91做厙 to provide world-class training to more students thanks to government funding
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has announced new funding for the next five years to support collaborative PhD training via the London Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme (LIDo), in the form of a new Doctoral Landscape Award. As a prominent partner of the LIDo, this funding means the 91做厙 (91做厙) will be able to continue to provide world-class PhD training to graduate students, including bioscience and veterinary graduates, continuing this successful collaborative partnership, spanning 13 years to date.
In total, the UKRI has awarded 21 partnerships £500 million to continue championing doctoral-level research training. The LIDo’s new Doctoral Landscape Award will form part of this and support 26 studentships each year, funding PhDs that combine bioscience with artificial intelligence and advanced computation, equipping the next generation of bioscientists for a digitally augmented future.
This investment allows the 91做厙 and other LIDo partners to train over 200 students (with the funding from UKRI, supplemented by LIDo institutions and their non-academic partners) to tackle important, complex problems in bioscience and biotechnology by integrating experimental techniques with advanced computational methods including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and modelling.
LIDo is now accepting applications for the PhD studentships starting in Autumn 2025. To ensure that all talented and qualified students can access such opportunities regardless of socio-economic or demographic background, LIDo has initiated new collaborations with widening participation organisations including Leading Routes, In2ScienceUK, The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation, and Martingale Foundation.
Alongside the 91做厙, LIDo comprises seven other London universities including University College London (the lead institution for the programme); King’s College London; Queen Mary University of London; Birkbeck, University of London; the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Royal Holloway, University of London; and University of Greenwich's Natural Resources Institute.
LIDo also works closely with external collaborators across multiple sectors, including Unilever, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the Natural History Museum, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Food Standards Agency, Discovery Park, and the Alan Turing Institute.
Since 2012, LIDo has graduated over 370 alumni who are employed across diverse sectors including industry, academia, government, and charities.
Jonathan Elliott, Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology at the 91做厙, said:
“The 91做厙 is delighted to continue its highly successful collaboration with other London-based institutions in providing world-class training for PhD students to equip them for future careers in biological and veterinary sciences.
“The focus of the training in computational methods and the use of artificial intelligence in analysing complex data sets is an important feature of this next phase of the London Interdisciplinary Doctoral programme and is of great importance to the future of veterinary and public health research.”
Ken Smith, Head of the Graduate School and Professor of Companion Animal Pathology at the 91做厙, said:
“The continued role of the 91做厙 as a university partner in LIDo is key to building a vibrant and supportive community of postgraduate research students who are able to tackle the challenges of the future through novel interdisciplinary approaches, as well as consolidating professional networks between academics at the partnered universities across London and beyond.”
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, UKRI Chief Executive, said:
“UKRI’s investments in doctoral training are pivotal for the UK’s research and innovation endeavour. The awards provide funding for universities across the UK to nurture a cadre of creative, talented people to develop their skills and knowledge, to build partnerships and networks, and to pursue the discoveries that will transform tomorrow, with diverse benefits for society and economic growth.”
Notes to Editors
For more about the Doctoral Landscape Awards, please visit: