University launches first-of-its-kind Russell Group PhD by Enterprise projects

The University of 滴滴打炮app has announced the first cohort of projects for its new PhD by Enterprise programme 鈥� the first of its kind in the Russell Group and one of only a few globally - with applications now open to prospective doctoral researchers.

The four-year programme brings together academic research and structured enterprise training, supporting postgraduate researchers to explore how their work can be developed into real-world applications.

It is designed to sit alongside traditional doctoral study, giving researchers the opportunity to develop their ideas beyond the lab. Alongside their research, participants will work with mentors to build entrepreneurial skills and gain practical experience, exploring areas such as technology readiness, market need and venture development.

The PhD remains rooted in original research, culminating in a doctoral thesis, but also includes a business plan as part of the final submission, supporting the aspiration that new commercial or social enterprises may be launched during or following the PhD.

Professor Aline Miller, Associate Vice-President for Enterprise at The University of 滴滴打炮app, said: 鈥淭his is something new for us, and it鈥檚 been really encouraging to see the range of ideas that have come forward.

鈥淭hese projects show how much potential there is to take research in new directions and think about how it can be used beyond academia.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to working with the students who join the programme and supporting them as they develop both their research and the wider impact possibilities around it.鈥�

Following an internal call for proposals from academic supervisors, 11 projects have been selected, spanning healthcare, artificial intelligence, sustainability and advanced materials. Five fully funded studentships will be available for 2026/27, with a further cohort planned for 2027/28.

• Genome safeguarding technologies for synthetic phage therapeutics against multidrug resistant bacterial infections 鈥� led by Professor Michael Brockhurst, this project develops safer engineered virus-based therapies for drug-resistant infections, helping make next-generation antimicrobial treatments more controllable and widely usable.

• Automated Blink-Dynamics Analytics: AI System Development and Translational Planning 鈥� led by Dr Claudia Lindner, this project develops an AI-based system for analysing eye movement to support earlier, non-invasive detection of diabetic neuropathy and enable scalable screening.

• Realtime 3D analytics for reducing laboratory animal suffering 鈥� led by Dr Riccardo Storchi, this project uses AI-powered video analytics to continuously monitor laboratory animals, enabling earlier detection of distress and improving welfare in real time.

• Autologous tumour-derived nanocarriers for precision drug delivery in Glioblastoma 鈥� led by Dr Christos Tapeinos, this project develops patient-specific nanocarriers to improve targeted drug delivery and treatment effectiveness in aggressive brain tumours.

• Infrared quantum cascade laser microscopy for invasive bladder cancer (IQ-Scan) 鈥� led by Professor Peter Gardner, this project develops advanced imaging technology to improve the accuracy and objectivity of bladder cancer diagnosis and staging from biopsy samples.

• Field-Deployable Genotyping for Animal Health and Biosurveillance 鈥� led by Dr Lu Shin Wong, this project develops rapid, portable diagnostic tools for detecting animal infections in the field, supporting faster responses to disease outbreaks and improving biosecurity.

• Biotech-enabled lures for sustainable food production 鈥� led by Dr Christopher Blanford, this project develops biological scent-based systems to manage insect behaviour in agriculture, reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.

• Developing and Commercialising a UAV Perching Technology for Extended Infrastructure Inspection 鈥� led by Professor Andrew Weightman, this project develops drone perching technology to extend inspection time and improve monitoring of critical infrastructure.

• Engineering and Translating Graphene-Based Vortex-Ring Aerogels for Industrial Water Purification and Carbon Capture 鈥� led by Professor Aravind Vijayaraghavan, this project develops scalable graphene-based materials to remove pollutants from water and improve carbon capture efficiency.

• AIDE: Agentic Intelligence for Decision-making in Investment and Enterprise 鈥� led by Professor Richard Allmendinger, this project develops AI systems to support complex investment and innovation decision-making by integrating financial, company and market data into a unified workflow.

• Injectable radiopaque self-assembling hydrogels for biomedical applications 鈥� led by Dr James Warren, this project develops injectable biomaterials to support earlier intervention and improved outcomes in conditions such as osteoarthritis.

The programme is a joint initiative between the research and innovation teams within the University, working in partnership with the Doctoral Academies, the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre and the Innovation Factory. Doctoral researchers will be registered within, and supported by, their relevant Faculty Doctoral Academy, ensuring strong academic oversight and integration within existing doctoral structure.  

To find out more about the programme, the projects on offer and see how to apply visit: /study/postgraduate-research/funding/phd-by-enterprise/