Prospective Students | Ecological Brain

Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme
for the Ecological Study of the Brain
(ECOLOGICAL BRAIN DTP)

Applications for a September 2022 start will open by the end of September 2021. You can apply for:

- a fully funded 3-year fully funded PhD studentship (2 studentships available);
- a self-/external funded place for a 3 or 4 year PhD programme.

Please note that the fully funded 3-year PhD studentships include a stipend but only cover home tuition fees (i.e. UK nationals, Irish citizens, and those covered by withdrawal agreements with settled/pre-settled status that meet the residence criteria). International applicants will need to cover the difference between home and international tuition fees.

*Clinical subjects (e.g. psychiatric patient groups) cannot be studied in the 3-year fully funded PhD studentship.

Before you apply please read below.

Criteria

Programme criteria
• Applicants must hold, or be expected to achieve, a first or high upper second-class undergraduate honours degree (e.g. BA, BSc) or a Master’s degree (e.g. MRes, MSc), or the overseas equivalent, in a relevant subject.

• All students whose first language is not English must be able to provide recent evidence that their spoken and written command of the English language is adequate for the programme according to UCL requirements. Applicants must achieve the level of ‘good’.

Studentships criteria

Self-/ external funded places
We welcome applications from candidates (UK, EU, overseas) who are either self-funding or in receipt of an alternative funding source.

Programme Structure

The programme can be studied in either a 3- or 4-year programme.

4-year programme

The 4-year programme includes a rotation year wherein students undertake 3 rotations in their first year before choosing their PhD project. There is a pool of projects (which will be updated annually) to choose from and students have time in induction to meet with potential supervisors and decide on what they would like to do. In the 2-4 year, students will follow the 3-year programme as outlined below.

For the 4-year programme you are not required to provide a research proposal nor to decide on your supervisor at this stage.

3-year programme
Students select a primary and one or more secondary PhD supervisors and write a short project proposal as part of their application to the programme. Students will be based in the home department of their primary supervisor.

Please note that for the 3-year programme you need to have a clear idea on your supervisor and research project at this stage and we encourage you to get in touch with prospective supervisors as soon as possible.

A list of potential supervisors is available here and describes the Ecological Brain research carried out in different labs at UCL.

Applications Guidelines

All applications are for a September 2022 start. All applicants must complete Sections A and B of the application form below and send to ecologicalbrain@ucl.ac.uk. Files must be sent in a single email but attached as separate documents (i.e. do not attach your application as a single document). Please ensure you read the checklist on Section A and attach all the requested documents to your application.

Application and reference forms will be made available soon.

Timeline for applying for the 2022-2023 academic year

DEADLINE for online applications: TBC

- - It is highly recommended to submit your application 3-4 days before the deadline to avoid delays;
  - Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

INTERVIEW DATES: TBC

- - We will contact selected applicants via email shortly afterwards;
  - At the interview you will be expected to answer some questions about your previous research experience and potential for an academic career;
  - The interview panel will include min. three Executive Board Members.

ADMISSION:

The results of the interviews will be announced informally via email within three weeks time. A more formal letter from UCL will be sent anytime afterwards. If accepted for admission, the programme will start at the end of September 2022.

For more information please email us on ecologicalbrain@ucl.ac.uk

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