Cohort 2 2026/2027

Funding providers: EPSRC and Royal College of Art 

Location: London

Funding for: UK Students

Project Description: 

Our NetZero Futures (NZF) Doctoral Landscape Award is a Fully funded EPSRC scholarship with RCA. The strategic vision of NZF brings together RCA wide Art and Design research within three core areas of research competence at the RCA - Circular Economy, Ecological Digital Citizens, and Robotics and AI which align with the EPSRC Discovery priority of ‘Digital Futures’, and the Mission-Inspired priorities of ‘engineering net zero’, and ‘artificial intelligence’. 

This vision is located within RCA’s strategic research priorities of Climate Crisis and the Circular Economy, and Design & AI, as well as the priority to enhance our doctoral research culture by attracting PhD candidates in fields directly aligned to RCA’s strategic research priorities. 

The RCA has a track record of STEAM teaching and research, fostering an environment where staff and doctoral researchers with backgrounds in art, design, and STEM disciplines, particularly engineering, collaborate. Our community utilises design-led approaches to generate new insights and human-centred solutions for the major challenges of the 21st century. It is in this culture that we will locate our doctoral landscape candidates. 

Please apply to the host Research Areas and make it clear that you are applying for this studentship:  

• The Materials Science Research Centre (MSRC)
• The RCA Robotics Laboratory
• Ecological Digital Citizenship /School of Design 

• Apply for RCA Round 3 : Open: Wednesday 18 March 2026
• Deadline: Wednesday 3 June 2026, 12 noon (UK time)
• Notification of outcome: by 30 June 2026

 Project start date: September 2026 

Mode of study: Full time/Part time 

Funding Details: Fees fully funded

                             Stipend £23,805.00 (Full time)

 For further information about the award, how to apply and for the information webinar, please visit:  https://www.rca.ac.uk/study/apply-to-study/funding-your-studies/funding-for-mphil-and-phd-students/doctoral-landscape-sch-net-zero-futures/

Fair Access and Widening Participation

RCA is encouraging home students from under-representation of particular groups within postgraduate study to apply. 

Closing Date: 03 Jun 2026

Programme/Department: Studentship