Adelaide-Nottingham Alliance Joint PhD Program

Are you ready to expand your horizons with a truly global PhD experience?

How does it sound to have leading figures in their fields, both in Adelaide and at a prestigious overseas university, guiding your research? Would you be excited to see your work published in top-tier journals like Science, Nature, or The Lancet and be part of a research community that makes a global impact?

The Joint PhD Program offers you the chance to collaborate with world-renowned experts from the University of Adelaide and the University of Nottingham, conducting groundbreaking research that impacts your local community and reverberates on a global scale.

The Adelaide-Nottingham Alliance is more than a partnership; it’s a launchpad for the next generation of researchers with a global mindset. Starting with the School of Biosciences in Nottingham and the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine in Adelaide, this flagship program now spans all disciplines - from Electrical and Electronic Engineering to Medicine, Sociology, Education, and Mathematics.

This is where PhDs think globally. Are you ready to join us?

Program Details

About the Program

The jointly awarded PhD Program (Joint PhD Award) is a unique opportunity that transcends the boundaries of traditional PhD programs. It offers prospective PhD candidates from all faculties at the University of Adelaide and the University of Nottingham the chance to tap into the research strengths of two globally leading, research-intensive universities.

Through the Adelaide-Nottingham Alliance, we’ve created a program that doesn’t just connect two institutions - it amplifies the impact of your research through collaborative efforts. Our robust support systems ensure that researchers and students can thrive, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with confidence and security.

As a participant in the Joint PhD award program, you’ll embark on a research journey to the University of Nottingham and the University of Adelaide. Spending at least one year in each location, you’ll gain invaluable insights from world-leading supervisors and have access to specialist research facilities in both cities.
How it works

1. Starting Point: Students need to apply for admission at both universities independently. They usually begin their PhD journey at their home institution. Students only pay tuition fees for the entire PhD program at their home institution or are covered via a scholarship.

2. First-Year Focus: In the first year, students typically work on developing their research proposal, honing their skills, and initiating their research project.

3. International Experience: At some stage after the first year, students travel to the other country and attend the partner institution for at least 12 months, continuing their research in a new academic environment abroad.

4. Final Stages: Students return to their home institution to complete their research project and thesis. The project is co-supervised by academics from both Nottingham and Adelaide. The home institution will be responsible for examination, including an oral defence.

5. Joint Recognition: Upon successful completion, students are awarded one single PhD degree with one certificate bearing the logos from each institution, acknowledging the unique partnership.
About the partnership
The Alliance is founded on a solid history of collaboration in research and education between the University of Adelaide and the University of Nottingham. Our partnership is rapidly expanding, as seen in the growing number of co-publications by researchers from both universities, showcasing the strength and reputation of our collaboration.

Beyond these two institutions, our connections with the University of Nottingham Ningbo China and the University of Nottingham Malaysia unlock additional opportunities for joint research, co-publications, and fostering a global perspective among our students and staff.

Key Statistics:

40 research co-publications between the University of Adelaide and the University of Nottingham in 2023 and 32 in 2024*.

181 co-publications since 2020*.

In 2020, 5.7% of our co-publications were in the top 1% based on citations by category, year, and document type. By 2023, UoA-UoN collaborative outputs in the top 1% had increased by 150%, reaching 12.5% of all documents*.

As at December 2023, 31 students were enrolled in the Joint PhD program and 10 students had completed the Program.

* less than 50 authors, InCites, as at 29 August 2024.
Research areas

At the heart of the Adelaide-Nottingham Alliance lies a shared commitment to addressing some of the world's most critical challenges. Both universities bring world-leading expertise in food, health research, and sustainability, channelling this knowledge into three transformative themes: Global Food Systems, Intelligent Health, and Sustainable Futures.

Each theme harnesses the unique research ecosystem formed by the combined strengths of our two universities. This collaboration isn’t just about pooling resources - it's about pushing the boundaries of innovation. Our theme leads work closely with colleagues, industry partners, and other stakeholders to seize new opportunities, ensuring our joint efforts have a profound and lasting impact.

A full list of research projects can be found here.
Scholarships, funding and application process

There are a number of Joint PhD scholarships available under the Adelaide-Nottingham Alliance.

To learn more about the application process, funding opportunities, and available scholarships, please visit the Adelaide Graduate Research School website.