NERC Doctoral Training (via UKRI/DTPs)

What the NERC doctoral training gives you

You get a funded PhD place in environmental science in the UK. A typical UKRI-funded PhD covers your university tuition fees plus a tax-free living allowance called a stipend. The stipend is set at the UKRI minimum rate, recently around EUR 22,000 per year (about £18,622), with a higher rate for London. The exact figures were not confirmed on the current pages. The money comes from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the UK's main funder of environmental research and part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). NERC does not pay students directly. It funds groups of universities called Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs), and you apply to a PhD project within one of them.

Who can apply

• Level: You want to do a PhD (doctorate), not a bachelor's or master's.
• Field of study: Environmental science in a broad sense, including atmospheric science, earth and marine science, ecology, hydrology and climate research.
• Where you study: At a UK university that belongs to one of NERC's Doctoral Training Partnerships.

How to apply

You apply directly to a PhD project advertised by one of the Doctoral Training Partnerships, not to NERC itself. Each DTP runs its own application and selection with its own deadlines, usually in winter for a start the following autumn.

How realistic are your chances?

These are fully funded PhD places in a popular field, so each advertised project draws many applicants and competition is strong. Your prospects depend far more on how well your research interests and academic record fit a specific project and supervisor than on any general criterion. Find a project that matches your background early and contact the supervisor before the DTP deadline.