Welcome to the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Understandable agri-food Systems Transformed by Artificial INtelligence (SUSTAIN).
SUSTAIN is a collaboration between the Universities of Lincoln, Aberdeen, Queen’s Belfast and Strathclyde, and focuses on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to sustainable agri-food.
Where the next generation of AI science takes root.
The SUSTAIN Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) empowers the next generation of AI scientists to invent, develop and deploy technologies, co-created with growers and agri-food practitioners.
SUSTAIN facilitates meaningful partnerships between academics and industry, investing in stakeholder-driven innovation.
Collaborative Studentship Proposals
The Round 1 Call for Studentship Proposals for October 2026 is now OPEN.
The Round 1 Call for Studentship Proposals for October 2026 Entry is now OPEN
We invite you to bring us your challenges, and we’ll help solve them with UKRI-funded PhD research. With 14 studentships available in Cohort 3: this is your chance to engage in impactful interdisciplinary research that addresses specific business needs while contributing to the intelligent agri-food community.
Who can apply?
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Potential SUSTAIN CDT supervisors
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Industry partners
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Why apply?
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Funded by UKRI *with industry contributions
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Focus on solving real-world business and technical challenges through innovative research
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Projects are required to be a university/industry partnership. If you are affiliated with a university or industry and are interested but lack a corresponding partner, we can assist you in finding one.
Contact us: For more details, reach out at SUSTAIN@lincoln.ac.uk
How to apply: Download and complete the application form, then email it to SUSTAIN@lincoln.ac.uk, together with CV and Letter of Support.
Deadlines:
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The Round 1 Call for Studentship Proposals closes on the 8th September.
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Results will be announced on the 12th September
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Student recruitment starts on the 15th September.
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Students will begin their PhD journey on the 1st of October 2026.
Uniting industry and research for a sustainable future
Please download and return completed forms to
SUSTAIN@lincoln.ac.uk
If you have interest but you don’t have a fully formed proposal yet, please complete the Expression of Interest (EoI) form here.
Be part of the future of food production
Student Applications for 2025/26
Applications are invited for fully-funded four-year PhD studentships to join the SUSTAIN doctoral training program conducting research in the application of Artificial Intelligence to sustainable agri-food.
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Our fully-funded studentship package includes:
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All PhD tuition fees paid
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A tax-free stipend at UKRI rates to cover living costs
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A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG)
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Additional funding to support outreach and development
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Fifteen studentships will be available as part of the second cohort, starting in October 2025. To apply, visit our How to Apply Page. To find out more about this year's projects, please visit our 2025 Studentships Page.
Student Applications are currently closed.
Application Deadline: Friday 6th June at 12pm (BST)
Our Partners
