Opportunities to do a PhD at The Open University (OU) in 2025 have opened for applications, spanning multiple subject disciplines.

The OU Graduate School welcomes applications from candidates across a broad range of research areas.

Training future research leaders

Pooling experience and resources with other universities, research organisations and industry partners, the OU is developing the research leaders of the future.

Some examples of current partnerships are:

• Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership (OOC-DTP) 
  (Partners: University of Oxford and University of Cambridge)
• The Central England NERC Training Alliance (CENTA) 
  (Partners: University of Birmingham, University of Leicester, Loughborough University, University of Warwick, Cranfield University, British Geological Survey and Centre for Ecology & Hydrology)
• The Grand Union: Excellence and innovation in social science research training (GUDTP) 
  (Partners: University of Oxford and Brunel University London)
• Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Science Landscape Award (ILESLA)
  (Partners: University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, The Pirbright Institute, Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutro and Muon Source)

Wide-ranging research topics

Some topics available to research because of these collaborations are around veganism; Britain in the world; dementia; technology; energy; sustainability and policing.

Apply by January 2025

As the largest academic institution in the UK and a world leader in flexible learning, the OU is renowned for taught undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. What is not so widely known is that the OU offers PhDs and Professional Doctorates too, and dozens of funded studentships for 2025 have just gone live with closing dates in January 2025.

Structured training for students

The OU Graduate School encompasses a community of around 900 postgraduate research students (PGRSs) at our campus in Milton Keynes and around the globe. We offer fully funded studentships via routes that include Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs), providing a structured training environment for cohorts of students.

Diverse community of research students

OU research students are supervised by academics who are leading experts and benefit from a comprehensive programme of research skills training with access to laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment.

"The Open University's diverse community of research students are the lifeblood of the university's research programme as well as helping to combat society’s most pressing societal challenges,” said Professor Clare Warren, OU Graduate School Director.