PHD STUDENTSHIPS

Current Opportunities

We currently have a number of full or part-time PhD Studentships available in the School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences based in Milton Keynes starting in October 2021. 

These opportunities are funded by the Open University STEM Faculty (the STEM studentships) and an EU Innovative Training Network (the FluidNET studentships).

Please check eligibility requirements carefully before you apply.  The closing date is 12 noon on Monday 1^st March 2021.

STEM Studentships

The projects we have available are:

OU15 - The influence of sulfur cycling on community diversity in saline environments

OU16 - Detecting potential biosignatures in cryovolcanic plumes at Enceladus and other ocean worlds

OU17 - Written in stone: the natural and cultural heritage of the Carboniferous

OU18 - Deep ocean circulation dynamics during warm greenhouse climates

OU19 - The evolution of the climate-carbon cycle through the Last Interglacial

OU20 - Predicting the resilience of coastal habitats to climate change

OU21 - Indian Summer Monsoon variability in response to Pliocene climate

OU22 - Nature and origin of new runoff tracers in planktic foraminifera

OU23 - Reconstructing vegetation and fire history in response to past changes in the Indian Monsoon

OU24 - After the dust has settled: The post-impact hydrothermal system at Rochechouart impact crater and implications for Early Earth

How to Apply: STEM

For your application you will need to submit:

• A covering letter that includes:
  • Your motivation to study for a PhD in general
  • Your interest in this project in particular
  • The project-specific skills, aptitude and experience you bring to the project
• An academic CV containing contact details of three references, one of whom should be able to comment on your academic abilities.
• ​Either a completed Home OU application form (if you are a UK citizen) or an Overseas OU application form (if you are an international applicant, regardless of whether you are resident in the UK).

Applications should be sent to STEM-EEES-PhD@open.ac.uk by 12 noon on the 1^st March 2021.

Funding: STEM

Successful candidates will receive:

• An annual stipend of £15,285 paid directly to the student in monthly increments for 3.25 years
• Full university fees
• A research training support grant (RTSG) of £3,000

Eligibility: STEM

Applicants must hold a Batchelor’s or equivalent degree in a relevant subject with a grade at least equivalent to a 2:1 OR must demonstrate at least a pass at MSc level.

There is no residency or nationality limit on these studentships.

FluidNET Studentships

The projects on offer are:

ESR5 - How mobile are fluids and melts in the lower continental crust? 

ESR6 - How and how quickly do critical metals mobilise in the mid-lower continental crust? 

How to Apply: FluidNET

For your application you will need to submit:

• A covering letter that includes:
  • Your motivation to study for a PhD in general
  • Your interest in this project in particular
  • The project-specific skills, aptitude and experience you bring to the project
• An academic CV containing contact details of three references, one of whom should be able to comment on your academic abilities.
• ​Either a completed Home OU application form (if you are a UK citizen) or an Overseas OU application form (if you are an international applicant, regardless of whether you are resident in the UK).

Applications should be sent to STEM-EEES-PhD@open.ac.uk by 12 noon on the 1^st March 2021.

Funding: FluidNET

Successful candidates will receive, for 36 months, a generous monthly living allowance, a mobility allowance and, if married, an additional family allowance.  

A generous research support package is also included in the grant.

Eligibility: FluidNET

Mobility: Applicants may not have lived for more than 12 months out of the prior 36 months in the United Kingdom.

Early stage: On their starting date, applicants must be within four years (full-time equivalent) years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and have not been awarded a doctoral degree.  The time is measured from the date when the researcher obtained the first degree entitling him/her to embark on a doctorate (see below).

Academic requirements: On the starting date that applicant must hold a Batchelor’s or equivalent degree in a relevant subject with a grade at least equivalent to a 2:1 OR must demonstrate at least a pass at MSc level.

Advice and Guidance

Applying for PhD projects can be daunting, especially if no one you know has ever applied for a PhD or you don’t know where to start.  We’re here to help! 

If you have any general admin questions, please contact Olivia Acquah at stem-eees-phd@open.ac.uk

If you have any questions about eligibility, suitability, funding or whether you’re unsure that a PhD is for you (it probably is!), please contact Philip Holden at philip.holden@open.ac.uk or Clare Warren at clare.warren@open.ac.uk

If you have any questions about specific projects, please contact one of the supervisors named on the project.

We are all very happy to answer any questions you may have, and no question is too small.