Fully Funded PhD Positions in Environmental DNA, Proglacial Wetlands, and Upland Water Quality Leeds Beckett University in United Kingdom

Leeds Beckett University is advertising 3 fully funded PhD studentships in the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing, starting 1 February 2027, with an application deadline of 31 August 2026.

The projects are research-led and interdisciplinary, with strong links to Environmental Science, Earth Science, Biology, Statistics, Geography, and Public Health. The three topics are:

1) Environmental DNA and sea-level change — developing eDNA approaches to reconstruct sea-level change from saltmarsh sediments, combining molecular methods, micropalaeontology, sediment analysis, and quantitative modelling.

2) Proglacial wetlands and ecosystem services — assessing ecosystem services, carbon storage, gas fluxes, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions in glacier-retreat landscapes, with field surveys, GIS, satellite imagery, and environmental monitoring.

3) Recreational impacts on upland water quality — tracing faecal contamination linked to wild camping in mountain environments using eDNA, field sampling, spatial analysis, and potentially social science methods.

All three projects are described as fully funded and include Home (UK) fees plus a tax-free stipend of £21,805 (UKRI 2026/2027 rate) for 36 months. Full training is provided, and applicants are not expected to already have experience in every method.

Applicants must submit a research proposal, statement of purpose, degree certificates and transcripts, English language qualification, CV, and one academic reference. The application must be made through the Leeds Beckett portal, selecting the relevant project and quoting the application reference number.