Application Process

Please follow our application procedure to apply for an E4 DTP studentship.
The deadline for applications for entry in September 2024 is now closed.

For a more diverse E4 DTP

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our applicant pool and recruited cohorts and as such encourage applications from students from diverse backgrounds and/or with protected characteristics. We have widening participation mechanisms in place to specifically support applications from students who are from an under-represented group and who wish to disclose that information within their application (please refer to our application process below for further details).

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | The University of Edinburgh

Please see our Applicants Support webpages which include a helpful FAQ section and testimonies from previous applicants.

1. Find a project

We have 90+ supervisor-led projects available and also offer a student-led project route.

Please visit the E4 DTP Projects page to find out more about both types of projects and follow our guidance to help you choose a project and get in touch with the supervisory team to discuss the project and your suitability.

All candidates are strongly advised to get in touch with the supervisory team of the project they are interested in before submitting their application.

You can only apply to one project overall (so either a supervisor-led or a student-led project). Only one application per candidate will be accepted.

2. Download the application forms

Download and carefully read the 3 forms listed below.

Note: these are only available during the application period: beginning of November to beginning of January

the E4 DTP Application Form
the E4 DTP Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form
the E4 DTP Widening Participation Form

3. Send your referees the E4 DTP reference form

Ask 2 referees to complete the below E4 DTP reference form and to upload it through their portal link which will be automatically sent to them once you have provided their details on your application portal (see step 5). The automatic email will include the reference form as an attachment but we recommend that you send it to them as soon as possible (and even before starting your online application) to give them time to complete it and be ready to submit it when they receive the email.

The referees must not be members of the supervision team of the project you are applying for.

It is your responsibility to ensure that both references are submitted by your referees via their portal, by the application deadline.

We don't accept reference letters sent either by your referees or yourself.

E4 DTP Reference Form (56.1 KB / DOCX)

4. Prepare and complete your documents

Complete or prepare and save as a single pdf file each of the below documents, as relevant:

COMPULSORY DOCUMENTS (FOR ALL APPLICANTS)	OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS (DEPENDING ON CIRCUMSTANCES)
1. the E4 Application Form, duly completed and with all the relevant boxes ticked	5. the E4 Widening Participation Form: for applicants from an under-represented group, who wish to disclose to us in order to benefit from our WP scheme
2. the E4 Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form (completed or not)	6. a proof of your Immigration Status: for applicants with EU pre-settled or settled status or non-EU applicants with UK Indefinite Leave to Remain (please see the UKRI Funding Eligibility section on the Application form for further details)
3. an up-to-date Academic CV (not more than 2 pages) - Check our guidance on the CV in our FAQ section	7. a valid English Language test: for non-English native speakers who already have a test result that fits our requirements (please refer to the English Proficiency section on the Application Form or the Entry and Eligibility Criteria webpage) Note that we do not require to see this at the time of your application but if you are invited to interview, we will require to see it by the interview stage (end of February).
4. your UG and PG Certificates and Transcripts as relevant (including interim transcripts if available). Note that for documents that are not in English, providing us with a translation is important.

5. Submit the above documents via the E4 application portal

Open the project you would like to apply for from our list of supervisor-led projects. At the bottom of the proposal, click on " Apply for this project". You will then be guided through the procedure of setting up your application portal.

Candidates who apply for a student-led project will be emailed the link to their application portal once their project is approved by the E4 DTP team.

Then, use the instructions below to create your E4 applicant portal, upload your documents and provide details of your referees.

E4 DTP Applicant Portal Workflow (250.52 KB / PDF)

You can go back to your application portal to update your application material and check the status of your application anytime before the application deadline.

All Candidates Please Read

Applications that do not include at least the above compulsory documents by the deadline will be deemed uncomplete and ignored (if you are awaiting transcripts from your university, please state this in the Application Note field on your portal).
Applications that do not comply with our application procedure will be rejected (e.g. CVs longer than 2 pages, statements exceeding the words number limit on the application form, uncomplete application forms).
Please do not upload or email us with additional documents that are not mentioned above such as separate cover letters, papers, essays, theses or additional references. They won't be forwarded for assessment. If we require to see any other documents we will get in touch.

6. Review and Outcome

We will review your application material as soon as possible and will communicate to you any relevant information via the application portal.

Note that you might not hear from us until after the application deadline depending on when you uploaded your application material.

We will email you with the outcome of your application by 15 February 2024 at the latest.

You can read about our selection process and indicative timing here.

Our interviews will be held in person on the 27 and 28 of February 2024 and online on the 29th of February 2024. Online interviews will be reserved to applicants who are not able to travel to Edinburgh.

Entry and Eligibility Criteria

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

This article was published on 2024-02-26