Apply
Applications for entry in September 2025 are now closed. Applications for entry in September 2026 will open in October 2025, with a deadline in January 2026.
To apply you will need to prepare several documents to submit alongside the completed application form as explained below.
Curriculum Vitae
This 2-page document should highlight your suitability for the programme by describing your background.
It can take any form you like, from bullet points listing education, employment, and other activities, to a more narrative form.
- https://careers.ed.ac.uk/students/postgraduates/phd-students/make-it-happen
- https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/cv-sections
- https://institute-academic-development.ed.ac.uk/research-roles/research-only-staff/career-management/narrative-cvs
- https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/supporting-healthy-research-and-innovation-culture/research-and-innovation-culture/supporting-the-community-adoption-of-r4r-like-narrative-cvs/narrative-cvs-what-they-are-and-why-use-them/
Statement of intent
This 2-page document is your chance to explain why you are interested in the programme and why you think you will make a success of it. Describe previous experiences to demonstrate your motivation and ability; this could be undergraduate or MSc research projects, or projects from previous employment, but does not have to be about quantum informatics.
We do not require a research proposal for this application. Please upload your Statement of Intent in the “Research Proposal” field of the application form instead. Note that you will develop a research programme for your PhD together with a supervisory team you will be matched with towards the end of your first year.
Letters of reference
Two letters of reference, ideally from people that know you well and can speak to your motivation and ability for the programme. You only supply their names and contact details, and the actual letters will be requested directly from the referees.
Certificates and transcripts
Upload transcripts and certificates for any previous degrees you’ve finished or are about to finish, demonstrating you meet the eligibility criteria.
Important: these have to be translated into English.
If your application is successful, you will need to provide a valid proof of English language competency to be offered a place on the programme. This does not necessarily have to be provided at the point of application, and can be added later. See English language entry requirements.
Application form
The application form is standard for the University of Edinburgh, and some sections are not applicable. Complete it as follows:
Complete in full. For country of permanent residence, select UK only if you hold pre-/settled status [https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families] in the UK, otherwise select the same country as your nationality.
Complete in full. Make sure you enter a valid email address that you will have access to up to September 2025.
Write “See supporting documents” in each mandatory field.
- Academic Qualification: enter the details for the most recent qualification you have achieved or in the progress of achieving. If you hold several degrees, no need to enter the information here, but make sure to include it in your CV.
- English Language Qualification: complete in full
- Professional Qualifications: select “no” here and list any relevant professional qualifications in your CV instead.
- Employment: Leave this section blank, but make sure to include the relevant information in your CV.
- Funding: Select “no” and enter “not applicable”. All candidates selected for the programme will automatically be awarded funding, so this question is not applicable.
- References: Complete in full if you’d like for your referees to be contacted directly, or only include their names here if you already have the references and are going to upload them yourself.
- Documents upload: Make sure to upload all supporting documents, including CV, Statement of Intent, details of reference letters, and certificates and transcripts. Your application will be considered incomplete without them and won’t be reviewed by the CDT.
Upload your Statement of Intent in the field “Research Proposal” field, in pdf format.
If you have two or more transcripts or degree certificates, combine them into one pdf document and upload that file. If you don’t, the Admissions team will have to prompt you to upload the remaining transcripts later.
Demographics
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We are committed to developing and promoting an environment in which everyone can thrive. We aim to be fair in all our practices, from recruitment to training.
To help us achieve this we need some information about personal characteristics.
Reporting on this data is a requirement for our funders. Monitoring this data helps us optimise our recruitment processes in terms of equality, diversity, and inclusion.
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After you have submitted the application and received your applicant number, complete the demographics form:
https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/edinburgh/quantum-informatics-cdt-demographics-monitoring
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You can decline to answer any or all of the questions on the form, and it will not affect your application in any way. But you still need to enter your applicant number to indicate that you’ve accessed it, so that we can report on characteristics of applicants who were shortlisted for interview and then those who were offered studentships.
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Please be reassured that your answers will NOT be linked to your application documents, and will NOT be accessible to the academic selection panel, either in aggregate or in individual form. The information you provide in this form is only accessible by restricted administrative staff. We will only use the data in aggregate form to share with the funder and advisory board, only AFTER recruitment is completely finished.
Interview
Your submitted application will be reviewed by the selection board. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview. Interviews will all be online, have the same duration, and follow the same script to ensure consistent and fair scoring. If you’re invited for interview, you will be sent questions ahead of time.
You could expect notification about interviews around February, and we expect to confirm results in April.
The timeline may be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. We will try to keep you updated of any delays, but please bear with us.
We receive hundreds of applications, and going through them all in a consistent and fair way takes time and effort.