South West Doctoral Training Partnership BBSRC PhD projects

About the SWDTP

The South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) is led by the University of Bristol, with the University of Exeter, the University of Bath, and Rothamsted Research. Together, these institutions present a distinctive cadre of bioscience research staff and students, with established international, national and regional networks, and widely recognised research excellence. As research leaders, we have a strong track record in advancing knowledge through high quality research and teaching, in partnership with industry and government.

The SWDTP is one of a limited number of Doctoral Training Partnerships funded by the BBSRC to provide PhD training in areas of strategic relevance. It provides students with excellent cross-disciplinary research training in line with the current BBSRC strategy, in the areas of food security and world class bioscience. Projects are supervised by interdisciplinary teams of academic staff, and students will be exposed to the expertise of the partner institutions by visiting/using their facilities, taking part in joint conferences, workshops and taught modules.

Available projects

World Class Bioscience PDF

• Structure-function studies on the Talpid 3 gene
• Regulation of Raf-MEK-ERK activity and localisation by MAPK phosphatases
• Dynamic changes in the role of kainate receptors in cortical networks during brain development
• The role of phenotypic plasticity in maintaining fitness and yield under environmental change
• Mechanistic studies of heme oxygenase 1 regulation: targeting Bach 1 and bioimaging with heme-like near infrared emitting molecular probes
• New approaches to phylogenetic supertrees

Food Security PDF

• Securing cassava as a foodstuff: does scopoletin control its limited shelf life?
• The role of trophallaxis and preferential feeding on pathogen transmission in the honey bee Apis mellifera
• Predicting the virulence of bovine mastitis causing Staphylococcus aureus strains
• The role of ARF2 in controlling seed size in brassica crop species
• Improved conjugate vaccines derived from a bacterial immuno-modulatory protein
• Exploiting natural products from insect pathogens

DTP Program overview

The DTP projects are designed to provide outstanding interdisciplinary training in a range of topics in Food Security and World-Class Bioscience, underpinned by training in mathematics and complexity science. They are designed to raise the aspirations of students by equipping them with the generic and employability skills needed to become future leaders in academia and industry.

The SWDTP follows a 4-year PhD model. In their first year students receive a range of directed training individually tailored to support their PhD project. This will include a series of skills-based training units available across the partner institutions. In addition students will experience two assessed laboratory rotations in year 1, each designed to provide focused training tailored for their PhD project. Students will be able to use these experiences to refine their PhD projects on which they will concentrate from the end of year 1. They will also continue their skills development training throughout their PhD via the PIPS (Professional Internships for PhD students) scheme, an annual SWDTP Research Conference, journal clubs, and online skills training provision.

The PhD thesis must be submitted within 4 years of starting the program.

Eligibility

Applicants for a studentships must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology. In addition, due to the strong mathematical component of the taught course in the first year, a minimum of B in A-level Maths or an equivalent qualification or experience is required.

These studentships are available to UK and other EU nationals (due to funding criteria, EU nationals MUST have resided in the UK for three years prior to commencing the studentship). They provide funding for tuition fees and stipend, subject to eligibility.

How to apply

Deadline for applications is Friday 11th January 2013.

Please clearly identify your application as being for the SWDTP call in the funding section and section 7 of the online application.

The studentship selection process will take place in two stages:

1. Applicants should identify the particular project in which they are interested as part of their online application. The project supervisors will consider your application and may invite you to visit and for an informal interview. You can apply for more than one project, although supervisors may take in to account your interest and commitment to their particular project. Each application for an individual project will be considered separately by the project supervisors. After closure of applications each supervisory team will then nominate their best applicant.
2. A shortlist will be selected from these nominations and shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview on a selection day (w/c 11th February). Please note that nomination by a project supervisor therefore does not guarantee the award of a studentship.