Connecting with Current Staff and Students

We are happy to connect you with current staff and students at any stage during the application process.  So, if you want to find out more about the programme from the students themselves, such as studying at the different universities, undertaking an industrial placement or choosing the substantive PhD project please let us know and we will link you up with someone who can share their experience and insights with you. Contact the CDT at piads.cdt@qub.ac.uk to make a general enquiry. 

Timeline for Applications

Recruitment for places commencing in September 2023 is now live. 

Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis.  We will acknowledge receipt of your application within 5 working days and anticipate holding interviews on a monthly basis until all places for 2023 have been allocated. 

Due to the demand for places, early applications are strongly encouraged. 

Interview panels will include CDT staff from both Queen’s University and the University of Glasgow. Candidates will be given the opportunity to have a tour of the CDT and to meet some of the students. 

Submitting Your Application

Applications for places on the CDT PIADS programme should be submitted through the Direct Admissions Portal at Queen’s University Belfast.

Once in the Direct Admissions Portal, you should click on My Applications and then New Application, you should select Postgraduate Research and then Select Maths & Physics, followed by Physics.  You will then select PhD Photonic Integration and Advanced Data Storage. You should enter Photonic Integration and Advanced Data Storage as the research title and Prof Robert Bowman as the supervisor.

The Research Proposal/Personal Statement

Students applying for a generic PhD place (Open Entry) on the PIADS programme are not required to give a research title at the application stage. You are required to upload a Personal Statement as your research proposal.

To be considered for the industrial studentship opportunities please specify this preference within the Project Title, for example

• EPSRC CDT PIADS Seagate PhD
• EPSRC CDT PIADS OIPT EngD

Note: candidates will automatically be considered for the Open Entry route into the PIADS programme if not successful at the interview stage for an industrial opportunity.

It is important that you tell us about your research interests and let us know why you think you are a good fit for the CDT PIADS programme. In addition to fulfilling the necessary academic background, we expect that successful applicants will be motivated to take full advantage of the full range of opportunities that we offer and they will demonstrate a commitment to engaging with staff and students across the partnership. 

We strongly recommend that you take some time to explore this website, where you will find useful information about the programme, our priority research themes as well as our current students and their research projects.