University of Exeter Fully Funded 2026 EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award PhD Studentships

Digital technologies can significantly enhance an applicant's success and the subsequent project's implementation: **For Application Success:** 1. **Project Research & Fit (Websites & Databases):** Utilize university research portals, supervisor personal webpages, and academic databases (e.g., Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) to deeply investigate the proposed projects and the supervisors' past work. This helps identify interdisciplinary connections, potential collaborators, and tailor the personal statement to specific project nuances. 2. **Document Preparation & Management (Software & Cloud Platforms):** * **Cloud Storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive):** Organize, backup, and securely share drafts of personal statements, CVs, and transcripts with mentors or proofreaders for feedback. Version control features are crucial. * **Academic Writing Tools (Grammarly, ProWritingAid):** Enhance the clarity, conciseness, and grammatical correctness of the personal statement, a critical document for conveying academic interests and research experience. * **PDF Converters/Editors:** Ensure all documents are compiled and submitted in the required PDF format, often including merging multiple transcripts or certificates into a single file. * **Reference Management Software (Mendeley, Zotero):** While more for future research, using them to organize any prior research citations mentioned in the personal statement showcases organizational skills. 3. **Communication & Networking (Platforms & Apps):** * **LinkedIn/ResearchGate:** Connect with current PhD students or alumni from Exeter to gain insights into the research environment and application process. Identify and follow potential supervisors. * **Email & Calendar Apps (Outlook, Google Calendar):** Set reminders for deadlines (application, reference submission) and manage communication with referees to ensure timely submission of reference letters. * **Video Conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams):** Practice mock interviews with mentors to prepare for the general interviews expected in February 2026. **For Project Implementation & Grant Goals (Post-Award):** 1. **Collaborative Project Management (Software & Platforms):** Utilize tools like **Asana, Trello, or Jira** to manage project tasks, milestones, and deadlines collaboratively with supervisory teams and industrial/societal partners. This is vital for interdisciplinary and collaborative projects. 2. **Data Management & Analysis (Software & Cloud Platforms):** * **Cloud-based Research Data Repositories/Institutional Clouds:** Securely store, share, and manage large datasets generated from research, ensuring data integrity and accessibility for collaborators. * **Specialized Software (Python with scientific libraries, R, MATLAB, ANSYS, COMSOL, SPSS, NVivo):** Depending on the project, these tools are essential for advanced data analysis, simulation, modeling, and qualitative research. Access to university-provided **High-Performance Computing (HPC)** facilities via secure remote access is also critical for computationally intensive tasks. 3. **Communication & Engagement (Platforms & Apps):** * **Microsoft Teams/Slack:** Facilitate real-time communication and knowledge sharing within the research team and with external collaborators, enhancing the efficiency of interdisciplinary projects. * **Version Control Systems (Git/GitHub):** Essential for collaborative development of code, data analysis scripts, and even LaTeX-based research papers, especially in engineering and physical sciences. 4. **Dissemination & Impact (Websites & Platforms):** * **Personal Academic Website/Blog:** Create a platform to disseminate research findings to a wider audience, including industrial and societal users, showcasing the project's impact and fulfilling the grant's focus on user engagement. * **Data Visualization Tools (Tableau, Power BI, D3.js libraries):** Present complex research findings and impacts clearly and compellingly to non-specialist audiences, crucial for engaging industrial/societal users. * **Academic Social Media (ResearchGate, LinkedIn):** Share publications, project updates, and engage with the broader academic and industry community to maximize research visibility and impact. 5. **Mobile Apps:** Utilize mobile versions of cloud storage, email, calendar, and communication platforms for seamless management and connectivity on the go, allowing researchers to stay productive even when away from their primary workstation. Specific apps for literature reading (e.g., PDF readers with annotation features) can also be highly beneficial for flexible study.