UKRI CDT in Biomedical AI
Centre for Doctoral Training
Contact us

Why study with us

Our CDT is perfectly placed to deliver outstanding, well-rounded student experience.

Building on a tradition of world-leading research and innovation at the University of Edinburgh, our Centre will train a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists who will shape the development of AI within biomedical research over the next decades. Our students will gain the skills, knowledge and acumen to realise biomedical breakthroughs using AI while anticipating and addressing the societal issues connected with their research.

Benefits

  • Fully funded 4-year studentship, covering tuition fees, stipend (£17,668 in 2022/23) and travel/research support. 
  • Extensive choice of projects at the intersection of AI, biomedicine and social sciences, under guidance of world-leading researchers and clinical experts.
  • Interdisciplinary training programme comprising a bespoke bootcamp, taught courses, workshops, taster projects and other activities.
  • Opportunities for joint projects, research visits, internships and other collaboration with our extensive network of research and industry partners worldwide.
  • Tailored training in public engagement, entrepreneurship awareness, responsible innovation and leadership skills.
  • Wide variety of CDT events throughout the year, including seminar series, masterclasses, summer school, conferences, guest lectures and industry days.
  • State-of-the-art facilities and vibrant world-class research community at the University of Edinburgh.

The CDT is hosted and administered by Uinversity of Edinburgh's School of Informatics, in collaboration with the other participating institutes. The School of Informatics enjoys the highest-level profile within the international research community, and recent REF assessment has confirmed its place as the top Informatics research centre in the UK. With over 450 academic and research staff and over 850 students, the School of Informatics is the largest in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

The CDT seeks to foster an inclusive and accessible environment where everybody feels supported and respected. The principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) underpin all our practices, policies and vision.

Recruitment

Our recruitment practices are designed to ensure we attract a diverse mix of candidates with different backgrounds and life experiences.

  • We welcome applications from members of communities underrepresented in STEM and from candidates returning to academia.
  • All shortlisted applicants receive interview questions and suggested reading materials in advance of the interview. This ensures candidates from different disciplines are assessed equally and makes the interview process better adapted for neurodivergent candidates.
  • We make sure that recruitment panels are balanced at every stage of the selection process.
  • We monitor EDI indicators at each selection stage to ensure no potential bias are introduced during the recruitment process.

Student support for all needs

CDT programme offers tailored support and flexible working patterns to meet individual student needs. Studies can be undertaken on a part-time basis to accommodate students wishing to combine their research training with work or personal responsibilities. All CDT studentships are fully funded and have provisions for sick pay, parental leave and disabled students support. We also provide individual coaching sessions to students from underrepresented groups to support their PhD journey and post-PhD career choices.

The University of Edinburgh has a range of support structures and policies aimed at helping you get the most of your studies. These include Student Disability Service, Counselling Service, support for student carers and student parents, Dignity and Respect Policy, Equality and Diversity Strategy, Outcomes and Action Plan, Student Maternity and Family Leave Policy, and others.

The University is a recognised Stonewall Diversity Champion and Carer Positive Employer, a signatory of the Social Mobility Pledge and a member of the national Race Equality Charter. The School of Informatics, which hosts the CDT programme, has a dedicated Equality and Diversity committee and has achieved an Athena Swan Silver Award in recognition of its commitment to advancing the representation of women in STEM.

There are many informal student societies and support networks at the University dedicated to creating and maintaining a safe and welcome space for their members. These include LGBTQ+ Society, Edinburgh University Women in STEM Society, Mental Health and Wellbeing Society, Student Carers group and many others.

 

If you feel there are any barriers that could prevent you from successfully undertaking our CDT programme, please feel free to contact us and discuss your concerns: biomedai-cdt@inf.ed.ac.uk

University policies and resources

This article was published on