King’s College London 2025 PhD Studentship - Air Power

The purpose of this role is to support the Freeman Institute’s research and capacity building work in the field of air power.

The successful PhD candidate is expected to register, conduct and complete studies resulting in the award of a PhD in an agreed and relevant subject in the field of contemporary air power, with specific relevance to the United Kingdom, within 3 years of enrolment.

• Conduct PhD research
• Contribute to the analysis and reporting into issues pertaining to air power as a member of FASI
• Assist in dissemination of project research through written and oral means
• Contribute to FASI’s impact and output including supporting events, submitting grant applications and other activities

• Table of Content
• About King's College London
• PhD Studentship - Air Power
• Aim and Benefits of PhD Studentship - Air Power
• Requirements for PhD Studentship - Air Power Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for PhD Studentship - Air Power
• Documents Required for Application
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About King's College London

King's College London was founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington (then Prime Minister) in 1829 as a university college in the tradition of the Church of England. It now welcomes staff and students of all faiths and beliefs. King's professors played a major part in nineteenth-century science and in extending higher education to women and working men through evening classes. The university has grown and developed through mergers with several institutions each with their own distinguished histories. These include: United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's an... continue reading

PhD Studentship - Air Power

Aim and Benefits of PhD Studentship - Air Power

The Studentship covers:

• Stipend:  at UKRI rate + London Weighting (£22,780 for 2025/26 academic year)
• Tuition fees: UK Home Fees for 3 years

Requirements for PhD Studentship - Air Power Qualification

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. A Master's degree with high merit, and a 2:1 honours degree at the bachelor's level.?
2. UK Citizen applications only

Desirable criteria

1. It is highly desirable (but not essential) to have taken courses in this field at postgraduate level before undertaking research work in Air Power Studies .
2. Extensive practical experience in a relevant field (eg air, doctrine and operations; integrated air and missile defence; information advantage and future aerospace combat power; artificial intelligence and air/space operations) may be taken into account when evaluating an application.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Conduct PhD research
• Contribute to the analysis and reporting into issues pertaining to air power as a member of FASI
• Assist in dissemination of project research through written and oral means
• Contribute to FASI’s impact and output including supporting events, submitting grant applications and other activities
• Build internal and external collaborations with research colleagues and develop strong working relationships with professional support staff and external officials.
• Communicate conceptual and complex ideas to a variety of audiences using appropriate media and methods.
• Communicate complex information orally and in writing to a range of stakeholders including those who might not be familiar with the work.
• Attend and present research findings and papers at internal academic meetings and external professional conferences and to contribute to the internal and external visibility of the Institute

Interview date, Process and Venue for PhD Studentship - Air Power

Selection process

Interviews of shortlisted candidates are due to be held end of April.

The successful candidate will also be required to apply directly to KCL’s School of Security Studies PhD programme and satisfy its admission requirements.

Documents Required for Application

The application should include:

• A curriculum vitae (no more than 2 pages)
• A covering letter outlining their qualification for the studentship
• A research proposal (up to 3000 words), including: your proposed project title, research aims and objectives, outline methods statement, and anticipated timeline. The proposal should use consistent academic citation.
• A sample of recent writing
• Transcripts of university qualifications
• Two academic references

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit King’s College London scholarship webpage