SustAI CDT PhD Information Event - Southampton Highfield Campus

The UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Sustainability (SustAI CDT) is funding 70 fully funded PhD students over 5 cohorts to explore how artificial intelligence can address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges.

Being part of the SustAI CDT is more than just completing a PhD – you will join a supportive, diverse community with a shared passion for AI and sustainability, working across disciplines and developing the skills needed for future leadership.

We are now recruiting our fourth cohort of 14 PhD students starting in September 2027. The PhD includes full funding and an enhanced stipend.

Topics

The CDT supports topics around AI and environmental sustainability across 5 different themes:

• AI for Transportation and Logistics: This theme focuses on using AI to optimise transportation and logistics operations for sustainability, including reducing energy and resource use, improving smart mobility services, and developing more sustainable transportation systems.
• Sustainable Energy and Buildings: This theme focuses on using AI to optimise and improve the management of sustainable energy technologies such as solar, wind, and hydro, including forecasting and predicting energy demand, improving efficiency and reducing costs, smart grid and energy markets, and managing energy use in smart buildings. 
• AI for Sustainable Operations and Circular Economy: This theme focuses on using AI to optimise manufacturing processes, operations, and supply chains for sustainability, including reducing waste and energy use, improving resource efficiency, waste management and recycling, and developing more sustainable products, packaging, and service delivery models within a circular economy framework. 
• AI for the Natural Environment: This theme focuses on using AI to protect and conserve biodiversity, including monitoring and predicting changes in ecosystems, identifying and mitigating threats to endangered species, and developing sustainable agricultural, fisheries and land management practices. 
• Sustainable AI: This theme focuses on reducing the power consumption that is associated with the use of AI. It will investigate both creating more efficient machine learning algorithms to be used, e.g., in edge computing, as well as introducing a fundamentally different approach at the hardware level, such as new neuromorphic architectures that emulate the synaptic plasticity of the brain.

For more information about the themes, see: https://sustai.info/themes/ 

Who can apply

Applications are welcome from the UK, EU, Horizon-associated countries and international applicants. We particularly encourage applications from women, Black students, and others who are underrepresented in AI, data science, and STEM fields.

Why choose a CDT PhD?

Unlike a traditional PhD where students often work more independently, the CDT model offers:
- A cohort of peers who start together and support each other throughout the programme
- Structured training in AI, sustainability, and professional skills alongside your research
- Opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across computer science, engineering, etc etc
- Strong connections with industry, NGOs, and policymakers etc
- Mentorship, workshops, and career development built into the programme

This means you gain the depth of a PhD while benefiting from breadth of training, professional opportunities, and a strong sense of community.

What to expect at this event

At this in-person information session the SustAI team will provide an overview of the programme, explain the application process, and answer your questions. There will also be opportunities to meet members of our community. Free lunch, coffee, tea, and refreshments will be provided.

Free pizza, coffee, tea and other drinks will be served.

When: 11 November from 12:00 UK time (GMT)

Where: Building 56 Mathematical Sciences Student Centre 

The next application deadline is: January 2027.

For details on how to apply, see: https://www.sustai.info/how-to-apply/

For questions, please email: sustai@soton.ac.uk