Applications open for Wolfson College-CDT PhD Studentship for Women in the Physical Sciences

Wolfson is delighted to announce that applications are open for the Wolfson College-CDT Studentship for Women in the Physical Sciences: a new four-year PhD studentship beginning in 2023.

Applications are open for the Wolfson College-CDT PhD Studentship for Women in the Physical Sciences

The studentship – offered by Wolfson and The Cambridge Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science (CDT) – is open to candidates with a first degree in physics, astrophysics or mathematics, specialising in astronomy, particle physics or related topics in theoretical physics.

The studentship will be based at the Cambridge Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science, an innovative, interdisciplinary centre, distributed between the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), Department of Physics (Cavendish Laboratory), and the Institute of Astronomy (IoA).

During the first year, CDT offers formal training in cutting-edge AI, machine-learning and other computational techniques which can be applied to new data sets to uncover insights about the fundamental structure of the Universe.

In addition, successful students will undertake a six-month placement with one of CDT’s industrial partners, applying these skills to solve real-world problems. The PhD studentship can be held at DAMTP, the Cavendish Laboratory or the IoA and eligible research areas are broadly encompassed by astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics.

Wolfson's contribution to the studentship comes from a College fund to support women in STEM subjects where they are underrepresented. The fund was established in 2019 with a donation from the estate of Dr Norma Emerton (1932-2018), who completed her PhD in the History and Philosophy of Science at Wolfson in 1975 and later joined the Fellowship, serving as Senior Tutor from 1994 to 1999. 

Senior Tutor Dr Susan Larsen commented: “We welcome this partnership with the CDT in Data Intensive Science as part of the College's ongoing efforts to support students underrepresented in higher education to pursue postgraduate study.

“With this new award, we aim to expand the legacy of Wolfson's many female Fellows in the Sciences, from Norma Emerton and Karen Spärck Jones through to our current President, Professor Jane Clarke: both the first woman and the first scientist to serve as Wolfson College President”

Application information

Applicants for this course should have or be about to achieve a first or upper second-class degree from a UK university or an equivalent standard from an overseas university and meet the University of Cambridge entrance requirements.

Full details of the University’s entrance requirements are specified on the University’s website.

For further information, please contact Associate Professor James Fergusson.

Full details about how to apply can be found on the CDT website.

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