ARIES PhD project opportunities: October 2026
The °µÍø½âÃÜ is a partner in the Advanced Research and Innovation in the Environmental Sciences (ARIES) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) which is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
As one of 17 new Doctoral Training Partnerships in the UK, ARIES enrolled its first cohort of students in October 2019.
ARIES will equip the next generation of environmental scientists with the knowledge and tools to better understand and manage our planet by:
- Developing multiple cohorts of scientists with advanced skills and knowledge, multidisciplinary outlooks, and substantial potential to operate successfully across all postgraduate career options.
- Assembling a diverse and integrated training partnership that enables our PGRs to address priority topics in environmental sciences through cutting-edge and world-leading research.
- Training all of our PGRs to understand modern methods of data management, interrogation, analysis, and presentation; from bioinformatics to artificial intelligence.
- Ensuring our graduates engage with the interfaces between environmental science and societal needs by growing their ability to achieve non-academic impact and effective public engagement.
Applications for 2026/27 are now open.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 7 January 2026 at 23:59 GMT.
School of Biological and Marine Sciences
Swamped: Is Crassula helmsii a significant threat to wetland biodiversity? The biology and ecology of disease in seagrass: Understanding the pseudo-fungus Phytophthora gemini and its impact on common eelgrass (Zostera marina) development Anthropogenic impacts on growth and protein metabolism in the European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax Sitting ducks, what’s the flux? The impact of seabird nest abundance and spatial distribution on ecosystem processes Ecology of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems: connecting functional diversity and resilience Impacts of UK heatwaves on coastal biodiversity: from genes to ecosystems
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Next-Generation Sensors for Tracking Calcium and Magnesium in Marine Ecosystems The role of climate and tectonics on correlated and path dependent landsliding Nanoplastic-phytoplankton interactions under ocean warming and their multi-stressor effects Tools for assessing microbial risks of groundwater heating Hot rocks and hidden metals: The porosity puzzle of the Cornubian batholith Microbial drivers of Temperate Rainforest expansion and functional resilience From Oceans to Clouds: Is the Antarctic ocean microlayer a source of cloud forming particles? Dynamics of land-to-lake transfers in the Lake Victoria basin Peatlands on the edge: integrating modern and long-term ecology to inform UK peatland fire management in a changing climate
How to apply
To apply please use the online link from the project advert and follow the instructions.
Take a look at the Doctoral College information on
applying for a research degree.
For any generic questions on ARIES, studentships and selection processes, prospective applicants should contact
Professor Dave Bilton
for projects in the
School of Biological and Marine Sciences
and
Professor Gregory Price
for the
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
. For specific details on individual projects, please contact the project's primary supervisor.
For further information please see or contact aries.dtp@uea.ac.uk.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 7 January 2026 at 23:59 GMT.
Key information
- Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend £20,780 p.a. for 2025/26 rate (2026/27 rate TBC) and a research training and support grant (RTSG). A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note, however, that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.
- ARIES postgraduate researchers (PGRs) benefit from and ARIES provides £2,500 to every student for access to external training, travel and conferences, on top of all Research Costs associated with the project. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an to take advanced-level courses.
- ARIES is committed to in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, and our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience.
- All ARIES studentships may be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis. International applicants should check whether there are any conditions of visa or immigration permission that preclude part-time study. All advertised project proposals have been developed with consideration of a safe, inclusive and appropriate research and fieldwork environment with respect to protected characteristics. If you have any concerns, please contact us.
- For further information, please contact the supervisor. To apply for any studentship listed above, follow the apply instructions via the project advert webpage and click the ‘online application’ link.
- ARIES is required by our funders to collect Equality and Diversity Information from all of our applicants. The information you provide will be used solely for monitoring and statistical purposes; it will remain confidential and will be stored on the UEA SharePoint server. Data will not be shared with those involved in making decisions on the award of Studentships and will have no influence on the success of your application. It will only be shared outside of this group in an anonymised and aggregated form. You will be asked to complete the form by the University to which you apply.
- ARIES studentships are subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Postgraduate Researchers are expected to live within reasonable distance of their host organisation for the duration of their studentship. .
