The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) has announced a doctoral studentship scheme, commencing in autumn 2025, to cultivate a new generation of quantum computing researchers. The initiative will fund thirty students over five annual cohorts, each undertaking collaborative projects co-developed between the NQCC and partner universities across the United Kingdom. These fully-funded studentships, awarded via the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s (EPSRC) Industrial Doctoral Landscape Awards (IDLA), aim to advance quantum computing across the entire technology stack, from hardware and software to applications and component technologies, with students dividing their time between university research and dedicated periods at the NQCC’s facilities.
The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) doctoral studentship scheme will award six studentships annually over five years, starting autumn 2025. Each studentship is worth £149,500, covering tuition fees, stipend, and a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) for consumables, equipment, and travel. Funding comes from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s (EPSRC) Industrial Doctoral Landscape Awards (IDLA) and is paid directly to the host university.
The scheme is open to ‘home’ students – those with UK nationality, settled status, pre-settled status with qualifying residency, or indefinite leave to remain/enter the UK. Successful applicants will be jointly supervised by a university academic and an NQCC specialist. Universities with doctoral supervision authority can submit applications.
Research areas include quantum hardware (superconducting, trapped ion, and neutral atom platforms), quantum computing applications (materials science, drug discovery, finance, optimisation), and quantum software/control systems. Priority themes are reviewed annually.
A minimum of three months’ research will be conducted at the NQCC, with scheduling agreed upon by supervisors. A collaborative agreement will be established between the NQCC and the university regarding collaboration and intellectual property.
All candidates must pass national pre-employment control checks to the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), which typically take 3-4 weeks, and offers are conditional on successful completion. Detailed terms and conditions regarding the training grant and IDLA scheme are available. Universities cover estates and indirect costs.
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