Research Degrees

To decide your research topic, take a look at the suggested titles/research topics that we have available listed below or explore our research pages and academic staff’s research interests.

Your research topic should be related to your previous studies or career experience, as you will need to have some background knowledge for your research.

It is important to be aware of the full costs that a research degree in life sciences can incur. In addition to the standard tuition fees, a postgraduate research degree often requires additional costs (i.e. bench fees) that cover the cost of laboratory/fieldwork consumables required to deliver the research  (e.g. molecular reagents, sequencing costs, computer software, travel to field sites etc).

If you are a self-funded student or have a funding award which doesn’t cover consumables, then you will need to cover these costs yourself. These costs vary with each project. For example a computational/data analysis-based project may have zero bench fees, but for a molecular focussed lab-based project costs can be around £2,500-10,000 per year. These Bench Fees should be discussed with your potential supervisor when you discuss the research project.

Describe how the research topic/ interests aligns with your background, experience, education, skills and motivation in relation to the School research using our Research Proposal Proforma.

Please complete all sections of the Research Proposal Proforma and include this in your application. A research proposal is not required.

Your completed Research Proposal Proforma should be uploaded together with any other documents (e.g. CV) onto our postgraduate application portal. If you have everything ready to go, then the process should take around 20 minutes.

When applying you will need to specify the research degree you are study (i.e. PhD Biomedical Science) and the month/term you wish to join us in (October for Autumn Term, January for Spring Term, or April for Summer Term).

If you are an international student who requires a visa then please ensure you get your PGR application submitted as soon as possible, as the visa process can take several weeks to complete.

We aim to review applications as quickly as possible and will get in contact by email if we have any queries. You may also be contacted by email for an online interview as part of the application process.

If you are having any problems with the application portal, please email the Graduate Administrator (lspgrapp@essex.ac.uk).

ARIES (Advanced Research and Innovation in the Environmental Sciences) is a Doctoral Landscape Award funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). It offers multiple studentships each year.

ARIES students benefit from bespoke graduate training with additional funding for training provision.

The Sustainable Transitions Doctoral Training Programme, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, offers PhD research scholarships for students to participate in exciting interdisciplinary projects.

Each project will be supervised by expert academics drawn from two (and in certain instances three) of the following five disciplines at the university; Business, Government, Law, Life Sciences and Sociology.

Studentships and scholarships

The university offers a range of funding opportunities throughout the year. These range from studentships, often with a pre-agreed thesis title and supervisor, to scholarships for those whose circumstances meet certain criteria. These opportunities may have a specific application deadline and may not be available every year, so please check carefully when applying.

Alumni discount

If you have completed your undergraduate or Masters degree at Essex then you may be eligible for our alumni discount.

Proficio

Proficio is the university’s unique development scheme for postgraduate research students.

Depending on your degree type you will have access to a pot of funding (ranging from £1000 to £2500 per person for fulltime students) which you can use for a range of professional skills courses. Many of these courses are offered by the university, but if you identify a suitable external opportunity then you may be able to use some of this funding to cover costs. Courses range from personal management and research methods, to impact and professional conduct.

Some of your Proficio funding is ringfenced for conference attendance. Academic conferences are an essential part of your research degree as they help you build your professional network and showcase your research. You can use this money to cover attendance costs such as travel or registration fees.

We offer several options for your research degree, from a one year MSD to a three year PhD, as well as part-time options.

Master of Science by Dissertation (MSD)

The Master of Science by Dissertation (MSD) involves a minimum of one year of full-time research followed by production of a dissertation, which you will discuss in your viva.

An MSD is a great option if you need to develop your research skills before applying for a PhD.

PhD

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree consists of a three-year (full-time) or six year (part-time) programme followed by the production of a doctoral thesis.

You will defend your thesis during an oral exam known as a viva. Following the first submission of the thesis for examination, the viva will take place within 2 months. Depending on the examination outcome, correction period time can vary between 2 to 6 months.

All PhD students are initially registered as MPhil/PhD students and are transferred to a PhD degree in the first half of the second year, subject to satisfactory progress.

Part-time

A research degree can be a significant commitment and for many this can be a significant barrier to undertaking further study.

All of our research degrees can be undertaken on a part-time basis, in which the standard time for study is doubled. An MSD is two years, an MPhil is four years, and a PhD is six years.

While this may seem like a greater commitment than a full-time course, it means that you have greater scope to fit your research around other life commitments, such as caring responsibilities or employment.

