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Interested in a PhD at Exeter? You can browse our subjects and specialisms available, search for a supervisor or investigate funding at www.exeter.ac.uk/doctoralcollege All research students and early career researchers are supported by our Doctoral College, regardless of subject or college. This fosters our vibrant interdisciplinary research community and provides a rich array of resources to help you succeed in your research project.
INSPIRING RESEARCH We are the fastest growing research intensive university in the UK and 98 per cent of our research was rated as international or world-leading quality in the national Research Excellence Framework (REF)*, with world-leading research and impact in all subjects.
A global reputation Our research reputation has moved from international recognition to globallyrespected. Our research income grew by 87 per cent between 2008/09 and 2014/15, enabling us to recruit the best academic researchers and to offer hundreds of funded PhD studentships annually.
Collaboration locally, nationally and internationally We are at the forefront of global and national research collaboration, actively supporting our staff and students to build working relationships with counterparts overseas. In addition to the array of partnerships we hold with other Russell Group universities and publically-funded bodies, our industry partners include Airbus, GlaxosSmithKline, IBM and Rolls-Royce.
* Taking account of our quality and the proportion of staff submitted
Investing in our future research Investment in our research infrastructure extends to our facilities, with £340 million invested in science alone since 2008. On the Streatham Campus, the Living Systems Building will pioneer novel approaches to understanding diseases and how they can be better diagnosed, while our new £1.2 million Digital Humanities Lab will allow researchers to use high-tech equipment to explore our cultural heritage and creative past, and to share their discoveries with the public. The new Science and Engineering Research Support Facility on the Penryn Campus builds upon the £30 million investment in the Environment and Sustainability Institute, and the St Luke’s Campus has undergone a £10.5 million redevelopment of the South Cloisters building. This offers a new home for the Institute of Health Research, as well as high-quality student learning and study spaces available to all.
Research-inspired teaching Our research strength not only benefits our postgraduate research students who are supervised by experts in their field, but our taught Masters students also gain: often our lecturers are also our researchers – those writing the books and research papers. The teaching and knowledge received is at the forefront of knowledge and you will benefit from access to the latest thinking, equipment and resources.
Nurturing talent Postgraduate research students and early career researchers are integral part of our research community and success. A large proportion of papers submitted to the REF2014 were from these groups. Thirty per cent of our research staff are early career researchers; a much greater proportion than most universities. This creates a dynamic and collaborative environment that we support through high-quality training and supervision.
Research Council Doctoral Training Partnerships and Centres Our research reputation means we, with our partners, have been awarded over a dozen externally-funded doctoral training centres. These centres offer fully-funded PhD studentships covering the cost of doctoral research. Research students aligned to these centres of excellence also benefit in the form of supervision from more than one institution, bespoke research training and opportunities to engage in research collaborations from across the partnership.
Interdisciplinary research is an engine to innovation and a hallmark of Exeter’s recent success. Our research bridges the gap between the arts, humanities, social sciences and pure sciences to tackle global challenges, such as food security and ageing, in a holistic way. Professor Nick Talbot, Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Research and Impact