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THIS OPPORTUNITY IS OPEN TO EXISTING LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS ONLY
Research and Innovation Office
Part time, fixed term (6 hours per week from March to July 2026)
Loughborough University Research Academy (LURA) invites applications from Loughborough’s Doctoral students, working in any discipline, to participate in a 16-week programme, which will run from w/c 9th March to w/c 29th June 2026. Successful applicants will spend an average of no more than 6 hours per week working with businesses at LUinc. or LUSEP, whilst continuing their PhD studies in parallel.
This is an exciting opportunity for Loughborough’s Doctoral Researchers, who are currently in R2 or early R3 of their PhD programme, to gain complementary experience outside of their immediate research project and team. With support and training, the LURA ‘Doctoral Innovation Consultants’, will work as part of a small student consultancy team, supporting a number of start-up businesses based in the LUSEP & business incubator, LUinc.
Working on a variety of real-world challenges, the LURA Doctoral Innovation Consultants will develop their commercial awareness, team working, problem solving, time management and customer focus skills. This unique opportunity will be a positive addition to their CV, enhancing business networking skills and future employability, whether this is in academia or industry. Projects will have direct positive benefits for the businesses including, for example, helping to identify new market opportunities, implement innovative new technology and/or processes, and explore routes for start-ups to effectively engage with University expertise.
How are Doctoral Innovation Consultants funded?
This programme will be funded from the Loughborough University Research Academy and Doctoral Researchers will be employed part-time (6 hours per week) and fixed-term for 16 weeks. Salary will be on Administrative Services Grade 5 (£29,588 - £34,610 per annum pro-rata) at starting salary to be confirmed on offer of appointment.
How to apply:
Students must first discuss with their supervisor to decide if it is appropriate for them to participate at this point in their PhD. Students must be making good progress with their PhD and have the full support of their supervisor and school DDP to apply.
If supervisor is supportive students should review the Job Description and Person Specification and complete the online job application as well as Expression of Interest form.
Please direct any queries to Monalie Bandulasena (m.v.bandulasena@lboro.ac.uk)
Deadline for applications to be submitted by: 5pm on Friday 23rd January 2026
Interviews: 11th, 12th & 13th February 2026
