Interdisciplinary programmes
‘Interdisciplinary programme’ refers to programmes of study where students register in more than one School at the University of Manchester or at University of Manchester and another institution.
Examples of interdisciplinary programmes are Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT’s), Doctoral Training Centres (DTC’s) and Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP’s).
The structure of an interdisciplinary programme is normally determined by the funder.
Details of all interdisciplinary programmes can be found on the Postgraduate Research University of Manchester website.
Centres for Doctoral Training
A significant proportion of the UK Research Councils' funding for postgraduate research studentships is now awarded to institutions via Centres for Doctoral Training (also known as CDT or DTC) and Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP).
The University of Manchester continues to be successful in securing funding to support Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT or DTC) and Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP). These are flagship doctoral training programmes which provide cutting-edge doctoral study within a dynamic research culture that encourages innovative, cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Full list of our CDTs
AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership - The NWCDTP brings together the Universities of Manchester, Keele, Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester Metropolitan, the Royal Northern College of Music and Salford. The DTP offers postgraduate studentships and training across a wide range of the AHRC’s disciplines.
Centre for East European Language-Based Area Studies CDT - The CEELBAS CDT pools the resources of four universities (UCL, Cambridge, Oxford and Manchester) to promote outstanding postgraduate research and top quality training in the specialist field of Russian, Slavonic and East European languages and culture.
BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership - All DTP projects are designed to provide multidisciplinary challenges for students with backgrounds including bioscience, biomedical, mathematical and physical sciences. The focus will be on ‘Interdisciplinary Training’, ‘Enabling New Ways of Working’ and development of ‘Niche Skills’.
Advanced Biomedical Materials - Undertake a fully-funded, four-year EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) PhD in Advanced Biomedical Materials and form part of a strong, internationally leading cohort of interdisciplinary researchers that will help shape the future of biomedical materials research in the UK, and further afield.
Aerosol Science
The EPSRC CDT in Aerosol Science is being led by the University of Bristol in partnership with six other institutions of which The University of Manchester is one. The CDT is multidisciplinary, bringing together researchers across the physical, environmental and health sciences, and engineering.
Integrated Catalysis - Our fully-funded, four-year EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) PhD in Integrated Catalysis (iCAT) will train students in process engineering, chemical catalysis and biological catalysis, connecting these disciplines and helping to transform the way molecules are made.
Nuclear Energy - GREEN (Growing skills for Reliable Economic Energy from Nuclear) - The GREEN CDT is a consortium of the five universities of Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, which aims to train the next generation of expert nuclear scientists and engineers.
Advanced Metallic Systems CDT - Graduates from physical science and engineering disciplines are trained in fundamental metallurgical science and engineering as well as undertaking an industry sponsored, multi-disciplinary cutting-edge doctoral project through our 4 year programme.
Graphene Nownano CDT - Students enrolled on the Graphene NOWNANO programme receive initial state-of-the-art training in fundamentals of graphene and 2D materials, their applications, and key techniques.
EPSRC CDT PhD in Advanced Biomedical Materials - Training the next generation of biomedical materials scientists.
EPSRC CDT PhD in Integrated Catalysis - Developing a new generation of interdisciplinary chemists and engineers specialising in bio and chemo catalysis.
EPSRC CDT in Nuclear Energy - GREEN - Growing skills for Reliable Economic Energy from Nuclear.
North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership - The University of Manchester, as part of the NWSSDTP consortium, has received ESRC accreditation and funding for doctoral training from 2017 to 2022. The Partnership will offer up to 60 studentships per year to outstanding candidates wishing to pursue doctoral studies in social sciences.
ESRC-BBSRC Biosocial Research Centre for Doctoral Training - Soc-B CDT is a one of a kind CDT which offers doctoral training in the new and rapidly expanding field of biosocial science research. It is jointly funded by ESRC and BBSRC and a collaboration between UCL, The University of Manchester and The University of Essex to train students researching into links and interplay between a person’s social environment, behaviours and biology.
ESRC Data Analytics and Society Centre for Doctoral Training - The new Data Analytics and Society CDT is a partnership between the Universities of Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool. It is the only ESRC-funded CDT in New Forms of Data with focus on doctoral training in research involving data created by new technologies, real-time data analysis, data linkage and interoperability of data from different sources research. It will offers at least 10 studentships per year from 2017-18.
MRC Doctoral Training Partnership - Through extended 4 year training the MRC DTP equips early-career researchers across a range of disciplines to apply their expertise into unmet healthcare areas of UK and global importance.
NERC Doctoral Training Partnership - The NERC DTP is a partnership between the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool, together with the National Oceanographic Centre. The aim of the DTP is to expose students to the breadth of research in the environmental sciences, while at the same time developing them as cutting-edge scientists in their chosen field.
The following CDTs are no longer recruiting:
Materials for Demanding Environments CDT - (NOT CURRENTLY RECRUITING NEW STUDENTS) This CDT primarily focus on addressing the needs of the Oil and Gas, Aerospace and Nuclear Power industries, and will include cross-sector materials challenges.
Next Generation Nuclear CDT - (NOT CURRENTLY RECRUITING NEW STUDENTS)The mission of the NGN CDT is to develop future research leaders to support the UK's strategic nuclear programmes including nuclear legacy clean-up, new build power stations and, defence and security.
Power Networks CDT - (NOT CURRENTLY RECRUITING NEW STUDENTS) With support from twelve industrial supporters, students enrolled in the Power Networks CDT will have multiple opportunities to interact with leading companies in the energy sector and to undertake personal development training activities required to support a future career in this sector.
Science and Technology of Fusion Energy CDT - The Fusion CDT provides training from world-leading experts in a range of fusion-relevant disciplines: materials science, plasma physics, nuclear physics, technology, laser physics, and instrumentation.
Regenerative Medicine CDT - The CDT encompasses formal training and PhD research projects that integrate elements of bioengineering, nanotechnology and biomaterials, stem cell biology, extracellular matrix and inflammation, translational gene/cell therapies and tissue engineering. (Funded jointly with MRC.)
CDT Administration Guide
The CDT Administrators Guide has been drafted by the Research Degrees and Researcher Development Team in collaboration with the Student System Office (SSO) and Faculty and School graduate administrators.
The guide identifies a number of CDT set-up scenarios and aims to guide administrators on how the CDT students should be managed in Campus Solutions.