Whether you are planning to remain in academia or will move to senior roles in other sectors, you will be expected to hold a range of skills beyond research. Both the School and the wider university offer opportunities for you to develop these professional skills through courses and experiences that you can take part in during your time with us.

School of Life Sciences Postgraduate Training Programme

This programme starts in Week 1 and continues throughout the year. We have created this training programme to help students bridge the gap between undergraduate and postgraduate study or help those who are returning to academia from fulltime work become familiar with advanced study.

Taking part means that you will join in with tailored scientific training sessions, covering topics of common importance to all life sciences research students including scientific writing, ethics in research, statistics training and preparing for the viva as well as more research project specific training courses.

Pint of Science festival

The nationwide annual festival is a grassroots non-profit organisation that aims to bring cutting-edge research to the masses. This international celebration sees thousands of scientists speaking to the public in over 500 cities across 24 countries. Founded nine years ago by two UK researchers, the festival brings a unique line-up of talks, demonstrations, and live experiments to the nation’s local pubs.

At the University of Essex the organisation of this festival is managed by postgraduate research students, with several life sciences research students working as members of the committee in the past. This helps you build your organisation and outreach skills and is a great activity to have on your CV due to its international recognition.

Mentoring scheme

The School of Life Sciences is committed to supporting research students at all stages of their careers. The mentoring scheme aims to support individuals at various stages of their professional or personal development.

Mentors will provide support, give advice and guidance on career or personal development, and provide opportunities to reflect on progress. New postgraduate research students will be paired with suitable mentors based on relevant research areas. You may even find you return to become a mentor yourself in the future!

Graduate Laboratory Assistants

PhD students have the opportunity to work as a Graduate Laboratory Assistants upon successful completion of relevant training.

Graduate Laboratory Assistants contribute to the School’s teaching programme by providing support to academic staff in the provision of teaching and learning, to help students meet their learning outcomes.

These roles are paid an hourly rate, and help you develop your teaching and supervision skills with support from lecturers.

Whatever your field of research, you will have access to the facilities and equipment you need to carry out your work.

Our facilities include our onsite greenhouse, used for plant science research, and a new aquatic ecology facility with controlled-environment aquaria for marine invertebrates and fish, coral-spawning tank, large-scale freshwater mesocosms, marine vessels and access to several UK/overseas aquatic and terrestrial field sites. We also have extensive facilities for biomedical and biochemistry research including a ‘state of the art’ bioimaging suite. Our facilities are ably supported by our excellent technical team.

As one of our postgraduate research students you will also have access to our secure PGR study room. This quiet workspace has computers and desk space freely available for your use on a 24/7 basis, with no advanced booking needed.

Your research progress will be overseen by your supervisor, who will act as your guide and mentor throughout your degree.

You will have regular meetings with your supervisor to discuss your progress and highlight any issues or successes you are experiencing, to ensure that you are continuing on track as expected. Although a three-year PhD may seem like a long time it will pass very quickly, and these meetings will reduce the risk of you falling behind.

If your research topic is interdisciplinary then you may have a co-supervisor from another department, who will be able to offer further guidance and support and help you bridge the gap between the two research areas. We have particularly strong research links with the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science and the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering so you may find that your supervisors have collaborated together previously.

In addition to meeting regularly with your supervisor, you will also have twice-yearly panel meetings with your supervisor(s) and an external academic expert in your field. This gives you an opportunity to receive more expert guidance during your research.

Our School runs various departmental activities and events throughout the academic year. As one of our postgraduate research students you will be able to take part in these activities.

Research seminars

We run an active research seminar series each academic term, which is hosted on Colchester campus. We invite expert speakers to deliver a short talk on their research to an audience that ranges from undergraduates to fellow academics, followed by a Q&A session.

Many of our speakers are external academics from other institutions, but we do also invite new staff members and our research students to present as well. These events give you a chance to practice your oral communication skills in a smaller group, and can help you with networking with experts in your field.

Cohort building event

The cohort building event brings together postgraduate students and postdoctoral scientists from all the diverse disciplines within the School to promote interdisciplinary knowledge and exchange of techniques.

The event often comprises talks from each of the seven research groups, an interactive session on networking, an alumni presentation, a motivational lecture by an eminent guest speaker and the opportunity to attend a careers workshop to provide targeted careers advice.

Best Scientific Article Award

The purpose of the award is to encourage postgraduate research students to submit manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The prize will consist of a certificate signed by the Head of the School and the Dean of the Faculty and a financial award.