Bio-Boost iDLA
Led by the Universities of York and Newcastle the Bio-Boost Industry Doctoral Landscape Award (funded for 6 years by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) will train a general of ‘industry and government ready’ scientists that will harness the power of waste water treatment.
Applications for 2026/27 are open until Wednesday 14 January 2026, 11.59pm GMT
Harnessing The Biological and Biotechnological Potential of Wastewater Treatment Industry Doctoral Landscape Award (Bio-Boost)
The Bio-Boost iDLA is a partnership between the University of York, Newcastle University, UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR), the Environment Agency, Oxford Nanopore Technologies and Waters Crop.
The programme will provide a multi-disciplinary science and training environment across two closely located campuses. Using the synergies within and across the departments in, Environment and Geography, Biology and Chemistry at the University of York, and the School of Engineering at Newcastle University.
It will train scientists to:
- meet a growing skills and capability need across our water industry,
- increase health security and pandemic preparedness,
- ensure waste water treatment is resilient to climate change,
- increase our energy security and support our net zero ambitions, and
- develop sustainable innovations for clean industrial growth.
Bio-Boosts training is aligned to three research themes, each delivered within a dedicated cohort:
- Cohort 1 (2026/27 entry) - delivery of an integrated understanding of health that adopts innovative approaches to (eco)epidemiology that maximise removal of communicable diseases to enhance health security and pandemic preparedness
- Cohort 2 (2027/28 entry) - protection of aquatic environments through enhanced biological removal of emerging chemical pollutants, and ensuring the that WWT is resilient in the face of climate change
- Cohort 3 (2028/29 entry) - creating renewable bioresources for clean and sustainable industry growth to improve energy security, and adopting circular innovative solutions and new revenue streams
The programme is currently recruiting for cohort 1.
Eligibility
Open to UK (home) students only.
You can apply if you have, or are expecting to gain, at least an upper second class honours degree or equivalent. Although 2:1 is the minimum requirement to be considered for a PhD, we can occasionally request an academic waiver to the usual entry requirement if you have relevant industrial experience.
If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide evidence of an English language qualification.
The Bio-Boost iDLA is committed to recruiting extraordinary future researchers regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or career pathway to date. We understand that commitment and excellence can be shown in many ways and have built our recruitment process to reflect this. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in research, who have curiosity, creativity and a drive to learn new skills.
Our equality, diversity and inclusion page details the strategies we employ in our recruitment process to reduce bias and support student from under represented backgrounds.
English language
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. For more information see our Postgraduate English language requirements.
How to apply
Application deadline: Wednesday 14 January 2026, 11.59pm GMT
Please refer to the Bio-Boost iDLA webpage for details on how to apply.
Terms and conditions
The studentships are fully funded for 4 years and you must complete your PhD within four years.
You'll receive a minimum of £20,780 per year for your living costs, which is paid to you in regular instalments. The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) stipend is tax-free and does not need to be paid back.
As a member of the York Graduate Research School, you will study throughout the whole year, working for at least 35 hours per week, and will have a usual annual leave entitlement (normally 30 days over the year plus public holidays). You are encouraged to make use of your leave and have a responsibility to discuss the timing of this with your supervisor (for longer periods of holiday) and recording leave taken through the year. Students working in collaboration with non-academic partners are expected to bear in mind their obligations to those partners in planning leave.
You must adhere to the University’s regulations, policies and guidance regarding research degree programmes.
Projects
In 2026, Bio-Boost is conducting a cohort-level recruitment process for candidates interested in exploring the “Integrated Understanding of Public and Environmental Health” theme, including:
- The role that wastewater and drinking water treatment systems play in the dynamics and removal of human-derived pathogens
- How changes in population demographics and climate will impact the burden and public health exposure to emerging communicable diseases.
Projects will be available at the University of York and Newcastle University; each project will have a supervisory team comprising academics from York, Newcastle and at least one project partner. Example project areas include:
- Integrated approaches to (eco)epidemiology,
- Novel sensing and processing technologies to detect and quantify the presence of pathogens of concern (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, harmful algal blooms) in wastewaters and drinking waters to protect public and environmental health,
- Development of strategies to remove pathogens from wastewaters,
- Understanding the dynamics transmission and persistence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs to bacteria and fungi) in wastewater treatment, together with strategies to enhance their removal, to enhance water quality
For more information please visit the Bio-Boost website