Additional Fully Funded NERC QUADRAT DTP Studentships: Interdisciplinarity

In addition to the 20 traditional QUADRAT studentships we recruited to earlier this year; we are delighted to launch the call for applications for a further 1 exciting interdisciplinary studentships. These projects broaden the scope of QUADRAT through cross-disciplinary collaboration, combining a mixture of expertise to tackle critical environmental challenges. A full list of projects is available here.

Although rooted in the environmental sciences, these interdisciplinary studentships may be of particular interest to students in the following disciplines:

  • economics
  • ecology
  • development studies
  • environmental science
  • physics
  • computer science
  • engineering
  • mathematics
  • biological sciences

Applicants should identify a project of interest and are advised to contact the lead supervisor who can provide further information and advice about the project prior to applying. These studentships are expected to commence 01 January 2024 and the successful candidate(s) will sit within cohort 5.

DEADLINE: 23.59pm (UK BST) on Monday 30th October 2023

Please read all the below information to ensure you submit a complete application.

Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will NOT be considered. Supporting documentation must be submitted by this date and will not be chased. When applying please ensure all required documents are sent via email as per the below instructions.

QUADRAT DTP PhD studentships cannot be undertaken remotely. All students must be resident in the UK for the majority of their studies.

These studentships are open to UK/Home applicants only. To be classed as a Home student, you must:

  1. be a UK National (meeting residency requirements),
    OR
  2. have settled status in the UK (meeting residency requirements),
    OR
  3. have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements),
    OR
  4. have indefinite leave to remain or enter in to the UK

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria will be classed as international applicants and will not be eligible for these studentships.

Candidates should have (or expect to achieve) a minimum of a 2.1 Honours degree in a relevant subject, a Master’s degree is not a requirement if you have a 2.1 or above at Honours level.

Applicants with a minimum of a 2.2 Honours degree may be considered providing they have a Distinction at Master’s level. Relevant work experience can also be considered.

Please download and complete this QUADRAT Application Form. In addition, you MUST complete the EDI survey which is linked in the application form. At the end of the EDI survey, you will receive a unique ID which you must note on your application form.

Please send your completed QUADRAT application form, in word format to quadrat-admissions@abdn.ac.uk. You should also include your supporting documentation (see below tab for details) as a combined PDF in the same email.

Applications must be completed in full and received by 23:59 (UK TIME) 30th October 2023 to be considered. We cannot chase missing documents – it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all documents are submitted by the relevant deadlines. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered.  

After submitting your application, you may be contacted by the project supervisor(s) to discuss the project in more detail.

Please submit the following supporting documents by the 7th August deadline:

  • QUADRAT Application Form
  • All degree transcripts and certificates (BSc and MSc, where applicable). Official translations are required where English is not the original language
  • Cover letter, addressed to the lead supervisor
  • A copy of your academic CV
  • Proof of settled status in the UK (where relevant)
  • 2 x academic references
  • EDI Survey completed (linked in application form) and unique ID noted

Please note, we cannot chase missing documents – it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all documents are submitted by the relevant deadlines. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered.  

These QUADRAT PhD projects are direct funded by QUADRAT NERC Doctoral Training Partnership. This opportunity is open to UK/Home candidates only, and provides funding to cover stipend, UK level tuition fees and a research and training support grant (RTSG). Please refer to the UKRI website, Annex B of the UKRI Training Grant Terms and Conditions and our funding and eligibility page for full eligibility criteria.

QUADRAT studentships cover:

  • Stipend – 23/24 rate is £18,622pa
  • UK level tuition fees  – 23/24 rate is £4,712pa
  • Research & Training Support Grant (RTSG) – £9,000

CASE studentships include a CASE partner which is a non-academic organisation within the public, private or third sector providing enhanced training opportunities.

More information on CASE partnerships can be found here: https://www.quadrat.ac.uk/opportunities/case-studentships/

The QUADRAT DTP is funded by NERC, a UKRI Research Council. As a result, we are required to report on this information for all applicants to the QUADRAT DTP. If you do not wish to reveal this information you will always have the option to select ‘prefer not to disclose’.

NERC believes that everyone should feel welcomed, valued and included, and we challenge discriminatory or biased behaviour. We thrive to fund the best of the best, regardless of their background. To keep improving our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, we gain information on the diversity profile of our applicants. This is important for NERC but also the University to put effective policies in place to offer equal opportunities.

Please be assured that the data you supply will be only be used for monitoring purposes and in conjunction with the review of your application. As such it will only be handled by the QUADRAT DTP Coordinator and will only be shared with individuals who are integral to the interview and selection process. Only anonymised data will be reported to NERC. By providing the requested information you are consenting to its use as stated in this paragraph.

Please see our DEI Hub for full details of our EDI commitment.