PhD Studentship: Soil Carbon Dynamics Following Amazon Forest Wildfires (NERC GW4+ DTP) University of Exeter in United Kingdom

[Home tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend (£20,780 p.a. for 2026/27) for 3.5 years, £9,000 project costs budget, £2,000 conference budget, £1,000 individual training budget.]

This fully funded PhD studentship at the University of Exeter investigates soil carbon dynamics following Amazon forest wildfires, as part of the NERC GW4+ Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). The GW4+ DTP is a collaboration between leading UK universities and research organisations, offering broad training in earth and environmental sciences. The successful candidate will join a vibrant research community and benefit from interdisciplinary expertise, including partners such as the Met Office and Brazilian co-supervisors.

The project aims to understand how tropical forest soils, which are vital to the global carbon cycle, respond to increasing wildfire events, land-use changes, and climate warming. Key research questions include: (1) how soil respiration changes after wildfires across Amazonia and the role of soil properties; (2) the impact of pyrogenic carbon (charcoal) additions on soil respiration in southern Amazonian soils; and (3) improving the JULES land surface model using new field and experimental data. The doctoral researcher will lead field experiments in southern Amazonia, collaborate with the UK Met Office on advanced modelling, and contribute to the NERC-funded Amazon Pyrogenic Carbon Project.

Training opportunities include tropical field methods, environmental sensor deployment, experimental design, geospatial analysis in R, and advanced modelling with JULES. The student will access extensive datasets (soil respiration, stable and radiocarbon isotopes, pyrogenic carbon, microclimate) and develop a new soil microcosm experiment. The UK-Brazil partnership ensures access to field and logistical expertise, while the Met Office provides world-class training in climate impact assessment and modelling.

Funding for eligible students covers home tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend (£20,780 p.a. for 2026/27) for 3.5 years. Additional support includes a £9,000 project costs budget, £2,000 conference budget, and £1,000 individual training budget. Applicants should have a strong academic background in environmental science, earth science, biology, or related disciplines, and ideally experience with fieldwork, environmental sensors, experimental design, geospatial analysis, or modelling. Eligibility for home tuition fees is required for full funding.

The application deadline is 8 January 2026. For further details and to apply, visit the University of Exeter funding page. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the lead supervisor, Dr. Kees Jan van Groenigen, at [email protected] for project-specific queries.