Cardiff University PhD Studentships and Projects 2026 | 100 Doctoral Scholarship Opportunities
Cardiff University is offering a wide range of PhD research studentships and projects across multiple academic disciplines for prospective doctoral researchers.
The university’s current PhD listings feature 100 doctoral opportunities, covering fields including Computer Science, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Medicine, Psychology, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Economics and more.
The opportunities include directly funded and competition-funded research projects, with some positions open to students worldwide. Individual projects have different application deadlines, so applicants should carefully check the requirements and closing date for their selected project.
About Cardiff University PhD Opportunities
The available doctoral projects span a broad range of research areas and are hosted across Cardiff University’s academic schools and research centres.
The listings include opportunities in:
- Computer Science
- Biological Sciences
- Chemistry
- Engineering
- Physics and Astronomy
- Mathematics
- Medicine
- Psychology
- Healthcare Sciences
- Environmental Sciences
- Geography
- Economics
- Politics and Government
- Sociology
- Veterinary Sciences
- Materials Science
- Nursing and Health
- Communication and Media Studies
- Architecture, Building and Planning
- Languages, Literature and Culture
The university’s listing also includes specialised research groups such as Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, Biomedicine, Neuroscience, Molecular Biosciences, Cybersecurity, Privacy and HCC Research, and Organisms and Environment.
Featured Cardiff University PhD Projects
The current listing includes a variety of research projects across different schools.
CyberInvent: Where Cybersecurity Research Meets Real-World Impact
This PhD research project is hosted by the Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics.
The project is listed as directly funded and is open to UK students. Applications are accepted throughout the year.
Mapping the Developing Brain
This research project focuses on linking brain structure and function through imaging.
It is hosted by the Cardiff School of Psychology and is listed as a competition-funded project open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: 21 October 2026.
Chronic Pain, Sensory Hypersensitivity and Neurodiversity
This project investigates the relationship between chronic pain, sensory hypersensitivity and neurodiversity.
The project is hosted by the Cardiff School of Psychology and is competition funded and open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: 21 October 2026.
Pain as Neurobiological Surprise
This research project explores persistent pain using human brain imaging and animal studies.
It is hosted by the Cardiff School of Psychology and is listed as competition funded and open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: 21 October 2026.
Search for Quantization of Space-Time with Photon Counting Interferometry
This project is hosted by the Cardiff School of Physics and Astronomy.
It is listed as a competition-funded PhD opportunity open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: 30 October 2026.
Adaptive Virtual-Reality Exergaming for Physical and Cognitive Health in Older Adults
This research project is hosted by the Cardiff School of Healthcare Sciences.
It is competition funded and open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: 21 October 2026.
Medication Adherence in Young People with First Episode Psychosis
This project is a longitudinal mixed-methods biopsychosocial study examining decision-making and medication adherence among young people experiencing a first episode of psychosis.
It is hosted by the Cardiff School of Healthcare Sciences and is listed as competition funded and open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: 21 October 2026.
Mapping Cerebellar Network Dysfunction in Episodic Ataxia
This project is hosted by the Cardiff School of Biosciences and examines cerebellar network dysfunction using human organoids.
It is listed as competition funded and open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: 21 October 2026.
From Multi-OMICs to Mechanism
This Cardiff School of Biosciences project focuses on understanding links between protein turnover and therapy resistance in glioblastoma stem cells.
It is listed as competition funded and open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: 21 October 2026.
Gene-Diet Interaction and Psychiatric Risk
This project investigates gene-diet interactions and psychiatric risk, with a focus on FADS2 and dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids.
It is hosted by the Cardiff School of Biosciences and is competition funded and open to students worldwide.
Application deadline: 21 October 2026.
Funding Opportunities
The Cardiff University listing distinguishes between different funding statuses.
The current search page includes categories for:
- UK students
- European students excluding the UK
- Non-European students
- Self-funded students
Applicants should therefore check the funding status attached to each individual PhD project rather than assuming that every listed doctoral opportunity carries the same funding arrangement.
The current first page also identifies some projects as directly funded and others as competition funded.
Application Deadlines
There is no single deadline covering all the listed PhD projects.
For example, the current listings show:
- CyberInvent — applications accepted all year round
- Several Psychology, Healthcare Sciences and Biosciences projects — 21 October 2026
- Photon-counting interferometry project — 30 October 2026
Applicants should therefore review the individual project page for the latest deadline, eligibility conditions and application procedure.
How to Find a Suitable PhD Project
Prospective applicants can use the Cardiff University PhD studentships and projects listing to search according to several criteria.
The listing provides filters for:
- Department
- Supervisor
- Discipline
- Research Group
- Funding Status
- Keywords
This allows prospective students to narrow the available projects according to their academic interests, preferred supervisor, research field and funding circumstances.
Research Supervisors
The current Cardiff University listing includes a large number of potential PhD supervisors across different schools and disciplines.
The supervisor filter includes academics such as Dr Nitesh Kumar, Dr Mohammad Al-Amri, Prof Pete Burnap, Prof Mara Cercignani, Prof H. Grote, Prof P. Sumner, Dr George Tackley, Dr Yasir Syed and many others.
Applicants should examine the research interests of the supervisor attached to their selected project before applying.
Why Applicants Should Check Individual Projects
The 100 available projects do not all have identical funding arrangements, deadlines or eligibility requirements.
For example, the CyberInvent project is directly funded and accepts applications throughout the year, while several other projects are competition funded and have specific October 2026 deadlines.
Applicants should therefore avoid treating the entire listing as one single scholarship programme.
Instead, they should select a specific research project and review its individual requirements before submitting an application.
Application Portal: Cardiff University PHD Studentships
Conclusion
Cardiff University’s current PhD studentships and projects listing provides prospective doctoral researchers with access to 100 PhD opportunities across a broad range of academic disciplines.
The opportunities cover areas from artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering and physics to healthcare, psychology, biosciences, environmental sciences and other social and scientific disciplines.
Some projects are directly funded, while others are competition funded, and eligibility varies between projects. Several current opportunities are open to students worldwide, while others have more specific funding eligibility.
Interested applicants should use the university’s search filters to identify suitable projects, examine the funding status and deadline of their chosen opportunity, review the supervisor and research topic, and then follow the application instructions for that specific project.
Discover more opportunities on the OFY Webpage.
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