PhD Studentship: Sanitary Waste Management – from Management to Sustainability University of Essex in United Kingdom

[Fully funded studentship; £20,780 for 2025-26. Additional £2,500 for training courses and £10,000 for research costs and further training.]

This fully funded PhD studentship at the University of Essex offers an exciting opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary research on sanitary waste management under the ‘Sustainable Transitions – Leverhulme Doctoral Training Programme’. The project addresses the management and sustainability of sanitary waste, including feminine hygiene products, diapers, and certain medical wastes, which are often overlooked in broader waste categories. Mismanagement of sanitary waste can lead to significant health, safety, and environmental issues, such as bacterial growth, infectious disease spread, and water and soil contamination. The increasing use of sanitary products places additional pressure on waste disposal systems, and the project also explores the gendered aspects of sanitary waste, highlighting its impact on women’s health and hygiene.

The research themes may include sustainable waste management in sensitive ecosystems, the roles of state and non-state actors in waste management and sustainability, the intersection of waste management with human rights to health and water, and mapping technological innovations in sanitary waste management. The project is interdisciplinary, integrating law, public health, and sociology, and will be jointly supervised by faculty from the Law and Life Sciences departments. Methodologies may involve socio-legal analysis, comparative legal analysis, policy evaluation, law and policy mapping, stakeholder interviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and bioinformatics approaches.

Doctoral scholars will benefit from comprehensive training in interdisciplinary research methods, including secondary discipline training and ongoing support throughout the programme. The Proficio scheme provides £2,500 for training courses, and Sustainable Transitions scholars receive £10,000 for research costs and further training. Scholars are encouraged to audit relevant masters and degree-level courses. The Centre for Environment and Society at the University of Essex offers additional networking and event opportunities.

This studentship is ideal for candidates with a degree or background in law (especially environmental or health-related law) and an interest in South Asia or another region of the Global South. Prior training in the hard sciences is not required, as the programme provides necessary interdisciplinary training. Applicants are expected to develop their own research proposal within the broad project area, with further development in consultation with the supervisory team. The application deadline is 13 April 2026, and the funding package includes a stipend of £20,780 for 2025-26, plus additional support for training and research costs.

For more information and to apply, visit the University of Essex postgraduate research opportunities portal.