Offshore Renewable Energy (Industrial Doctorate Centre) EngD

Level: Postgraduate research

Subject: Engineering

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Full-time
  • EngD | 4 years | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

School of Engineering

College

College of Science and Engineering

Programme website
PhD by Distance

Not available

School location

King's Buildings campus

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About the degree programme

The EPSRC Industrial CDT for Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE) is a partnership of the Universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Exeter and Swansea University, together with the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

IDCORE addresses future challenges to develop leading technologies in training world-class scientists and engineers essential for the UK to sustain its global lead in the ORE sector.

This doctoral-level research and training programme is industrially-focused. The programme takes an integrated approach to the whole ORE system, from the wind and oceans to the end user, with experts from many disciplines contributing to a taught programme delivered in a research environment using state-of-the-art facilities.

Who this programme is for

We recruit students from across a variety of disciplines, such as:

  • engineering
  • science
  • technology
  • mathematics

The integrated training programme in Year 1 will ensure that all students are trained in electrical, offshore and mechanical engineering.

Research project

You will undertake a research project, based entirely with a sponsoring company, that tackles a genuine commercial problem in a real-world environment, offering the chance to develop both research and commercial skills.

You will begin your research project at the end of Year 1, and may be required to move away from Edinburgh to work with your sponsoring company.

Why choose this programme

Engagement with industry allows us to train the next generation of researchers and innovators to develop and deliver necessary new technologies, know-how and capacity.

This programme provides a strong focus on engineering science and interdisciplinary training to address the need to supply sustainable, affordable, and resilient energy that contributes to industrial and economic growth while reducing carbon emissions.

The programme also delivers impact from excellent research in integrated vertical and cross-cutting inter-disciplinary themes, including:

  • resource analysis
  • offshore energy generation and delivery technologies
  • data science and technology
  • materials science
  • marine science and environment
  • deployment and O&M strategies
  • autonomous technologies
  • bioenergy
  • energy storage
  • complementary energy vectors
  • energy policy
  • socio-economic impact
  • blue-energy literacy

By delivering training throughout the full life cycle of research in an academic and industrial environment, spanning theory to practice, the programme enables students to develop skills in:

  • responsible research and innovation
  • ethical engineering
  • data management
  • commercialisation
  • entrepreneurship
  • leadership
  • societal engagement

How to apply

Please visit the IDCORE website for essential notes on how to submit your application:

Information for applicants (IDCORE)

We offer a pre-application mentoring scheme, with applications open from October to December 2025. For details and eligibility, please see our 'Information for applicants' page on the IDCORE website.

When to apply

We recruit students to the programme on a monthly basis until all 10 places are filled.

For Overseas/EU applicants:

  • Apply by 30 November 2025.
  • Interviews will take place in January 2026.

For Home/UK applicants:

  • Applications are considered on a rolling basis until places are filled, likely by April 2026.
  • Interviews will take place in December, February, March, and April.

Please note that we may close the applications early if all 10 positions are filled before these deadlines. We encourage you to apply early.

Please check the IDCORE website for updates:

Information for applicants (IDCORE)

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

Funding

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Featured funding

If accepted to the programme, you will automatically be awarded funding by the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council). This funding will cover your tuition fees and includes an enhanced stipend.

There is no separate application for funding.

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

Tuition fees

EPSRC funding will cover the cost of this programme's tuition fees for all successful applicants.

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.

Living costs include:

  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel, clothes, books and stationery
  • recreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)

Living costs

Accommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.

University postgraduate accommodation options and costs

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK first class honours degree, or its international equivalent. 
 
We will also consider your application if you have a UK 2:1 honours degree and a MSc degree with distinction, or their international equivalents, and substantial relevant work experience.
 
We expect you to have a good understanding of one or more branches of science or engineering and some relevant research experience.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 6 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

Programme structure

Year 1 courses

You will spend the first two semesters attending an intensive programme of 12 taught courses delivered by internationally renowned academic staff from the partner universities.

These first two semesters will provide you with the skills required to get started on your research and to succeed in an industry environment.

Taught courses will include:

  • practical courses for important laboratory and fieldwork skills
  • an integrated group design project, proposed and evaluated by industrialists, to help you develop teamworking skills and apply your knowledge

Assessment of taught courses has been designed for the level of study and the programme's cohort-based approach; for example, timed, open-book assignments are used in place of written, closed-book exams.

