NERC Doctoral Training Partnerships
Discover more about PhD opportunities with British Antarctic Survey.
There are currently over 100 PhD students associated with our organisation and nearly half of these students work full time at our offices and labs in Cambridge. Students have full access to our state of the art research facilities and some have the opportunity to carry out research in the polar regions. We strongly encourage the pursuit of interdisciplinary projects, and there is the opportunity to work with teams at the forefront of global change and exploration science in both polar regions.
Here are the BAS projects within our Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) partners for 2023. Each DTP and CDT has a separate application process, and this is usually through the university at which the project is linked. Please read and follow the instructions carefully before applying to ensure your application can be fully considered.
Our projects are in partnership with NERC Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and UKRI Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT)s. More information can be found on their websites – C-CLEAR, ARIES, INSPIRE, IAPETUS, GW4+, AI4ER, SENSE
If you would like to know more about applying for a PhD, here are some short videos on Preparing your application, Tips on meeting your potential supervisor and Preparing for a PhD interview and presentation
INSPIRE DTP also have some Top Tips and Student Testimonies for prospective students for more insight into PhDs
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion – We are fully committed to the UKRI EDI principles and policies. We strive to recruit and support a diverse and inclusive cohort of students.
Eligibility: UK students will be eligible for a full NERC studentship. More information is available in the UKRI Training Grant Guide. A full studentship will include the cost of fees, stipend, and research funding allowance.
UKRI have confirmed that international students (EU and non-EU) were eligible for all Research Council-funded postgraduate studentships from the start of 2021/2022 academic year. There will be a limited number of international studentships available. Further information for international studentships is available on each DTP and CDT website.
Projects starting October 2024 are listed below.
How to apply:
Enquiries in the first instance should be made to the lead supervisor. Applicants should follow the process on the C-CLEAR website
Application Deadline: 12:00 GMT – Thursday 4th January 2024
Supervisors: Richard Horne (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Giulio Del Zanna (DAMTP)
Supervisors: Hua Lu (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Michael Herzog (Geography)
Supervisors: David Munday (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Ali Mashayek (Earth Sciences)
Supervisors: Andrew Orr (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Ian Willis (SPRI)
Supervisors: Louise Sime (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Francesco Muschitiello (Geography)
Supervisors: Xin Yang (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Luke Abraham (Chemistry)
Supervisors: Xin Yang (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Rachael Rhodes (Earth Sciences)
Supervisors: Liz Thomas (BAS), Chiara Giorio (Lead supervisor) (Chemistry)
How to apply:
Enquiries in the first instance should be made to the lead supervisor. To apply, please follow the instructions on the Iapetus website.
Closing date: 12:00 GMT – Friday 5th January 2024
Supervisors: Norman Ratcliffe (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Jason Matthiopoulos (Glasgow)
Supervisors: Hua Lu (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Chris Stokes (Durham)
Supervisors: Lloyd Peck (BAS), Heather Sugden (Lead supervisor) (Newcastle)
Supervisors: Gabriele Stowasser (BAS), Jason Newton (Lead supervisor) (Glasgow)
Supervisors: Carlos Martin (BAS), T J Young (Lead Supervisor) (St Andrews)
Supervisors: Ben Evans (BAS), Anna Crawford (Lead Supervisor) (Stirling)
Supervisors: Kelly Hogan (BAS), Colm O’Cofaigh (Lead Supervisor) (Durham)
How to apply:
In the first instance please contact the BAS lead project supervisor if you have any questions about the research topic or your suitability for the project you are interested in. If you wish to submit an application, please take the time to read the guidance and draft answers for the GW4+ personal statement form that you will be asked to complete. For projects hosted at BAS, you will need to submit your application to the lead supervisor.
For projects co-supervised by BAS, please follow the instructions of the lead institute for further information.
Closing date for applications: 23:59 GMT – Tuesday 9th January 2024
Supervisors: Andrew Orr (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Stephen Cornford (Bristol)
Supervisors: Gabriele Stowasser (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Daniel Mayor (Exeter)
How to apply:
Enquiries in the first instance should be made to the lead supervisor. To apply, please follow the instructions on the ARIES website.
Closing date for applications: 23:59 GMT – Wednesday 10th January 2024
Supervisors: David Munday (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Xiaoming Zhai (UEA)
Supervisors: Clara Manno (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Matthew Jones (UEA)
How to apply:
Enquiries in the first instance should be made to the lead supervisor. To apply, please follow the instructions on the INSPIRE website.
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 3rd January 2024
INSPIRE will be holding an applicant webinar on Wednesday 6th December at 10:00. More information can be found here
Supervisors: Andrew Brearley (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Alberto Naveira-Garabato (Southampton)
Supervisors: Peter Davis (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Alberto Naveira-Garabato (Southampton)
Supervisors: Andrew Kavanagh (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Daniel Whiter (Southampton)
Supervisors: Jennifer Freer (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Ryan Reisinger (Southampton)
Supervisors: Claire Allen (Lead supervisor) (BAS), Alessandro Silvano (Southampton)
Supervisors: Andrew Kavanagh (BAS), Daniel Whiter (Lead supervisor) (Southampton)
Supervisors: Caroline Holmes (BAS), Alice Marzocchi (Lead supervisor) ( Southampton)
Discover more about PhD opportunities with British Antarctic Survey.
Find out more about our 8-day training course focussing on working safely and effectively in the polar regions. Deadline 13th March 2020.
Science careers video clips