SUSTAIN is a four-year doctoral training programme led by the University of Lincoln with the Universities of Aberdeen, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Strathclyde. It combines artificial intelligence, social science and plant, animal and biosciences to address challenges in sustainable agri-food systems.
Students join a project led by one of the four partner universities and are based at that project’s lead institution. Projects are co-created with external partners and shaped with student input during the first year.
Benefits & funding
- Full payment of annual tuition fees.
- For October 2026 entrants, a tax-free annual stipend of £31,805 for home-fee students through the TechExpert pilot, or the £21,805 UKRI minimum stipend for eligible international-fee students.
- A £12,000 Research, Training and Support Grant for project and development costs.
- Additional support for conferences, placements and other research activities.
- The enhanced TechExpert amount applied only to October 2026 entrants; funding for the 2027 cohort has not yet been published.
Eligibility
- A first-class or 2:1 Bachelor’s degree, or an MSc with merit, in a relevant subject area.
- Non-native English speakers need English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.5; a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from an English-speaking university may also be considered.
- The programme itself sets no nationality requirement. Home and international applicants may both apply.
- Individual projects can be narrower. The most recently advertised project, Q3452 at Queen’s University Belfast, was open to applicants from the UK and the Republic of Ireland only, so each project’s own eligibility line must be read before it is selected.
- Places for international-fee students are limited. UKRI caps open-eligibility studentships at 30 percent of the intake.
- Students must live in the UK for most of their studies; overseas time is limited to fieldwork or a long-term attachment. Part-time study is available.
Can you apply?
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Education required
Bachelor · Master
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Application process
- 1Review the advertised projects and check the eligibility conditions attached to each one.
- 2Complete the SUSTAIN online form, selecting up to three projects and answering the personal-statement questions.
- 3Reply to the acknowledgement email with a CV, academic transcripts and any required immigration or English-language evidence.
- 4If shortlisted, attend an interview and give a presentation on the selected project or projects and SUSTAIN; references are requested after interview.
Program timeline
Most recent student application deadline
Jul 31, 2026
Recruitment begins for October 2027 entry
Sep 18, 2026
Next cohort starts
Oct 1, 2027