University of Exeter’s Living Systems Institute – Ph.D. Studentships 2026 Ref: 5835

Supervisors

Supervisors will be from department of Mathematics, Physics or Engineering

The University of Exeter’s Living Systems Institute presents an extraordinary opportunity for fully funded PhD studentships available for intake in autumn 2026 (students may start later if requested).  For eligible students, the studentship will cover home tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend equivalent to the UKRI minimum stipend (£21,805) for 3.5 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study, and a training budget.

Programme overview

Modern scientific innovation involves the integration of diverse fields and the bridging of pure and application-oriented research. This requires a new generation of scientists trained to think and experiment beyond traditional boundaries. The recently established Living Systems Institute provides this opportunity by housing world-leading Biologists, Physicists, Mathematicians, Computational Scientists, and Engineers who work together using cutting-edge technologies. Our mission is to uncover the secrets of life across all scales - from individual atoms to whole organisms - and thereby develop new approaches for improving health and treating disease.

We wish to recruit highly motivated and imaginative students from the full range of disciplines mentioned above to join our thriving community of over 50 PhD students.

Funding

Full funding is available for home students and includes payment of tuition fees, a personal stipend equivalent to the UKRI minimum stipend (£21,805) for 3.5 years and a training budget. Students who pay international tuition fees are eligible to apply. However, they should be aware that the award will only cover part (approximately £27,000) of the international tuition fee (Physics of Living Systems: £29,900, Complex Living Systems: £28,900, Maths of Living Systems: £26,800)  and does not include a stipend for living expenses. We also welcome applications from candidates who can provide partial or full funding from other sources.

Training

The Living Systems Institute's variety of research systems, topics, and approaches provides multiple training opportunities for our Ph.D. students. We support you in developing broad scientific and personal skillsets throughout your studies. We tailor individual training needs, including secondment opportunities in other labs within the institute. Our interdisciplinary training programme includes physical, mathematical, and computational analyses of living systems alongside exposure to the latest techniques in molecular cell biology. 

Research Culture

You will join a friendly and diverse community of students within the Living Systems Institute. Our research staff and students experience a vibrant research culture. Within the programme, PhD student-led seminar series, journal clubs, and discussion groups to develop peer-to-peer learning and discourse.

Ph.D. project

Your Ph.D. project will work across disciplines to generate new and important knowledge.

The Living Systems Institute is home to mathematicians, physicists, bioengineers, biologists, and biomedical scientists. Our interdisciplinary and collaborative research philosophy is embodied in three cross-cutting themes:

Mathematics of Life - Developing and analysing mathematical models to explain and predict function and dysfunction in biological systems.

Physics of Life - Uncovering the fundamental physical principles that govern the dynamic organisation of living systems.

Engineering Life - Reverse engineering biological phenomena from molecular and cellular components.

These themes drive investigation, discovery, and application across all scales of life: gene expression and genomics, structure/function, phage and viruses, microbes, stem cells and development and neuroscience.

Find out more

For more information about the Living Systems Institute and our available studentships please follow this link: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/livingsystems/research/lsiphdprogramme/

Important information for International Applicants

International applicants need to be aware that you will have to cover the cost of your student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD. More information regarding these costs, can be found via the following link https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/international/applyingforavisa/studentvisas/money/

Entry requirements

Applicants must hold a university degree that is accepted by the University of Exeter for registration as a graduate student such as a BSc, MSc, or equivalent with first or upper second-class honours.  We encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds across, Biological, Medical, and Physical Sciences as well as Engineering and Computation. Students must provide evidence of proficiency in English by a certified test such as IELTS.  For more information about the English Language requirements see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/

The Institute has a strong commitment to inclusivity, we, therefore, welcome applications from individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, or disability status.

How to apply

Apply now

To apply for this studentship please use the application link on this page.  

In your application, please state the project that you are applying for.
You will need to upload the following documents to the studentship application form. Please note our preferred format is PDF, each file named with your surname and the name of the document, eg. “Smith – CV.pdf”, “Smith – Cover Letter.pdf”, “Smith – Transcript.pdf”:

• Your CV
• A personal statement that should include why you are interested in interdisciplinary approaches to research.  You should also express your preference of which research projects you are interest in (up to three) from the list available on the LSI webpages.
• Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
• If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your current proficiency in English.  For further details of the University’s English language requirements please see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/
• Please ensure that two references are submitted by the application closing date of 8th June 2026.
    Alternatively references can be sent directly to pgrapplicants@exeter.ac.uk, thought must be received by the closing date.

The closing date for applications is Monday 8th June 2026
 

Summary