English Literature
Aston University
About the Project Project Summary Understanding why reading can be immersive, emotionally engaging and potentially beneficial to wellbeing requires attention to the cognitive processes that underpin readers’ encounters with texts. This project will make a significant contribution to knowledge in applied cognitive stylistics, and to the integration of empirical reader response research and text analysis.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- 7 October 2026
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
English Language
Aston University
About the Project The Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics (AIFL) is inviting applications for a fully-funded PhD scholarship commencing in January 2027 and tenable for three years. Founded in 2008 as the Centre for Forensic Linguistics, and substantially expanded in 2019 following receipt of a £5.5m UK Government grant, AIFL has a focus on language use in legal and forensic contexts.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- 9 October 2026
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Communications Engineering
Aston University
About the Project =Applications are invited for a Postgraduate Research studentship, supported by College of Engineering and Physical Sciences to be undertaken within the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AiPT) at Aston University. The successful applicant will join a world-leading experimental group working on in the field of optical signal processing and optical communications. Location This position will be based on the Aston Campus in Birmingham, UK.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- 1 January 2027
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Biological Sciences
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Epigenetic disorders of development (EDD) are associated with a range of clinical complications including developmental delay, growth and congenital anomalies, endocrine and others. EDDs include both congenital imprinting disorders (CIDs) and conditions caused by germline pathogenic variants (GPVs; mutations) in genes that regulate chromatin structure /function (chromatin disorders=CD).
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is a major cause of diarrhoeal disease in industrialized and non-industrialized countries and has been shown to be the cause of travellers’ diarrhoea and persistent diarrhoea in children and HIV patients. EAEC strains cause disease by binding to the human gastric mucosa and establishing a thick mucoid biofilm, damaging tissue by secreting various toxins [1].
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project KMT2D is one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancer, with recurrent loss-of-function alterations in lymphoma, bladder, colorectal and gastric tumours, and is the causative gene in Kabuki syndrome. Despite this broad disease relevance, we still lack a fundamental understanding of how KMT2D protects cells from malignant transformation.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Biotechnology
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project The global economy has an unsustainable dependence on fossil raw material and concerns about environmental sustainability are becoming more acute. Biotechnological processes using microorganisms as cell factories to produce valuable compounds from renewable biomass are an attractive alternative, and an increasing number of platform and high-value chemicals are being produced at industrial scale using this strategy.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Background: When organisms encounter stressors such as heat, nutrient deprivation, or oxidative damage, cells form stress granules (SGs)—aggregates of proteins and RNA. SGs protect mRNAs and proteins from degradation, allowing cells to resume normal functions once stress is removed. However, stress responsiveness declines with age.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Genetics
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project An association between assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and an increased risk of congenital imprinting disorders was first described more than 20 years ago but the causes of the association have not been resolved. Recent research that ART not only predisposes to some imprinting disorders but also to multilocus imprinting disturbance (MLID).
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project The production of recombinant biopharmaceuticals, e.g., antibody fragments and growth hormones, is a billion-dollar industry, with many therapeutic proteins being expressed in the bacterium Escherichia coli [1]. Most of the E.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Diabetic wounds and pressure ulcers affect 26 million patients annually[1]. Limited treatment options make diabetic pressure ulcers difficult to heal leading to sepsis, amputations, and social dysfunction[2,3]. Angiogenesis is critical for wound healing, as cells proliferate and migrate to repair tissue. Oxidative damage hinders this process, delaying tissue repair and regeneration in diabetic patients [4,5].
