• BSc/MSci 2:1 (or equivalent) 

• and/or Masters (MSc or MRes) at Merit/Distinction level (>60%). 

• and/or evidence of significant relevant professional experience equivalent to Masters level. 

• IELTS overall 6.5 / TOEFL overall 92 (Band C), if applicable. 

IGNITE studentships are funded by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC). The stipend is in line with UKRI stipend levels. All studentships are fully funded for 3.5 years. Both UK and non-UK candidates are eligible to apply. 

EU students coming to the UK from 1 January 2021 will need to apply for a visa to study in the UK. 

You are strongly encouraged to apply to one project, but you are able to apply to a maximum of two projects. All PhD applications to IGNITE should be made here, including the following in your application:  

• Curriculum vitae giving details of your academic record and stating your research interests, 

• Name two current academic referees together with an institutional email addresses in the Reference section of the application form. On submission of your online application your referees will be automatically emailed requesting they send a reference to us directly by email, 

• Your academic transcript and degree certificate (translated if not in English) – if you have completed both a BSc & an MSc, we require both. 

• IELTS/TOEFL certificate, if applicable. For more information, please see the University of Southampton’s English Language Proficiency page. 

As far as possible please upload all documents in PDF format. 

Please remember to include a short statement of your research interests and rationale for your choice of project(s) in the Personal Statement section of the application form. 

It is essential for overseas applicants to contact the lead supervisor to discuss the project before applying. 

Please ensure that you provide all required documentation and information so that your application can be reviewed and processed.

General enquiries should be directed to the Admissions team by email at: fels-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk 

You may also propose your own PhD project; for more information please contact nerc-dla@soton.ac.uk.  

• Personal Statement Guidance
  
• Interview Guidance

• CV Guidance 

• How to make a supervisor enquiry 

IGNITE seeks excellent prospective research students regardless of their particular scientific background. We aim to recruit the best students rather than to fill particular projects. We put a huge amount of effort into the recruitment process to meet this objective. We expect to receive hundreds of applications and interview up to 100 candidates each year.  

Candidates invited for interview will be invited to an online or in person visit day, to get to know the University of Southampton’s Waterfront Campus, to meet supervisors, and to explain the interview process. Candidates who attend the in person visit days will have travel and accommodation expenses paid up to £200, in line with the University’s financial policies for visitor expenses. 

Additionally, students applying for projects based outside of NOCS at one of the other partner organisations or within the wider University of Southampton are encouraged to arrange with prospective supervisors to visit the potential hosting organisation.