Direct informal inquiries for Research Positions (postdoctoral, research assistant, PhD, etc.) to Associate Professor James Kwan.
Postdoctoral and Research Assistant positions are usually posted or advertised on LinkedIn.
How do I get a DPhil at Oxford?
Obtaining a DPhil (PhD) position at Oxford is a multi-stage process. There are many paths, many of which may seem complicated. I hope to try to break it down here to make it a little easier. Broadly speaking, there are two paths towards a DPhil: 1) going directly through the Department of Engineering Science and 2) going through a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) or Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).
Going directly to the Department of Engineering Science
First, the candidate should reach out to the potential advisor to determine if there is a suitable fit with mutual research interests. After, the candidate must submit an application through the university website and be admitted into the programme. If a candidate is able to enter the programme, either the department will be willing to fund the DPhil, or they must find a source of funding. Sometimes, the lab may have funding already, and these positions are usually found on websites such as findaphd. But, be warned! Labs with funding from the department (or external grants) for a DPhil is not common. Usually, an applicant’s application is automatically submitted to a few scholarships. Details about Oxford funding can be found here. There are several excellent external funding possibilities for graduate students. Some are listed below.
In short, interested DPhil applicants are encouraged to reach out to a professor early, and to apply early. Funding may come from and internal or external source. So, be sure to read about the various opportunities that exist. If you have read this far, make sure to add KRG_DPHIL into the subject of your email to get priority in the response.
Going through a CDT or DTP
Occasionally, a group of professors from various universities get together to apply for a large batch of funding to create a post-graduate training programme specific to a certain area of engineering or science from an external body such one of the research councils under the UKRI. These training programmes (CDTs and DTPs) are more targeted to specific projects and also provide more training (lectures, courses, etc.) for the student than a conventional DPhil. More importantly, they are usually fully funded (though funding may only cover up to Home student fees depending on the programme). Potential applicants are encouraged to research each CDT or DTP, as the projects available are always changing. These programmes are also all operated by their own local administration, so you will need to look for a CDT or DTP that will fit your interest. Please contact me directly to find out about some CDTs and DTPs that my lab is part of.