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Biological Sciences
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia affect over one in five people worldwide and are a leading cause of disability and early mortality. A common feature across many of these conditions is an altered response to stress, yet the developmental and genetic factors that shape this vulnerability remain poorly understood.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project If you are interested in pursuing full‑time PhD study in anterior eye research, with a focus on treatment strategies and an in‑depth exploration of the ocular surface and ocular lubricants, this programme may be an opportunity for you. About one in three adults [1-3] and one in five children [4] meet the diagnostic criteria for dry eye disease (DED), hence it is commonly encountered in routine primary eye care.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Medicine
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Are you in routine eyecare practice and interested in undertaking a practice-based part time (over up to 6 years) PhD focused on improving the management of patients with dry eye disease? A full PhD fee waiver will be awarded to successful candidates and the research can be conducted largely remotely.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Mycophenolic acid (MPA), the active ingredient of the immunosuppressant mycophenolate mofetil, is prescribed to millions worldwide, yet we lack a fundamental understanding of how it works. Traditionally viewed as acting selectively on lymphocytes by blocking de novo GTP synthesis, emerging evidence, including our own, reveals that GTP depletion disrupts essential cellular processes far beyond immune suppression.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Genomics
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumours characterised by substantial clinical variability and a complex genetic basis.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a promising platform for delivering personalised solid oral dosage forms however, its broader adoption remains constrained by limited throughput, variable dose uniformity, and inconsistent print reliability. This project seeks to optimise extrusion performance through coordinated advances in feedstock formulation and extrusion control.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Biological Sciences
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Sarcomas are rare and biologically diverse cancers, comprising more than 70 histological subtypes, each with distinct genomic and molecular characteristics. Their heterogeneity leads to significant clinical uncertainty, with limited reliable biomarkers available to guide diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment decisions.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Biological Sciences
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Cholesterol is a vital lipid that plays a key role in maintaining cellular structure and function, particularly in the central nervous system. A crucial component of myelin—the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres—cholesterol supports nerve conduction, cell signalling, and overall brain function.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Medicine
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Are you in routine eyecare practice and interested in undertaking a practice-based part time (over up to 6 years) PhD focused on understanding the changes in patients tear film and ocular surface over time? A full PhD fee waiver will be awarded to successful candidates and the research can be conducted largely remotely.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Project Details Buccal drug delivery offers a promising, non-invasive route for the systemic administration of both small-molecule and biologic therapeutics. To date however, its broader clinical utility is limited by poor permeability of the oral mucosa and enzymatic degradation within the oral cavity.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Biological Sciences
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project The rising global prevalence of myopia, expected to affect half the world’s population by 2050, represents a significant public health issue (1). Beyond a simple refractive error, myopia significantly increases the risk of sight threatening conditions including myopic macular degeneration, retinal detachment, glaucoma and cataract (2- 4).
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Antipsychotics are the main treatment for severe mental illnesses (SMI) such as schizophrenia. Whilst they may treat the symptoms of psychosis, they are associated with significant weight gain. This weight is associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease and contributes to a reduced life-expectancy of up to 20 years in people with SMI (1).
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Background: Aquaporins facilitate passive, bidirectional water transport in all cells and tissues. In the brain and spinal cord, aquaporin-4 facilitates the exchange of water across the blood-spinal cord and blood-brain barriers, controlling cell volume, extracellular space volume and astrocyte migration.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Nursing & Health
Aston University
About the Project Project Details Background Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that affects individuals across the lifespan and is increasingly recognised as a significant public health priority. Medication is a key component of evidence-based ADHD treatment, yet decisions around starting, adjusting, or continuing medication remain challenging for many patients, families, and clinicians.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Optometry
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Visual performance is increasingly recognised as a critical determinant of athletic success, particularly in fast-ball sports where millisecond decisions determine competitive outcomes (Laby & Kirschen, 2021). Marginal gains by elite athletes can make the difference between winning and losing, with both psychological and physical benefits.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Health Psychology
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) is a recurrent appearance of wheals (hives), with or without swelling, that occurs unpredictably for more than six weeks. CSU is often described as an autoimmune condition with no identifiable trigger. It is therefore difficult to treat and patients can find it hard to get a diagnosis.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)
Neurology
Aston University
About the Project Details of the Project Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia affect over one in five people worldwide and are a leading cause of disability and early mortality. A common feature across many of these conditions is an altered response to stress, yet the developmental and genetic factors that shape this vulnerability remain poorly understood.
- Location
- Birmingham, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
- Deadline
- Year-round applications
- Funding
- Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)