Life Sciences general project area

Scholarship opportunity

This is an opportunity to undertake a fully funded masters’ degree and an interdisciplinary PhD under the ‘Sustainable Transitions – Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme’ at the University of Essex.  (All tuition fees are covered and an annual stipend provided throughout the Masters and PhD phases.)

The purpose of this programme is to train the next generation of interdisciplinary scholars with the skills and expertise to contribute to ‘sustainable transitions’ at local, national and international levels.

Applicants with an undergraduate degree in the life sciences or a related subject are invited to put forward a proposal for a PhD research project in the field of environment and sustainability as it relates to the life sciences. The successful applicant will then undertake the following masters’ degrees commencing in January 2027 and further develop their research proposal before proceeding to the PhD phase:

• MSc Biotechnology

Research proposal

You are invited to submit a 1000 word (max) project area proposal that describes the area that you wish to research. This call for proposals is broadly defined, leaving scope for the applicant to develop their own specific research proposal as part of the application. The successful candidate will further develop their proposal in close consultation with the supervisory team during the masters’ year and further during the PhD phase.

In your proposal you should identify ONE of the following four disciplines that you would like to integrate into your research to ensure that it your research is interdisciplinary in nature:

• Law,
• Government/Political Science,
• Business,
• Sociology.

It is not necessary to have any prior knowledge of this additional discipline as you will be given training when you commence your PhD.

Training and support

You will receive a range of training and opportunities in the Masters’ phase of the programme. When you commence the PhD phase you will receive support through the Sustainable Transitions training programme, which offers interdisciplinary research methods, secondary discipline training, and ongoing development. Doctoral scholars also have access to £2,500 through Proficio for training courses and £10,000 for research and additional training. You may audit relevant courses and will be supported by both the Sustainable Transitions management team and your supervisory team. Additionally, all scholars can join the University of Essex’s Centre for Environment and Society, which provides events and networking opportunities.

Person specification

Only UK domiciled applicants who meet the following criteria may apply:

• Not already have a Masters’ degree.
• Be from a low-income household background as evidenced by, for example, being in receipt of a full maintenance loan or Special Support loan during their undergraduate studies.

and/or

Be one of the following categories of ethnicity:

• Black African
• Black Caribbean
• Black Other
• Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
• Mixed – White and Black African
• Other mixed background (including Black African, Black Caribbean and Black Other)

Supervisory arrangements

A supervisor will be allocated in accordance with your specified area of focus.

Supervision

The primary discipline supervisor takes the lead responsibility for supervising the project. For further detail relating to supervision see the Guidance for Applicants (.docx) document.

Additional background information

Departmental lead: Dr Nick Aldred

The 21st century may be remembered as the century of biology.

Many of the challenges facing the environment and sustainability are interdisciplinary in nature and have at their centre a fundamental biological challenge. This can be seen in conservation and the biodiversity crisis itself, climate change solutions, pollution control, the role of ecosystem services, resolving the waste crisis, the food crisis, and a range of other areas too. As a result biology and biologists are central to the processes of finding practical solutions.

The School of Life Sciences is a multidisciplinary department containing research that spans the whole spectrum of biology, from evolutionary theory and molecular ecology, through to applied biotechnology, microbiology and biomedical science.

If you are fascinated by biology, life sciences, ecology and the natural world, you may be well-placed to become a researcher who plays a role in seeking solutions to environmental and sustainability challenges through research in one of these sub-disciplines.

Regardless of which sub-discipline you choose, you will have access to world class expertise within the Life Sciences academic staff and modern, cutting-edge facilities including recirculating tropical and freshwater aquaria, well-equipped molecular biology and microbiology labs, fieldwork equipment and advanced plant-growth facilities.

We invite proposals that outline a broad, challenge-focused subject area that is based in biology, but would require an interdisciplinary approach to address related aspects.

How to Apply

Full details available at Sustainable Transitions Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme.