per year
Part-time: £2,503 per year Part-time: £2,503 per year	Part-time: £8,210 per year Part-time: £8,210 per year

Some of our research students are funded via the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership; others are self-funded. The funding application deadline for OOC studentships is in early January.

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.

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