Applications to begin the ILESLA programme closed on Thursday, 8 January 2026.
Further information about the programme and instructions on how to apply can be found in BBSRC-NERC funded 'Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Science Landscape Award' (ILESLA) PhD studentship opportunities.
The Open University has partnered with the University of Oxford (lead university), Oxford Brookes University, The Pirbright Institute, Diamond Light Source, and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source to launch the BBSRC-NERC funded Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Science Landscape Award (ILESLA). This ambitious doctoral training programme will prepare a new generation of creative, collaborative, and entrepreneurial researchers who are equipped to meet the complex, cross-disciplinary challenges the world faces.
The primary aim of ILESLA is to cultivate researchers capable of developing innovative solutions to challenges in and at the intersection of biological and environmental sciences, focusing on five interconnected themes:
View a full list of research topics within each theme.
This exciting award is expected to fund at least ten new PhD students at The Open University, across five intakes (2025 – 2029) and to fund students registered at the University of Oxford or Oxford Brookes University who will be co-supervised by researchers at The Open University. Recruitment will be annual.
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
International applicants will need to demonstrate that they are sufficiently proficient in English to support successful study at research degree standard before any offer of registration can be made. To find out if you need to prove your English language abilities with an English proficiency test, please see our International research student applications page or visit the government student visa website.
Please note that if you are required to take a test, higher level English language is required for this opportunity. This equates to:
Further information on eligibility including what other tests can be accepted can be found on the University of Oxford's website.
Applications are currently closed. The application period for an October intake will open in the preceding November/December. Application closing dates will be confirmed closer to the time.
Please consult the LHCS research webpages, The EEES Research webpages and The Open University Research site for suitable supervisors. If you have further questions, please contact us via [email protected]. Please note that sometimes, despite our best efforts, it might not be possible for you to work with the specified supervisor(s).
ILESLA is co-funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and The Open University. Awarded applicants chosen for funded studentships will receive a monthly stipend equating to £21,237 per annum for four years and will also have their tuition fees funded for the four-year funding duration. Where part-time study is chosen, students will study at 50% full-time equivalent (18.5 hours per week), receive £10,618 stipend per year over eight years and have their part-time fees funded for up to eight years. UKRI training grant terms and conditions will apply. A budget will be provided for project costs during the PhD.
The Central England NERC Training Alliance (CENTA) is a consortium of Universities and research institutes, including the OU, working together to provide excellence in doctoral research training, within the remit of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Please read more about this partnership on our Doctoral Training Partnerships page.
NERC-funded CENTA studentships are advertised from early November on the:
The deadline for CENTA applications starting in October is in early January and interviews for shortlisted candidates are in mid-February.
To be eligible for a full CENTA studentship award, you must have no restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the studentship. Funding may be available for international (following Brexit, now including EU) students; please contact your prospective supervisor directly for more information.
Often, other studentships funding is also available and sometimes at a later date. The websites listed above will have more information.
Please note that the OOC DTP has now completed the final round of awards and will not be funding any new studentships after the 2025/26 cohort. The following information remains up for students who are already enrolled.
The Open University offered Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funding through the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership (OOC DTP). Please read more about this partnership on our Doctoral Training Partnerships page.
Awards for UK residents cover all tuition fees and provide a maintenance grant at the UKRI national minimum doctoral stipend rate (£19,237 in 2024–25 for 12 months). If the award is for a period of less than 12 months in any year, the grant is reduced pro-rata to reflect the number of days for which a student is enrolled on course. A limited number of awards, including stipend and a contribution towards tuition fees, may also be available for international applicants (subject to residency requirements during the course of study). International applicants should check the DTP eligibility page for further information prior to making a formal application.
Full details of eligible subject areas and further information is available on the Open-Oxford-Cambridge DTP website.
The Grand Union DTP is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership that unites The Open University, the University of Oxford and Brunel University London. The partnership builds on the recognised research and doctoral training strengths of all three institutions. The DTP covers 23 subject areas (‘pathways’), themed into five broad clusters. Different pathways offer students opportunities to:
All OU pathways are available for students studying part time as well as those studying full time.
These studentships are funded by the ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Partnership. They’re fully funded for 4 years full time or 8 years part time, covering tuition fees (at UK/EU level) and a stipend. Learn more about Grand Union funding support.
Studentships are advertised in October/November via the Grand Union DTP and OU Studentship pages with closing dates in the subsequent January.
Detailed information on the application process and OU pathways is available on the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences' Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership website.
