Frequently Asked Questions

Each cohort will admit 16 students, each one fully funded.

It depends. Usually students are not allowed to be registered on more than on university degree programme at a time, but if timings are slightly misaligned this can be accommodated. Please check with the admin team if this concerns you.

No. We are looking for applicants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, but with a strong motivation and ability for Quantum Informatics. That does not necessarily mean you have to have a formal background in quantum computing. We realise not all universities offer courses in quantum computing, let alone nonstandard career paths. But you will need to demonstrate why you think you would be good at Quantum Informatics.

You do not need to be an elite coder to be considered. In the first year, you can take elective courses to get up to speed with the necessary programming skills. You will need to demonstrate, however, why you think you will succeed at learning this.

You do not need to contact a supervisor before you apply, but you are free to do so if you would like to. Initially you will not have a designated supervisor. In the first year you will work towards a research project, and will be matched with a supervisory team.

Initially you will not have a designated supervisor. In the first year you will work towards a research project, and will be matched with a supervisory team. Your PhD research project may be proposed by an academic supervisor, an industry partner, or initiated by yourself. In either case, you and the supervisory team discuss the proposal and all agree before you embark on the project. See Training \ Core Courses.

You will have seminars, workshops, hackathons, training in Responsible Research and Innovation, transferable skills, public engagement, and possibly entrepreneurship training. You can undertake placements or internships at industry partners, or immersive research visits to international partner universities. As part of your studentship you will have a personal budget for travel, conferences, and research support.

Absolutely. See Training \ Entrepreneurship.

Certainly. You may be part-funded by an industry partner. If this is the case, they will likely have placements for you at the company. If this is not the case, you are encouraged to undertake internships. For international students on a visa there may be some restrictions, but we have a lot of experience working with these regulations. The maximum total allowable time to spend on internships during your studies is 12 months, as mandated by our funder. See also Training \ Industry Placements and Research Visits.

You will have the opportunity to take on teaching or tutorial duties. These are roles for which you will be paid and receive training. In Year 1 we strongly discourage you from doing this. You will be busy enough without doing this extra work. From Year 2 on, however, we strongly encourage you to do it: it increases your own understanding, develops your communication skills, helps your fellow students, helps your supervisors, and can just be plain fun.

• UKRI training grant conditions state that: “Both home and International students must be resident in the UK for the majority of their studies and any time spent overseas should be for the purposes of fieldwork/long-term attachment.”
• You are entitled to annual leave, sick leave, and parental leave. We encourage students to take full advantage of their annual leave.
• You must adhere to the conditions of your student visa, if you have one. The University of Edinburgh Student Immigration Service [https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-administration/immigration] can advise.

Yes, we have fully funded positions available for international students. No additional programme fees are needed. It may vary from year to year, but we anticipate recruiting around 8 international students per cohort. Note, however, that we are not permitted to cover student visa [https://www.gov.uk/student-visa] and immigration health surcharge costs [https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/how-much-pay] as part of the studentship.