OVERVIEW

The EPSRC - SFI Centre for Doctoral Training offers unique four-year PhD training in Photonic Integration and Advanced Data Storage, leading to a jointly awarded degree from Queen's University Belfast and the University of Glasgow. Designed and delivered in close collaboration with an impressive range of industrial partners, the CDT provides a cutting-edge and innovative research environment for doctoral students to develop the new technologies, products and systems required to address the expanding data storage needs of today’s fast moving digital world. The programme aims to equip students with high-level and sophisticated technical training and skills alongside much sought after skills in distributed working, collaboration, entrepreneurship and business planning skills. CDT students enjoy a substantial funding package which provides an individual budget for project research expenses and for mobility and conference travel. CDT students are exposed to best practice commonly used in large scientific and development projects, including annual conclaves for the dissemination of ideas and network building, and peer-to-peer learning and training in world-leading fabrication, characterization and analysis techniques. Our doctoral students join of a close-knit community of postgraduate research students who are supported by world-leading researchers from Queen's University's Centre for Nanostructured Media, host to the largest global Seagate Technology university engagement, and from the University of Glasgow whose capabilities include the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre in the Engineering & Microscopy facility of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Students spend time at both universities benefiting from the excellent facilities available to postgraduates including The Graduate School at Queen's and The Graduate School at Glasgow. In addition we also include a formal collaboration with the Irish Photonic Integration Centre (IPIC), based in Cork & Dublin. The cohorts from Belfast/Glasgow and those at IPIC come together several times a year for events and activities.

CAREER PROSPECTS

Introduction

The CDT programme has been designed and delivered in close consultation with an impressive range of industrial partners. Through placements, internships, annual conclaves, industrial seminars, industrial site visits and project supervision, our students benefit from ongoing opportunities to engage with the Centre’s industrial partners, such as Seagate Technology, IQE, Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, Andor, Fraunhofer (Uk) Ltd. The programme enables students to develop high-level technical, research, management, entrepreneurship, creativity and collaboration skills. Thus, CDT doctoral students are well equipped to progress to a range of research and development, technical and management roles in industry and academia. Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.