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Research

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We are different and we are the same. #WeAreEssex

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School of Life Sciences

Scholarships and funding

A photo of the middle of a microscope, showing the three objectives lenses, the mechanical stage where samples are placed, and the top of the illuminator underneath.

Supporting your studies

We offer funding opportunities to support both undergraduate and postgraduate students, including a broad range of University of Essex scholarships, and postgraduate research studentships within the School and from ARIES DTP.

Scholarships

Our range of scholarships and bursaries to support talented students ensure we remain accessible to all with the potential to succeed, regardless of financial circumstances.

Search our Scholarship Finder to see the funding you can apply for.

Funded research degree studentships

Throughout the year we may advertise funded studentships for research degrees. These are offered by the Faculty of Science and Health, the School of Life Sciences, ARIES (NERC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership) and the EU (Horizon 2020).

For further information, please contact the Graduate Administrator (lspgr@essex.ac.uk).

MSD studentship - Quantifying the impacts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from infrastructure decommissioning on benthic micro and macrofaunal communities

In the North Sea, there are >1,500 offshore oil and gas (O&G) installations. Current environmental regulations prohibit leaving any installations in place, under OSPAR Decision 98/3, which means all infrastructure must be removed when production ceases. However, a considerable number of O&G installations, particularly those installed before the 1998 OSPAR regulations, were not designed with full removal in mind, meaning partial removal and derogation is the only option during decommissioning.

Currently, there is a lack of knowledge on how infrastructure decommissioning shapes benthic microbial and macrofaunal biodiversity and in turn how this affects ecosystem function (e.g. hydrocarbon biodegradation). Such information is crucial for stakeholders when deciding on appropriate decommissioning scenarios.

The overarching aim of this project is to quantify the impact of PAHs from decommissioned infrastructure on sediment microbial and macrofaunal communities.

Lead department: School of Life Sciences

Closing date: 28 February 2025.

Find out more

Why should you do your research at Essex?

At the University of Essex, you can perform exciting research with excellent supervision that strikes the balance between guidance and encouraging independence.

You belong to intellectually stimulating research groups, and, importantly, will find a friendly, supportive environment within departments and across the university.

Through our unique professional development scheme Proficio, Essex provides outstanding financial support for training, field work, and conference participation.

External scholarships

Occasionally we may advertise external scholarships and funding opportunities offered by charitable organisations.

The department is not affiliated with these organisation and does not offer any application support. All queries about them should be directed to the organisations themselves.

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