PhD Studentship: How Long Does it Take Grassland Fungi to Recover After Disturbance? University of East Anglia in United Kingdom

[Fully funded studentship covering fees, a maintenance stipend of £21,805 p.a. for 2026/27, and a research training and support grant (RTSG). A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with home/international fee difference waived by the registering university; relocation, visa, and health surcharge costs are not covered.]

This PhD studentship at the University of East Anglia asks a timely ecological question: how long does it take grassland fungi to recover after disturbance? The project focuses on unimproved, sensitively grazed lowland grasslands, an important but threatened habitat that supports diverse fungal communities, including waxcaps and many soil microfungi that contribute to plant health, nutrient cycling, and carbon storage.

The research will use three UK grassland sites: Rothamsted Research’s long-term experiment sites in Hertfordshire and Devon, and Holkham Estate in Norfolk. Together, these sites span a wide range of soil types, climates, and management histories extending from decades to over a century. The student will sample soils along gradients of time since disturbance such as ploughing, and use metabarcoding sequencing to analyse fungal diversity and community composition. Soil chemistry measurements will be collected alongside the biological data to help separate disturbance effects from other environmental drivers.

In parallel, bacterial sequencing from the same samples will allow comparisons between disturbance responses in fungi and bacteria. Later in the project, the student will identify a shared grass species across all sites and sample roots, rhizosphere, and bulk soil at finer resolution to test whether fungal partner recruitment is consistent across locations. This design combines field ecology, molecular methods, and community ecology with strong links to applied restoration and land management.

The project offers training across fieldwork, laboratory techniques, sequencing, coding, and bioinformatics, with support from the Earlham Institute and access to cutting-edge data science expertise. The student will also benefit from collaboration with Rothamsted Research, established long-term datasets, training in fungal ecology, taxonomy, and biogeochemistry, and opportunities to present at conferences.

Funding is available through ARIES and UKRI terms and conditions. Successful UKRI-eligible candidates will receive a fully funded studentship covering fees, a maintenance stipend of £21,805 per year for 2026/27, and a research training and support grant. A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between home and international fees waived by the registering university, though relocation, visa, and health surcharge costs are not covered.

Applicants should have a degree in ecology, microbiology, environmental science, or a related field, and should be enthusiastic about field, lab, and computational work. Applications are made through the University of East Anglia research postgraduate application route, with an additional ARIES Equality and Diversity Form required after applying. The deadline listed is 16 December 2026.