Scholarships

It is now widely recognised that the challenges for local, national, and international communities to transition to more environmentally sustainable modes of production, business and industry, agriculture, consumption, energy use, natural resource use and conservation require interdisciplinary approaches to research that combine different streams of expertise from the natural and social sciences. 

The Sustainable Transitions - Governance, Ecological Management and Society - Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme will play an important role in researching those transitions. It will be founded on the world leading expertise in areas of environmental sustainability at the University of Essex. Each research project will be interdisciplinary in nature and 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 - to address specific challenges.

There are eight different projects that you can apply for under the programme:

• Managing the environmental impact of antifouling biocides in recreational marinas through stakeholder engagement
• How to enhance climate governance to achieve effective funding for ‘loss and damage’ at the local level
• Climate misinformation
• Human rights in postgrowth proposals and policies
• Environmental loss, ecological grief and reparative action
• Sustainable transition to nature-based solutions for coastal defence
• The scourge of plastic waste: Analysing issues of sustainability and accountability
• Nature protection versus nature restoration: Who benefits and who loses out?

How to apply

You should apply separately for the scholarship and the PhD course applicable to the project that you are applying for.

To apply for the scholarship:

Please complete the application form (.docx) and email it to SustainableLDTP@essex.ac.uk by 11:59pm on Friday 31 May 2024 and attach a 3 page (max) curriculum vitae including educational and academic / professional / working experience.

To apply for the PhD course:

Please complete the online course application. For more information see PhD application information.

On the Course page of the application form, there is a section titled ‘Proposed research topic or area of research *’. In the adjacent box please note that you are applying for a Sustainable Transitions scholarship and provide the title of the project. 

On the same page, there is a section that states ‘If you have contacted a potential supervisor to discuss your application or research proposal, please provide the person's full name’. In the adjacent box please state the name of the primary discipline supervisor for the project.

You can learn about postgraduate research at the University of Essex more generally on our postgraduate research study pages.

You should apply for a place to study as soon as possible and at the latest by 11:59pm on Friday 31 May 2024.

Guidance for Applicants

Prior to applying, please read the Guidance for Applicants document (.pdf) which provides further background information and guidance on the content that you should include in your application. 

Guidance Webinar for Applicants

On Thursday 25 April 2024, 12pm midday to 2pm (GMT + 1), a webinar will take place during which further guidance will be provided. This will also provide the opportunity for applicants to ask questions about the programme and the University itself.

Schedule for Shortlisting and Selection Process

Applicants shortlisted for interview will be informed by 10 June 2024.

Two rounds of interviews will take place from 17 to 28 June 2024. 

Outcomes for interviewed applicants will be communicated by 8 July 2024.

Further Information

For any queries relating to the programme please contact the Sustainable Transitions Programme Administration at SustainableLDTP@essex.ac.uk

Terms and conditions

Sustainable Transitions – Governance, Ecological Management and Society – Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme 2024-25 (.pdf)

Please read the full terms and conditions before applying for or accepting a scholarship or bursary. They contain important information about eligibility, how to apply and how you'll receive your funding.

If you're a current student looking for information about an award you received, see our terms and conditions for previous years.