IDCORE Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

IDCORE is very attractive to students with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) backgrounds and we receive around 100 applicants each year for the 10 places offered.

The infographic shows the gender, basic ethnicity detail and the first degrees of the 40 students we have recruited since 2019. We have achieved this by using:

• clear selection guidelines
• an open and transparent process
• interviews with a mixed panel and standard questions
• having a broad selection of projects and supervisors available so that students can choose research topics after they have joined the programme.

We are proud of our EDI achievements but aim to go further. Our ambition is to have 50% female students and a diverse ethnic community representative of the UK population.

How to apply for 2024 entry - Important note

We are now accepting applications for September 2024 entry.  However, we are currently applying for additional funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, as are all CDTs funded by them. As part of the application we are making some exciting changes to IDCORE: we are welcoming Swansea University as a partner and are refreshing the taught programme to reflect changes in the offshore sector over the last five years. For example our new training programme now includes green hydrogen, asset management, and measurement & instrumentation. 

We will know if our funding application has been successful in late December 2023 - until then any offers we make will be “Conditional on funding” (in this case it is OUR funding application which needs to succeed, you need only to wait for news from EPSRC).  We still encourage you to apply early as we will hold interviews and make offers until all 10 places have been filled. 

Applications are made online using the University of Edinburgh Degree Finder. Please select the year of entry you wish to apply for and click on the Apply button.

Application notes - please read before starting your application:

• Please note that in place of the “Research Plan” document requested, you are required to upload a Cover Letter: a single A4 page explaining why you think IDCORE should offer you a place.
• Please also upload a CV (with an appropriate filename) to any of the upload fields. Alternatively, please email your CV to idcore.admin@ed.ac.uk after you have submitted your application.
• You can leave the Personal Statement window blank if all information is included in your Cover Letter
• You can leave the Relevant Knowledge/Training window blank if all information is included in your CV
• Please leave the Research Proposal window blank and do not nominate a supervisor.
• If you are an overseas student applying with your own funding, please provide details when prompted. Otherwise, please leave all funding questions blank.
• Two references are required: Ideally one should be an academic reference and the other a recent employer reference. References must be dated within the last year, signed and on letter-headed paper.

Funding

Full EPSRC/NERC funding, which includes fees and an enhanced stipend, is available for UK students. We do have a small provision to be able to award funding to overseas (including EU) students and we will welcome overseas (or EU) applications.  Please note that competition for overseas funding will be very high.  If you are a UK or EU applicant, and you have questions about your eligibility, then please contact idcore.admin@ed.ac.uk.

If eligible for funding and you are accepted to the programme, funding will automatically be allocated - there is no separate application for funding.

We also welcome overseas applicants who have sourced their own funding, perhaps from their home country government or similar. Please note that the funding you secure must cover Overseas tuition fees plus your living costs in the UK for at least 4 years. Please indicate the source of funding in your application.

The IDCORE Interview

If you have submitted an application which meets IDCORE’s quality threshold you will be invited to attend an interview, either online or in Edinburgh. We normally hold interviews on a monthly basis, starting in, or before, December.

Interviews are conducted by a panel of academics from the Universities of Edinburgh, Exeter and Strathclyde together with an industrial panel member. Each candidate will be asked to present an 8 minute oral presentation entitled “state of the art in offshore renewable energy” (PowerPoint slides are not permitted) and will then be asked about the experience in research, marine energy, management, and industry. Excellent candidates are able to show passion and enthusiasm during the interview and provide compelling evidence of why they want to join IDCORE.

Places are offered to candidates who the panel feel would make excellent IDCORE students. Decisions are made on the day and normally communicated to candidates within one week of the interview.

The interview day also provides an opportunity for candidates to learn more about the programme and, if in-person, to see some of the facilities in Edinburgh.

Closing date

We will continue to review applications, and invite suitable candidates to interview, until all 10 places are filled. This may mean that all positions may be filled as early as spring. Please do not delay your application.