[Four fully-funded PhD scholarships; funding covers tuition and stipend for 48–60 months. Master’s Plus pathway includes a funded one-year Research Masters prior to PhD. Open to UK home fees status and eligible international candidates.]

The Leverhulme Doctoral Programme for Regenerative Innovation (Regnr8-i) at the University of Dundee is now recruiting for four fully-funded PhD scholarships, as well as UK Master’s Plus Scholarships. This prestigious programme is designed to foster a vibrant, cross-institutional community of postgraduate researchers, with a strong emphasis on transdisciplinary research and real-world impact. By 2027, the Regnr8-i community will grow to 24 full-time researchers, contributing to a new paradigm in regenerative innovation and practice.

Regnr8-i is closely aligned with the University of Dundee’s commitment to research excellence and is supported by a unique collaboration with the Eden Trust, a renowned conservation charity. The Eden Trust is working with the University and other partners to establish the Eden Project Dundee, which received planning permission in 2024. This partnership enhances the programme’s innovation agenda, particularly in regenerative agriculture, clean energy, circularity, and social inclusion, and offers all scholars a three-month placement with the Eden Trust, either in Dundee or within its international network.

The programme’s research themes address global challenges through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Place-Based Actions (PBA), aiming to deliver vitality and prosperity for all life. Regenerative innovation is proposed as a paradigm to succeed sustainability, tackling the global polycrisis by aligning human actions with living-systems principles. Scholars will explore productive imagining (Futuring), regenerative systems, and positive feedback loops between ecological and social systems, requiring an understanding of complex interactions among natural, human, and technological systems.

Thirteen diverse PhD projects are available for recruitment, including topics such as carbon-negative self-healing construction materials, regenerative futures through craft and place-based innovation, novel catalysts for carbon capture and green hydrogen production, accounting for regenerative organising, microplastics removal in rivers, AI decision support for peatland rewetting, regenerative finance, non-invasive optical imaging for oral health, healthcare pathway regeneration, climate crisis and community policing, nature-based innovations for river adaptation, energy retrofit for net-zero housing, and co-designing therapeutic spaces.

Eligibility for the 2026/27 round requires applicants to hold (or be about to achieve) a First Class or Upper Second Class Honours AND a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline. The Master’s Plus pathway includes a funded one-year Research Masters prior to the PhD. Scholarships are open to UK home fees status applicants and UK domiciled candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. English language proficiency is required: IELTS (Academic) overall score of at least 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in reading, listening, speaking and 6.0 in writing), or equivalent qualifications as accepted by the University of Dundee.

The application process is two-stage: first, applicants should contact the lead supervisor for their chosen project to discuss suitability and shared vision. Second, formal applications are submitted via the Scholarship Application Form by 9 January 2026. Candidates from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply and will receive mentoring and a guaranteed interview. Final selection is by interview panel in late January 2026, with successful candidates starting in October 2026.

For more information and to apply, visit the official application page. This is an exceptional opportunity to join a dynamic, impact-driven research community at the forefront of regenerative innovation.