Research project

Following the initial period of teaching, you will begin the industrial research phase and work on your doctoral research project for the rest of programme.

The industrial research phase is supplemented by six further courses (delivered through a mixture of both residential and distance learning).

You will undertake a research project, based entirely with a sponsoring company, that tackles a genuine commercial problem in a real-world environment, offering the chance to develop both research and commercial skills.

Projects are proposed by ORE companies in areas agreed between the sponsoring companies and programme management, to ensure that your work meets the standards needed for the EngD qualification.

You are matched with a research project during the second semester of the teaching programme in Year 1 (in February).

Your sponsoring company may be based anywhere in the UK. At the end of Semester 2 in Year 1, you are likely to be required to move away from Edinburgh to begin your research project with your sponsoring company.

Being immersed in the work environment of the sponsoring company provides a hugely valuable industrial experience while you are studying.

At the end of the research project, you will deliver either a doctoral thesis or a portfolio of related work that is examined for the award of an EngD in Offshore Renewable Energy. This qualification is a joint degree from the Universities of Edinburgh, Exeter, Strathclyde and Swansea University.

Find out the aims and structure for each year of study on this programme.

Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Facilities

IDCORE students will use world-leading facilities across the consortium of partner universities:

  • University of Edinburgh:
    • FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility
    • the new FASTBLADE dynamic test facility
    • Edinburgh Computing & Data Facility
    • ARCHER
  • University of Exeter:
    • FaBTest
    • South West Mooring Test Facility
    • Dynamic Marine Component Test Facility
  • University of Strathclyde:
    • Kelvin Hydrodynamics Laboratory
    • Power Networks Demonstration Centre

Students will also access facilities through their sponsoring companies.

Previous students have also:

  • used ORE Catapult’s Nautilus powertrain test rig and HV electrical infrastructure laboratory
  • worked with wave machines deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre
  • worked on grid-connected tidal turbines and offshore on large arrays of wind turbines

Partner universities also provide all IDCORE students access to their own postgraduate student facilities, including IT, library, general doctoral training and student support services.

Consortium facilities

Kelvin Hydrodynamics Lab

The Kelvin Hydrodynamics Lab is one of the leading providers of testing services to the UK offshore energy industry.

The 76 metre x 4.6 metre x 2.5 metre tank provides repeatable and controllable conditions for testing of power capture, survivability, and fluid loading on fixed, floating and subsea offshore renewable energy devices and components in waves and currents.

FloWave

FloWave is a 25 metre diameter, 2 metre deep, circular test basin located in Edinburgh.

Designed for a very high degree of repeatability and controllability, it is the only facility in the world to combine waves and tidal currents in any relative direction. It is used to test wave and tidal energy converters, and floating wind turbines, at scales of around 1:30.

A previous student, working with FloWave TT and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), created a library (used extensively by Wave Energy Scotland) of over 40 complex sea states that replicate conditions at EMEC’s Bilia Croo wave site.

Both laboratories deploy a wide range of state-of-the-art instrumentation, including above-water and underwater motion capture and software-in-the-loop systems for simulation of wind loading on floating wind turbine platforms or the emulation of grid connected tidal turbine power trains.

Dynamic Marine Component test rig (DMaC)

The Dynamic Marine Component test rig (DMaC) is a purpose-built test rig that replicates the forces and motions which components are subjected to in offshore applications.

This unique asset comprises a linear hydraulic cylinder for axial tension/compression and a headstock with three degrees of freedom to represent bending and torsion. Specimens up to 6 metres in length can be tested either dry or immersed in water.

FASTBLADE

The EPSRC-funded Structural Composites Research Facility (FASTBLADE), currently under construction in Edinburgh, will permit the dynamic testing of a full-size tidal turbine blade (up to 10 metres long).

Loading and unloading the blade using digitally controlled hydraulic actuators will enable accelerated testing during which blades are subjected to realistic forces and motions.

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

IDCORE Administrator, Dr Katrina Tait

Graduate School of Engineering

King's Buildings Campus

University of Edinburgh

Email us
Phone:+44 (0)131 651 9023

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