PhD Opportunities

Recruitment for 2024 cohort is now closed. Any future opportunities will be published here later in the autumn.

Information for current applicants

Project details

Project number: FBS2024-048-Landahl-cr
Title: Deciphering spatial colonisation and pathogenesis of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae on onions by assessing associated physical and biochemical changes to decrease food loss
Lead supervisor: Dr Sandra Landahl,  Plant Science Laboratory, Cranfield University
Co-supervisors: Dr Luke Bell, University of Reading; Dr Carol Verheecke-Vaessen, Cranfield University;
Dr Gianfelice Cinque, Diamond Light Source; and Dr Lembe Magwaza, Cranfield University

 

Timetable for application and selection

Applications must be submitted via the online application form by 10.00 am (GMT) on  Monday 9 September 2024. Please read the applicant information before submitting your application.  Applicant guidance and information is also available as a PDF.

Action Date
Projects advertised on FoodBioSystems website Monday 29 July 2024
Online application system opens  Thursday 1 August 2024
Closing date for requesting a mentor (eligible applicants only) Tuesday 20 August August 2024 (09:00 BST)
Closing date for student applications Monday 30 September 2024 (10:00 BST)
Student interviews 23/24 October 2024
Candidates not shortlisted notified by email After 21 October 2024
Award/rejection letters sent to shortlisted applicants Early November 2024

Being a FoodBioSystems DTP funded student

You will enrol as a PhD student at Cranfield University and join a cohort of 31 FoodBioSystems DTP funded students based at Cranfield and five other partner universities (Aberystwyth University, Brunel University, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Reading and University of Surrey). You will undertake training that leads towards a PhD and equips you with extra skills and knowledge to support your future career.

In addition to your research project, you will take part in the FoodBioSystems DTP training programme to gain a core understanding of food systems, data analysis and modelling. You will also follow a programme of subject specific learning, depending on your needs. You will receive a tax free stipend (salary) for four years so that you can benefit from the DTP training programme in addition to completing your research and submitting your thesis within 4 years registration period.

Please also explore our website to find our more about the DTP training programme, current projects at the 6 partner universities and meet some of our researchers to check out what they have said about their research and training experiences so far.

Applicant information

Information to support you during the selection process is summarised below. You can also download Applicant guidance and information document to use when completing the online application form.

Academic eligibility

An upper 2nd class honours degree (or equivalent) is required in a subject appropriate to the PhD project applied for (see the project description for more information on project area). Candidates with a lower class of bachelor’s degree, but a good performance at master’s level (merit or above) will also be considered. If you have an international qualification, please check the degree course eligibility information provided by Cranfield University before you apply to the DTP.

Funding Eligibility

This studentship is available only to individuals who are eligible for UK/home student fees status. To be classed as a home student, candidates must not need a visa to study in the UK and must meet the following criteria:

  • be a UK or Irish National (meeting residency requirements), or
  • have settled status in the UK (applicants from EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein only), or
  • have pre-settled status in the UK and meet residency requirements (applicants from EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein only) or
  • have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

For further information about eligibility for UK home fees status please see: Eligibility for home fee status and student support in England.

Funding for PhD studentships from BBSRC is only available to successful candidates who meet the eligibility criteria set out in the UKRI harmonised training conditions. Offers of studentships to successful candidates will be conditional on acceptance onto PhD programmes at the host university.

Language proficiency

Candidates must demonstrate the level of English proficiency required by the university that will be hosting the PhD studentship (the university where the project’s lead supervisor works). If you have completed a degree or higher degree in a course that was taught in English, this may be sufficient evidence of your language proficiency Please check the relevant university website, or contact Cranfield University admissions office, for further details.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

The FoodBioSystems DTP is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). We want to build a doctoral researcher (DR) and staff body that reflects the diversity of society, and to encourage applications from under-represented and disadvantaged groups.

Applicants with disabilities or specific learning differences

Applicants can choose to disclose a disability or specific learning difference (SpLD) on the application form. The DTP office will contact shortlisted applicants who have made this disclosure so we can offer reasonable adjustments to interviews and in selection panel assessment of written answers. Details of the disability or SpLD are kept confidential unless the applicant chooses to share them with the interview and selection panels.

Guaranteed interview scheme

FoodBioSystems DTP offers a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates from eligible under-represented ethnic groups. This is an opt-in process. Applicants can participate in this scheme if they meet the following criteria:

  1. Hold UK home student fee status for 2024 entry (details on UK fees status are available from UKCISA)
  2. Identify as:
    1. Black, African, Caribbean or Black British
    2. Asian or Asian British
    3. Belonging to mixed or multiple ethnic groups
  3. Hold or expect to obtain a minimum of a 2.1 undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent qualification

Candidates with a guaranteed interview must also provide full written answers to all questions about research and transferable skills in the application form. Selection panel assessment of written answers and interview performance both contribute to the decision on awarding the studentship (see assessment criteria).

