University of Exeter & Paris-Saclay PhD Studentships
About the scholarship scheme
The partnership 'double PhD' degree studentships will be joint funded and provide an opportunity to obtain a PhD award from both the University of Exeter and Universite Paris-Saclay. The studentship offers a comprehensive funding and support package designed to enable students to succeed in their PhD programme and beyond.
Successful candidates will be expected to spend at least twelve months at the partner 'host' institution.
Details of the funding aviable can be found in the Studentship Funding section below.
Studentships for September 2025 entry
This scheme will fund a maximum of four students, with two students homed at each University. Studentships are now open for application to start a PhD in September 2025.
For the full list of projects listed on Universite Paris-Saclay ADUM portal, please visit the following website https://adum.fr/psaclay/pten?fin=EXETERADI
Please note the deadline for applications is 31 March 2025
Project Title: A Verification Environment for Distributed Systems Implemented in GoLang
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Prof. Dr. Achim D. Brucker
Supervisor email: a.brucker@exeter.ac.uk
Lead Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Burkhart Wolff
Department: Computer Science
Project Homed: University of Exeter or Paris-Saclay
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=53822&langue=en
Project Title: Ultrafast, Energy-Efficient Magnetic Data Recording in 2D Materials via Ionic Gating and Laser Pulses
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Maciej Dabrowski
Supervisor email: m.k.dabrowski@exeter.ac.uk
Lead Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Liza Herrera Diez
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Project Homed: University of Exeter or Paris-Saclay
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61413&langue=en
Project Title: Hybrid system analysis for early warning signals and tipping point detection in climate models
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Prathyush Prathyush
Supervisor email: p.m.prathyush@exeter.ac.uk
Lead Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Giorgio Valmorbida
Department: Engineering
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=62110&langue=en
Project Title: Multimodal and Multilingual models for Multiword Language Processing
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Aline Villavicencio
Supervisor email: a.villavicencio@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Agata Savary
Department: Computer Science
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61934&langue=en
Project Title: Generative Multimodal Fusion and Uncertainty Quantification for Reliable Environmental Change Monitoring
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Dr Zeyu Fu
Supervisor email: z.fu@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Dr Xujia Zhu
Department: Computer Science
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=62141&langue=en
Project Title: Efficient Multimodal Robot Perception for Pedestrian-Centric Applications with Human Decision-Making Models
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Dr. Xingchen Zhang
Supervisor email: x.zhang12@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Nicolas Sabouret
Department: Computer Science
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61449&langue=en
Project Title: Enhancing Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging through Image Quality Transfer
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Ahmed Karam Eldaly
Supervisor email: a.karam-eldaly@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Désiré Sidibé
Department: Computer Science
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61720&langue=en
Project Title: Spin Therapy: Unveiling Magnetic Sensitivity in Oxygen Activation
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Prof. Daniel Kattnig
Supervisor email: d.r.kattnig@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Dr. Aurélien de la Lande
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Project Homed: Université Paris Saclay
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=62148&langue=en
Project Title: Transport and navigation of microorganisms in complex environments
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Prof Kirsty Wan
Supervisor email: k.y.wan2@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Harold Auradou
Department: Living Systems Institute
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61427&langue=en
Project Title: Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) of Small Modular Reactors using Quantum Optimization
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Dr Alessandro Tombari
Supervisor email: a.tombari@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Dr Filippo Gatti
Department: Engineering
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61663&langue=en
Project Title: Probabilistic Safety Assessment of Small Modular Reactors considering Seismic Structure-Soil-Structure Interaction (SSSI)
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Dr Alessandro Tombari
Supervisor email: a.tombari@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Fernando Lopez-Caballero
Department: Engineering
Project Homed: Université Paris Saclay
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61593&langue=en
Project Title: Population dynamics and persistence in an arid zone bird under current and future climates
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Prof. Andy Russell
Supervisor email: a.russell@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Dr Carmen Bessa-Gomes
Department: Ecology and Conservation
Project Homed: Université Paris Saclay
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61972&langue=en
Project Title: Modelling the impact of forest disturbances on the carbon balance of northern forests
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Mike O'Sullivan
Supervisor email: m.osullivan@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Daniel Goll
Department: Mathematics and Statistics
Project Homed: University of Exeter or Université Paris Saclay
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61643&langue=en
Project Title: Modelling and observations investigation of the dynamic formation of the prominence-corona transition region
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Professor Andrew Hillier
Supervisor email: a.s.hillier@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Dr Susanna Parenti
Department: Mathematics and Statistics
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61643&langue=en
Project Title: Collaborative Human-AI Interactive Optimisation
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Prof Edward Keedwell
Supervisor email: E.C.Keedwell@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Evelyne Lutton
Department: Computer Science
Project Homed: University of Exeter or Université Paris Saclay
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61797#version
Project Title: Digital twin and machine learning enabled sustainable additive manufacturing
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Dr. Jingchao Jiang
Supervisor email: j.jiang2@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Prof. Nabil Anwer
Department: Engineering
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61840&langue=en
Project Title: Differentiable computing for weather and climate to unlock model-data synergies
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Dr Jemma Shipton
Supervisor email: j.shipton@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Frédéric Chevallier
Department: Mathematics and Statistics
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61488&langue=en
For the full list of projects listed on Universite Paris-Saclay ADUM portal, please visit the following website https://adum.fr/psaclay/pten?fin=EXETERADI.
