Fully funded PhD studentships at the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Statistics and Operational Research in Partnership with Industry (STOR-i)

If you would like to solve real-life problems using statistics and operational research to have positive impact on business, the economy or society, then consider applying to the STOR-i Centre for Doctoral Training to start in October 2026.

Joining STOR-i will enable you to:

Make significant scientific and industrial impact with your research
STOR-i has an internationally leading reputation, training skilled graduates through research projects that use industrial challenges as the catalyst for methodological advance.

Work directly with leading industry partners
Many of our PhD projects are developed and involve collaboration with our industrial partners. Projects provide a unique research and training experience and an exciting opportunity for you to develop mathematical innovation inspired by contemporary real-world challenges. We work with an extensive network of industrial partners including BT, Haleon and Tesco.

Engage with our network of charitable partners
Students have the opportunity to engage with our charitable partners: British Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, Fareshare, Home Start UK and Nesta. Mechanisms include extended data dives, charity-focussed career talks and collaborative research opportunities

Be mentored by internationally recognised research leaders
Our cohort-based, 4-year scheme offers a distinctive PhD training experience. During this structured PhD programme, you will complete several modules to develop your research skills and will be mentored by internationally recognised academics. We also have successful collaborative partnerships with leading international universities

Be part of an exciting community of like-minded peers
The programme builds on our experience of training over 100 PhD students in partnership with industry since 2010. Graduates from STOR-i have embarked on exciting careers in academia and industry, working with numerous partner companies and other organisations including British Airways, EDF Energy and the Williams Formula 1 Team.

Applications open for October 2026

Funding includes a tax-free stipend and fees as well as supporting travel and equipment costs. Due to constraints from our funding agencies, there are different rules for funding depending on your fee status:

• Home fee status students: STOR-i is part of the TechExpert pilot*, through which we will be offering stipends of approximately £31,000 per year for students eligible for home fee status and starting in October 2026.

• International: We have a limited number of studentships available for international fee status students. These studentships consist of full fees and a minimum stipend of approximately £22,780 for the MRes year. On successful completion of the MRes this will rise to approximately £23,780/£25,780 per year dependent on whether you do an industry funded PhD.

* -TechExpert students will be asked to take part in additional TechExpert activities for up to 10 days each year including outreach to promote tech careers, networking with the TechFirst community and engagement with the tech industry.

We are recruiting high-calibre students typically holding or expecting to hold a first-class honours degree, or its equivalent, in an undergraduate or master’s course with substantial mathematical content, e.g. mathematics, statistics, physics, management science, or computer science.

Early applications are encouraged, as candidates will be invited for interview on an ongoing basis.

How to Apply
In the first instance please send an email to stor-i@lancaster.ac.uk  with:

a current copy of your CV;
• a covering letter explaining your motivation for applying to the programme;
• an up-to-date copy of the degree courses you have studied including marks awarded;
• your current fee status (UK or non-UK),
• information on where you found out about the STOR-i programme

For further details about closing dates, studentships and eligibility criteria, see the website: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/stor-i/apply