Applicant mentoring scheme

We offer applicants, who meet GIS criteria, an opportunity to apply to our applicant mentoring programme. Applicants who are accepted onto the mentoring programme will receive four mentoring meetings, with a current DTP student with mentor training, during the application process.

  • Meeting one: (between 27 and 29 August 2024) A brief pre-application discussion with the mentor
  • Meeting two: (between 27 August and 3 September 2024) An application writing support session
  • Meeting three:(between 3  and 10 September) An interview preparation session
  • Meeting four: (after 23 September 2024) A post application outcome reflection session

To be eligible to receive mentoring, applicants must:

  1. Identify as:
    1. Black, African, Caribbean or Black British
    2. Asian or Asian British
    3. Belonging to mixed or multiple ethnic groups
  2. Hold or expect to obtain a minimum of a 2.1 undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, or equivalent qualification
  3. Hold UK home student fee status for 2024 entry (details on UK fees status are available from UKCISA)

Priority will be given to applicants who meet the above criteria and also identify with one of the following:

  • Have ever been in local authority care
  • Have ever been in receipt of free school meals
  • Are the first in their family to attend higher education
  • Have completed/are completing their undergraduate studies at a non-Russell Group university

How to request a mentor

If you are eligible to apply to the guaranteed interview scheme and would like to meet with a mentor, please complete the following sections of the online application form (before 09.00 (BST) on Tuesday 20 August 2024)

  • Personal details
  • Education history (and upload transcripts / degree certificates)
  • Equality diversity and inclusion

Please do not request a mentor after the closing date for this scheme (09.00 (BST) on Tuesday 20 August 2024). We will not be able to assign you a mentor after this date.

If you are eligible for the scheme, we will contact you shortly after 21 August with details of your proposed mentor. Please note: We will only share your name and email address with mentors. Other personal information will be kept confidential and used by the DTP office if we need to prioritise applications according to the eligibility scheme criteria.

Part-time registration

In addition to full-time registration, our studentships are offered on a part-time basis. The minimum registration is 50% FT, and the studentship end date will be extended to reflect the part-time registration. We recommend that if part-time studentships are combined with paid employment, the combined time commitment does not exceed 40 hours per week.

How we select our students

Applicant Assessment criteria

In our application form, we ask applicants to provide information about their academic qualifications, research experience and transferable skills. It is essential that all applicants (including those applying for a guaranteed interview) provide full answers in their written application. Selection panel review of written answers and interview performance both contribute to the decision on funding. The table below shows what essential criteria the DTP is looking for in our PhD student candidates and where in the selection process we assess those criteria.

Essential Selection Criteria Stage Assessed
  Shortlisting Interview Selection Panel review of application form answers
Academic qualifications and background x x
Academic and technical understanding of the research topic presented during the interview x
Project specific research experience and technical skills x x
General research experience and technical skills x x
Ability to relate own skills to the proposed PhD project x
Transferable skills x x x
Understanding of the UK agri-food sector x x
Motivation for choosing the FoodBioSystems DTP x x
Awareness of how this PhD fits into own career plans x x

Selection Process

Applications received before the closing date are checked for academic and funding eligibility. The DTP office checks all applications and screens out any candidates who are not eligible for funding (e.g. all applicants with international student status or any home students whose applications are either incomplete or whose academic qualifications do not meet the standard required for a DTP studentship (minimum of a BSc honours degree (2.1) or its international equivalent).
Eligible applications are considered in two stages:

Shortlisting

Eligible applications are anonymised and then considered by the PhD project supervisors. They mark the application answers against the assessment criteria. At this stage supervisors do not know the name, contact details or degree-awarding university of applicants. The four highest scoring candidates for each project will be invited to interview.

Interviews and selection panel assessment

Interviews

If your application is shortlisted you will receive an invitation to an online interview (on Skype, Teams or Zoom). As part of the interview, you will be asked to give a five-minute research presentation on a piece of research that you have conducted. This will be followed by five minutes for questions about the presentation. During the remainder of the interview, additional questions will explore:

  • Your motivation to do a PhD with the FoodBioSystems DTP
  • How your skills and experience prepare you for the specific project
  • Other questions about impact of the research, problem solving skills and career plans
Selection panel assessment

If you are selected for an interview, a panel of reviewers from the DTP Selection Committee will also assess the written answers from your application form. They will not know your name, contact details or degree-awarding university at this stage.

Selection panel meeting

Three members of the DTP Selection Committee will meet to make the final decision on project allocation, considering applicants’ performance at interview and reviewer assessments of written answers.

Previous applicant success rates

Success rates for home and international student applicants to the DTP (2021-24) are outlined below:

Cohort Number of international student applicants % international applicants awarded a studentship Number of home student applicants % home student applicants awarded a studentship
2020 n/a n/a 125 24%
2021 467 1.3% 148 13.5%
2022 501 1.4% 86 23%
2023 774 0.9% 90 26%
2024 1176 0.9% 86 26%

Since 2021, the DTP can allocate a maximum of 30% of its funding to international students each. We have recruited the maximum number of international students in 2024 so this project is available to home student applicants only.