Three key areas in the Department have been successful in being awarded funding through the EPSRC's Centres for Doctoral Training: nanotechnology, photonics and now ultra precision engineering.

CDTs are a bold new approach to training PhD students. They are an initiative widely supported by business and industry. The aim of each centre is to create a community of researchers working on current and future challenges. The multidisciplinary centres bring together diverse areas of expertise to train engineers and scientists with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle today’s evolving issues. They also create new working cultures, build relationships between teams in universities and forge lasting links with industry at a range of levels from small and medium-sized enterprises to large, multinational corporations.

Micro and nanofabrication technologies are considered to be a major enabler of future industries, with the potential for a high resultant impact on wealth generation. The new EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Ultra Precision, run in conjunction with Cranfield University, will train its students in advanced ultra precision technologies, including focused ion beam machining, laser micromachining, roll-to-roll fabrication of polymer based electronics, diamond machining, machine tool design and advanced metrology together with innovation and business practice that will lead to the creation of ultra precision products of the future. The list of potential areas which stand to benefit include genome technologies, medical devices, consumer electronics, automotive and aerospace systems, satellite communications, optical devices and sustainable energy generation, amongst many others.

The three Cambridge Centres for Doctoral Training are now recruiting PhD students for October 2013 and all three aim to produce a new class of PhD student, trained over 4 years in the many advanced technologies with which they need to be familiar to make step changes for next generation industries.

The Department's Graduate Open Day for prospective PhD students will be held on Wednesday 5th December. This year the Department expects to award up to 25 PhD studentships in addition to those available from the Centres for Doctoral Training. Applications for these studentships are open to all UK and EU students.

Please contact graduate-studies@eng.cam.ac.uk for a registration form if you would like to attend the Open Day.