ECOSOLUTIONS DFA
Led by the Universities of Sheffield and York, and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, ECOSOLUTIONS is a cutting-edge, transdisciplinary initiative, combining science, policy, and societal engagement to transform chemicals policy and management.
ECOSOLUTIONS will train the next generation of transdisciplinary, solution-focussed graduates that can apply systems-level thinking to facilitate the delivery of a non-toxic UK environment and a safe and sustainable chemicals products sector for environmental, economic and societal benefit.
Your PhD will be part of a cohort-based challenge, focused on urban environments, that combines cutting-edge environmental science with approaches from other disciplines (natural, health and social sciences, engineering). You will deliver a new approach to chemicals assessment and management that moves from describing chemical risk to a solution-based, systems approach to prevent or manage both current and future pollution.
Cohort 2 (2026 start) will address the challenge of rural landscapes and food systems.
The studentships are fully funded for three years and 9 months and you must complete your PhD within four years.
For further information on the programme please visit the ECOSOLUTIONS website.
Eligibility
Open to UK (home) students only.
Open to students in the following departments: Department of Chemistry and Department of Environment and Geography.
You can apply if you have, or are expecting to gain, at least an upper second class honours degree or equivalent.
The ECOSOLUTIONS CDT 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.
Not all projects will be funded; a limited number of candidates will be appointed via a competitive process.
How to apply
Please refer to the ECOSOLUTIONS webpage for details on how to apply.
Terms and conditions
The studentships are fully funded for three years and 9 months 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
Project details can be found on the ECOSOLUTIONS website.