University of Exeter Astrophysics group PhD Studentships- 2025/26 entry Ref: 5462

The astrophysics group at the University of Exeter, which is embedded within the Physics and Astronomy Department, conducts world-leading research on a variety of observational and theoretical topics. Areas of particular strength include the study of how stars and planets form, the characterisation of stars and extra-solar planets, and the modelling of astrophysical systems (including stellar interiors, planetary atmospheres, and discs) using numerical simulation. 

We wish to recruit motivated and talented students to join our thriving community of researchers, which consists of more than two dozen PhD students, twenty academic staff and long-term research fellows, and numerous postdoctoral scholars. Applications are now open for students wishing to begin their study at Exeter in Autumn 2025. 

Funding: We anticipate that multiple fully-funded 3.5-year studentships will be available for UK students; a limited number of international places may also be available for exceptional candidates (subject to UKRI eligibility restrictions). The funding is for 3.5 years and covers University tuition fees and all course fees, an annual stipend (currently £19,237 for the academic year 2024/25), and funds towards research activities. There are a limited number of funded places available; not all projects listed here will be funded.

Entry requirements

Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a university degree that is accepted by the University of Exeter for registration as a graduate student, such as a BSc, MSc or equivalent with first or upper second class honours, or an equivalent international qualification.

Students must also provide evidence of proficiency in English before enrolling http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/ 

The astrophysics group has a strong commitment to inclusivity. We therefore welcome applications from individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, or disability status. 

How to apply

Apply now

To apply for funding, you must do so by clicking on the ‘apply now’ button above. 

You will need to upload the following documents to the studentship application form. Please note our preferred format is PDF, each fle named with your surname and the name of the document, eg. “Smith – CV.pdf”, “Smith – Cover Letter.pdf”, “Smith – Transcript.pdf”: 

• Your CV 

• A personal statement that should briefy describe your prior training and research, and explain why you are interested in doing a PhD in astrophysics at Exeter. You must also clearly indicate which research projects/supervisors you are interested in, drawing from the list available here:

Current opportunities | Astrophysics | University of Exeter

• Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained 

• If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your current proficiency in English. 

For further details of the University’s English language requirements please see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/ 

• Please ensure that two references are submitted by the application closing date of 20th January 2025. These should be sent directly to pgrapplicants@exeter.ac.uk and must be received by the closing date. Referees must email their references to us from their institutional email accounts. We cannot accept references from personal/private email accounts, unless is is a scanned document on institutional headed paper and signed by the referee. All application documents must be submitted in English. Certifed translated copies of academic qualifcations must also b

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