Scholarship opportunities

Sheffield Hallam University is offering the below scholarship to study on the joint PhD programme with La Trobe University, Australia, to start October 2024.

The projects will be based in our Industry and Innovation Research Institute.

AI-based anti-cybercriminal Privacy Detection and Prevention through disciplining in Multi-modal Assistive Robotic Systems (MARS) in Healthcare. Supervisors: Dr Jims Marchang, Department of Computing; Prof Alessandro Di Nuovo, Department of Computing (Sheffield Hallam); Dr Abdun Mahmood, Department of Computer Science and Information Technology; Dr Jabed Chowdhury, Department of Computer Science and Information Technology (La Trobe).

More information on the project can be found on our Doctoral Programmes and Projects page or by contacting the lead supervisor. 

You should submit your application by the closing date of 19 May 2024.

About the joint PhD programme

Students on the joint PhD programme will be enrolled on a PhD at both institutions. Your supervisory team will comprise academics from each institution who will provide support and guidance throughout your research. You will benefit from the research community, networking and collaborations of the Sheffield Hallam/La Trobe global partnership. As a student of both institutions, you will have access to services and support provided at Sheffield Hallam and La Trobe, including a range of professional and personal development for researchers. 

For this scholarship, Sheffield Hallam will be your “home institution” where you will begin your studies and spend the majority of your time. The expectation is that you will typically spend up to 12 months at La Trobe as the “host institution”; the timing and duration of this will depend on your programme of research but in general will be in the second year of your degree. If, due to exceptional circumstances, you are not able to travel to the host institution, this requirement may be waived. Travel to and study at the host institution will be subject to the usual immigration requirements.

The joint PhD includes a tailored programme of progress monitoring to fulfil the requirements of both institutions. All candidates will write and submit a thesis for defence by oral examination. On successful completion of the programme requirements, you will be awarded a PhD jointly by both institutions. 

Scholarship details

The scholarship is available for 3.5 years of full-time study and will provide:

• Tuition fees at ‘Home’ student rates* 
• A PhD bursary at the standard Sheffield Hallam PhD bursary rate (this is aligned with the net Real Living Wage and the current rate for academic year 2023/24 is £19,722 per annum)
• One economy return air fare between the UK and La Trobe University
• Single person Visa-length Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the agreed period of residency at La Trobe

*These scholarships generally pay tuition fees at Home levels only. However, additional funding may be available to cover the full International tuition fee for exceptional International applicants – for more information see the ‘Eligibility’ section below.

In addition to the above, La Trobe University will award a tuition fee scholarship to the successful SHU scholarship holders on the joint programme.  

An optional further 6 months of “writing-up” study may be available to students who have not submitted their thesis within their funded scholarship period; however, this is not funded by the scholarship and students will have to pay the “writing-up” tuition fee themselves (currently £250 for 6 months). 

This scholarship is not available for part-time study.

Students will be personally responsible for the below which are not covered by the scholarships:

• Incidental fees and charges at the Host Institution;
  
• Insurance, including medical and travel insurance, for the entire period of their stay at the Host Institution;
  
• Accommodation and living expenses at the Host Institution;
  
• All costs associated with applying for and obtaining appropriate visas and travel documentation to the country of the Host Institution;
  
• All personal expenses and non-compulsory additional fees at the Host Institution;
  
• All debts incurred by the Candidates during the course of their stay at the Host Institution;
  
• Any other debts incurred by the Candidates during the Joint PhD Program.
  
• Please note the OSHC is covered for a single person only; any student intending to travel to Australia with family members will need to pay additional OSHC costs to upgrade to family cover.

For more information on our scholarships general conditions of award, see our Conditions of Award for University PhD scholarships. 

Eligibility

This scholarship is open to Home and International applicants. However, the scholarship will usually cover tuition fees at Home levels only, and students who are liable for the International fee rate will be expected to provide the difference between the Home and International fees from another funding source. This fees difference (currently £11,673 per year) will need to be covered by the International student for the duration of the scholarship.

For exceptional International applicants, additional funding may be available to cover the full International tuition fee for the duration of the scholarship. This additional funding is limited, and availability for this scholarship cannot be guaranteed. International applicants who are successful in their application for a project and associated scholarship will be considered for this additional funding as part of the recruitment process. This additional funding is competitive and may be awarded to exceptional International applicants on the basis of their academic record, skills and experience, and performance at interview, as judged by the Research Institute Head of Research Degrees.

Academic and English Language entry requirements for PhD Computing and Informatics can be found on our online prospectus. As a minimum, all applicants should hold a strong undergraduate degree (2.1 or above) and/or a relevant Masters qualification (or expectation of the same).

To be accepted onto the joint award, candidates must be accepted for admission by both institutions. Where eligibility requirements differ between institutions, admission to the joint award may be conditional on the candidate fulfilling certain academic requirements during their first year of study.

Students who are already enrolled on a PhD at Sheffield Hallam or La Trobe are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.

How to apply 

Search our Doctoral Programmes and Projects page for further information on the projects available.

Enquiries regarding the projects should be directed to the lead supervisor. 

General application enquiries can be directed to Industry-innovation-admissions@shu.ac.uk 

You should submit your application by the closing date of Sunday 19 May 2024. 

Complete the application form.

Your application should include:

• An outline research proposal attached as a separate document. This should include an outline of how you would approach the research project identified, and your understanding of the current knowledge and context, referencing key background literature 
  
• Copies of qualifications, certificates and/or results transcripts
  
• Proof of English language ability, where English is not your first language 
  
• Copies of your passport and any relevant visas, for International applicants

When filling out the Personal Statement section of the application form, you should clearly indicate the project you are applying for and outline: 

a) why you are interested in doing PhD research on this topic 
b) how your skills and experience to date (including your undergraduate and/or masters dissertation, if relevant) prepare you to embark on the project 
c) any challenges that you foresee in conducting the research and how you might approach or solve them

Please note we are unable to accept applications received after the deadline.  

What happens next

Your application will be reviewed and shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview. The strongest candidate will then be nominated for one of the Sheffield Hallam scholarships. Nominations will be reviewed by a joint Sheffield Hallam/La Trobe panel.

Interview dates will be communicated to shortlisted candidates. 

As the selection process is conducted by both universities, your application will be shared with La Trobe University as part of the selection process.

The successful candidate will then need to formally apply to La Trobe University for a place on the joint PhD programme. Any offer of a place on the joint PhD programme at Sheffield Hallam is conditional on acceptance for study at La Trobe.

About the Sheffield Hallam and La Trobe Global Partnership

After working together for almost 10 years, in early 2019 La Trobe and Sheffield Hallam decided to strengthen their relationship and create a new strategic partnership.

As partners, we recognised opportunities to provide students with an international learning experience, to work collaboratively on research and innovation projects with global impact, and to share good practice and innovative approaches to higher education. 

La Trobe and Hallam both share a vision of the transformative potential of universities, believe in the importance of providing students with opportunities to succeed at whatever they choose to do irrespective of their backgrounds and personal circumstances and consider education and research as having the potential to address the most significant social, cultural and economic challenges.

Both universities have an international profile - connecting globally to provide an international perspective to learning, teaching and research. More information about research at the two universities can be found on the Sheffield Hallam and La Trobe websites.