UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Digital Media Inclusion

Our recruitment process includes selecting PhD students who will be distributed among projects according to the challenge areas identified. We’re looking for academic excellence, passion for research on AI for digital media inclusion, and evidence of being able to work effectively as part of a team.

UK qualifications

Applicants are expected to hold a first or upper second-class (2:1) UK degree in a relevant discipline (or equivalent overseas qualification), or a lower-second (2:2) UK degree plus a good UK masters degree - distinction normally required (or equivalent overseas qualification).

English language requirements

IELTS Academic: 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 6.0 in each individual category.

These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept.

If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.

The UKRI AI CDT in AI for Digital Media Inclusion is part of the TechExpert pilot, offering stipends of £31,000 for students eligible for home fee status.

Join us and help grow the UK’s national capability in artificial intelligence, part of the UK’s modern industrial strategy.

Our scholarship funding is provided for a period of 4 years and covers:

• UK home tuition fees
• Tax-free stipend of £31,000 in 2026–27 (pro rata for part-time study) to support your living costs, paid in regular instalments. Stipend values normally rise annually with inflation
• As a doctoral student, you may be able to access additional funding to cover the cost of other research-related training and development opportunities.

Eligibility

• You must have home fee status to be eligible for the TechExpert stipend amount.
• Applicants with international fee status are encouraged to apply but will receive the standard UKRI minimum stipend, which will be £21,000 in 2026–27 plus a stipend enhancement of £4,000 per annum. All fees are also covered as part of the scholarship.

Stages 1 and 2: Online application forms

To apply for a PhD studentship in the CDT in AI for Digital Media Inclusion, first submit the following online forms, which will be available when recruitment opens in December:

1. Online CDT application form one
2. Online additional information form two.

Send the following to CDT_AI@surrey.ac.uk:

1. Copy of your CV (2 pages max.)
2. Research proposal (800 words max.) (please label your files clearly with your LASTNAME.Name).

Stage 3: Recruitment workshop

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a recruitment workshop at the University of Surrey (there will be an online option for those who need to attend remotely).

  The recruitment workshop will include:

• Introduction to the CDT in AI for Digital Media Inclusion and the challenge-led research training programme with industry.
• Group task working in small multi-disciplinary groups to propose an approach using AI to enable inclusion for all in a media experience.
• Interview with a panel to further explore motivation, passion for the subject, ability to engage in interdisciplinary thinking and problem-solving skills. This will include a discussion of the research proposal submitted.

Outcomes and decisions:  Pre-selection stage

Applicants will be notified by email when a decision has been made. For applicants accepted onto the CDT programme, a provisional offer will be made by the CDT subject to completion and submission of a formal PhD application via the chosen University (Surrey or Royal Holloway University of London) portals with the required documentation.

The deadline by which applicants must accept their CDT provisional offer will be stated in the notification email. Candidates will be invited to discuss their preferred location for their PhD studies (Surrey/Royal Holloway University of London) prior to the formal offer being issued.

Stage 4: University official PhD offers

Formal offers (academic and funding) will be made by either the University in line with the academic and language requirements set out in the admissions statement for the programme, taking into account relevant experience.

Offers may be conditional or unconditional:

• Unconditional offers will be made where applicants have already met the conditions and provided evidence.
• Conditional offers will be made where academic or language qualifications have not yet been fulfilled, specifying the requirements that must be met. 

CDT candidates additional information (online form two)

The CDT candidates additional information (form two) contains standardised monitoring questions about your personal characteristics. You are not obliged to provide this information and it will not form part of the assessment process. We will use it to evaluate our equality, diversity and inclusion practices and report back to our funder. All questions include the option 'prefer not to say'.

As the CDT is publicly funded by UKRI, we are required to collect information about applicants seeking to be considered for this PhD programme. The data will be treated as confidential and will be held separately from the identifying information that you provide in the first section below. Only a limited number of CDT members will be able to link the two sets of data. We need to maintain this link so that we can understand applicants’ interactions with us over time without asking you to provide the information multiple times.

Research proposal guidelines

You are required to submit a research proposal (800 words max.) Applicants should propose a clear and well-motivated research direction, while recognising that PhD projects evolve as ideas develop and supervisory teams are confirmed. 

This proposal forms part of the assessment process and may inform the development of closely related PhD projects.

Research proposals should engage with the CDT for AI for Digital Media Inclusion including ethical and social dimensions.

Research proposal structure

• Title: (not included in word count)A brief title that communicates the essence of the idea - Please enter the same title in your application form.
• "Home" discipline (not included in word count): The CDT is committed to interdisciplinary research; however, each PhD project must have a primary disciplinary ‘home’. Please also list any additional relevant disciplines.
• Background (200 words): Provide a concise overview of the research context, including key literature and references you have read. Explain why this topic is timely, relevant, and important. Where appropriate, situate the work within broader societal, technological, or policy contexts.
• Research question(s) (100 words): Clearly state the main research question(s) and outline any specific hypotheses. Include a high-level description of how AI could be applied to address inclusion.
• Methodology (150 words): Explain the research methods, techniques, and analytical approaches you propose to use.
• Significance and impact (200 words): Explain how the research findings will contribute to new understanding and outline any potential practical, societal or policy impacts.
• Challenges (50 words): Identify key technical and non-technical challenges, such as data access, feasibility, ethical considerations, or stakeholder engagement.
• Motivation (100 words): What is your personal motivation for pursuing this research within the CDT? Explain how it connects to your experience, academic background, interests, and future aspirations.
• Supervisors (not included in word count): Do you already have links with any specific supervisors at Surrey or RHUL? It is in no way a disadvantage if you do not, but if you do, this is useful for us to know.
• References (not included in word count): Give full citations for all references (any citation style is fine).

The selection process will be conducted by members of staff who have been trained in equality, diversity and inclusion with respect to recruitment techniques. All interviews and selection processes will be undertaken in accordance with the University’s policy on equal opportunities.

All applicants are considered in line with the University’s relevant code of practice for postgraduate admissions.

Your completed online application (Form 1), CV and Research Proposal will be used to assess your initial eligibility and suitability for the programme. We’re looking for academic excellence, passion for research on AI for digital media inclusion, and evidence of being able to work in a team.

Applications are considered by at least two members of staff using the following criteria:

• Academic achievement and/or relevant experience (50%)
• Motivation and research proposal (30%)
• Fit to multi-disciplinary cohort and teamwork (20%).

Prospective candidates can contact CDT_AI@surrey.ac.uk for more details.

Application deadline: 30 January 2026.

Recruitment workshops and admission panel interviews: March 2026.

Decisions: March/April 2026.