Doctoral focal awards in data-intensive sciences
UKRI's Doctoral Focal Awards fund structured doctoral training in data-intensive sciences, emphasizing advanced data skills, interdisciplinary research, and industry collaboration in fields like astronomy and physics.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: September 16, 2026
Funding Amounts: Up to £2,100,000 per award; total programme budget is £10,500,000; awards last 7 years and support at least 5 students per year per cohort.
Summary: Funding for doctoral training in data-intensive sciences, supporting original research, interdisciplinary skills, and collaboration across academia, industry, and other sectors through structured programmes and placements.
Key Information: Application must be submitted by 4:00pm UK time on the deadline; only one lead application per organisation.
Description
This funding opportunity, delivered by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) under UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), supports doctoral focal awards in data-intensive sciences. The programme aims to develop advanced skills and training for doctoral students, enabling them to pursue impactful careers in academia, industry, and beyond. It focuses on managing, visualising, analysing, and interpreting large, complex datasets, and encourages the development of novel methodologies and technologies.
Awards must deliver a structured, cohort-based training programme with formal coursework in computational and data-intensive science, and require students to undertake at least six months of placements outside the host centre. The programme is designed to foster collaboration between academia, industry, and other sectors, and to promote responsible research, interdisciplinarity, and equality, diversity, and inclusion. Projects should integrate data skills from STFC remit areas (such as astronomy, accelerator physics, planetary science, particle physics, cosmology, and nuclear physics) and apply them in diverse sectors.
