Amy Gough

PhD opportunity at Heriot-Watt University with Amy Gough , Assistant Professor in Geoscience and Head of the Southeast Asia Research Group (SEARG), based in Edinburgh, UK. The project is titled “Sundaland Reimagined: The Reconstruction of a Lost Cenozoic Continent” and focuses on reconstructing the evolution of Sundaland over the last 65 million years . This is a research-intensive PhD in Earth Science / Geology with strong links to tectonics , sedimentary provenance , palaeogeography , and data science . Research activities include working with legacy published geological datasets, collecting new samples during fieldwork in Southeast Asia, and building palaeogeographic reconstructions using GPlates . The wider SEARG group studies the tectonic development and geological history of Southeast Asia through field- and laboratory-based research, with collaborations across UK and Southeast Asian universities and institutions. Funding: the position covers UK (Home) fees only and includes a UKRI-matched stipend . International fees are not covered. Eligibility / fit: ideal for applicants interested in geological reconstruction, regional tectonics, source-to-sink systems, and Earth system questions. Fieldwork in Southeast Asia is part of the project. Deadline: Friday 26 June 2026. Start date: September 2026. How to apply: email [email protected] with your CV and a short note about your background, or contact Amy Gough via LinkedIn for more information.

Fully funded PhD opportunity at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, UK, within the Southeast Asia Research Group (SEARG) . The project is titled “Reconstructing the Ancient Natuna Arch: Timing and Uplift of a Southeast Asian Palaeo-Mountain Belt.” It focuses on the Natuna Arch, an almost entirely eroded Mesozoic mountain belt that may once have formed a land bridge from Borneo. The research aims to reconstruct when the arch was uplifted, how high it became, and how it influenced sediment dispersal and drainage across the Sunda Shelf. The work combines fieldwork in Natuna, the Riau Islands and northwest Kalimantan with geological mapping , sedimentology , U–Pb zircon geochronology , provenance analysis , thermochronology , thermal-history modelling and biostratigraphy . This is a strong fit for students interested in Earth Science , Geology , tectonics, basin analysis, and Southeast Asian palaeogeography. The position is open to Home and international applicants and includes full tuition fees , a UKRI-matched stipend , and project-cost funding . The start date is January 2027 . Supervisors named in the post are Amy Gough , Nanzhe Wang , and Max Webb . Informal enquiries can be sent to [email protected] . Application deadline: 30 October 2026.