Please note the deadline for applications is 31 March 2025
Project Title: Menstruation as a vital sign: what are the causes and mental health consequences of adolescent dysmenorrhea?
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Dr Gemma Sharp
Supervisor email: g.c.sharp@exeter.ac.uk
Lead Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Marina Kvaskoff
Department: Psychology
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=62159&langue=en
Project Title: New microscopy and computational approaches to determine the impact of different bacterial strategies on antimicrobial resistance
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Stefano Pagliara
Supervisor email: s.pagliara@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Thierry Naas and Bogdan Iorga
Department: Living Systems Institute
Project Homed: University of Exeter
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61725&langue=en
Project Title: Glycoconjugate vaccines for the bacterial pathogen Clostridiodes difficile
Lead Supervisor (Exeter): Stephen Michell
Supervisor email: s.l.michell@exeter.ac.uk
Supervisor (Paris-Saclay): Severine Pechine
Department: Biosciences
Project Homed: Université Paris Saclay
Project Description & Application Details: https://adum.fr/as/ed/voirproposition.pl?site=PSaclay&matricule_prop=61443&langue=en
Tuition fees:
Exeter will waive tuition fees in full for students homed at Exeter to a total of 42 months (the duration of the funding award).
Paris-Saclay will waive registration fees in full for students homed at Paris-Saclay for the duration of their studies with the approval of the president.
Stipend:
For Exeter homed students, Exeter funds those Exeter registered students the usual amount (aligned to UKRI stipend rate £20,780 for 2025/26 entry) for the duration (3.5 years duration).
Paris-Saclay homed students will be funded during the whole thesis duration according to Paris-Saclay internal regulation related to “doctorate”. The thesis duration is expected to be 36 months but can be extended to 48 months with the agreement of the relevant authorities at both parties. Funding is subject to application by the student and their supervisor. Stipend rates will be confirmed upon application.
Research costs:
The research costs provided will be agreed prior to the project starting and confirmed in an individual student agreement.
Travel costs:
Exeter homed students: students will be provided a list of items which UoE will cover the costs for, including Economy Return travel from Exeter to Paris by train (flights are not allowed within the new Exeter travel policy, unless a student has a medical reason for not taking the train etc), visas, and insurance. Exeter will also provide students with a ‘relocation allowance’ to cover other associated costs. It is anticipated that the total travel allowance will be £2500.
Paris-Saclay homed Students: The supervisor is responsible for providing the necessary information about funding opportunities and procedures for applying. They can apply for the ADI funding programme for international cotutelle thesis. The ADI funding programme finances the periods of stay in France under the cotutelle programme. If two students will be admitted by both universities, Exeter will fund the thesis of the first student and Paris-Saclay will fund the thesis of the second one. Each party will inform the students about the funding possibilities.
You will need to meet the entry requirements for the project as outlined by the Doctoral School in the Universite Paris-Saclay application portal. In addition, you will need to meet the academic entry requirements for the particular PhD programme on which you would be registered if successful in your studentship application (please note, you do not need to make a programme application at this stage; just follow the studentship application guidance provided in the How to Apply section below).
Note: Students will be required to spend a minimum of 12 months at each University during the course of their programme.
Studentships can be held on a full-time basis and will be expected to register on campus-based PhD programmes (i.e. distance learning is not supported).
Students will be required to spend a minimum of 12 months at each University during the course of their programme.
Please follow the specific guidance outlined in the Paris-Saclay ADUM portal, a brief outline of the application process can be found via the following link International Doctoral Cotutelle Funding Programme (ADI), with further information available here.
The closing date for submission of applications is Sunday 31st March 2025.
If you have any project specific questions please contact the University of Exeter lead supervisor.
If you have any questions relating to the application process please contact adi.upsaclay@universite-paris-saclay.fr
