We offer fully funded PhD studentships with IGNITE, a Doctoral Landscape Award funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and hosted by the University of Southampton.
Applications are not currently open. We will be accepting applications from mid-November 2026.
This exciting opportunity integrates PhD researchers into leading research teams, placing them at the forefront of groundbreaking research in Earth, marine and environmental science. If you’re successful, you’ll join a vibrant cohort of IGNITE researchers and develop the skills to lead future responses to climate change and other environmental challenges.
You could be based at one of our prestigious partner institutions, which include the British Antarctic Survey, National Oceanography Centre, Marine Biological Association and Natural History Museum.
What does the funding cover?
If your application is successful, the studentship includes:
- The IGNITE DLA studentship provides a maximum of 3.5 years of funding
- UK tuition fees, covered in full
- A tax-free stipend of £21,805 per year (the UK Research and Innovation 2026/27 rate) to help with living costs
- An annual £2,200 Research Training Support Grant to fund PhD-related opportunities such as attendance at conferences, seminars and outreach activities
To understand the application process and what happens next, expand each step in the “How to Apply” and “After You Have Applied” sections below for detailed guidance.
How to Apply
To be eligible for an IGNITE project and studentship, you must have:
- 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.
Both UK and international students are eligible to apply to an IGNITE Project. However, a maximum of 30% of IGNITE studentships (usually 5 studentships per year) can be provided to international applicants, so competition for these studentships is very high. We strongly encourage you to speak to the lead supervisor of a project to check your suitability before applying.
To be considered a “Home/UK student”, you must:
- Be a UK National or,
- Have settled status or,
- Have pre-settled status or,
- Have indefinite leave to remain or enter
- Be an Irish National.
If you do not meet the criteria above, you would be considered an international student.
Supervisor-led or Applicant-led
All of the projects with the IGNITE DLA are fully funded, which means your tuition fees are covered, you will receive a tax-free stipend and an annual research training support grant to support PhD-related opportunities.
The projects we offer fall into two broad categories: supervisor-led and applicant-led.
The supervisor-led projects are those that are listed on our FindAPhD page here. These are projects that have been proposed by academics within the University of Southampton and our partner institutions, the British Antarctic Survey, National Oceanography Centre, Marine Biological Association and Natural History Museum. The research aims and objectives have been determined by an experienced academic who is looking to recruit a talented and driven individual onto the project.
The applicant-led projects are those that have been proposed by an applicant, but co-designed with a prospective supervisory team. If you have a particular research interest or project in mind, which has not already been proposed by one of our academics, then you can write your own research proposal and submit this to the IGNITE DLA. It is essential that you find one of the IGNITE DLA Hosting Partners to discuss your project idea and get their support.
- Email nerc-dla@soton.ac.uk to request a Project Proposal Template
- Follow the guidance on how to create your own research proposal
- An application link will be added when the recruitment window opens
View our projects here – Projects will go live in mid-November 2026
We strongly encourage you to contact potential supervisors ahead of submitting your application.
Email is typically the most effective way to contact a potential supervisor. You will find a supervisor’s contact email on their staff profile.
You can find a list of our current academics here.
IGNITE DLA projects can be based at any of our Hosting Partners. The project will be based at the same location as the lead supervisor, and the project advert should state where this will be.
What to say when you email a potential supervisor
When sending your first email, it’s a good idea to:
- Briefly tell them about your research interest and how you feel it aligns with their expertise
- Express why you want to do this research or your interest in the topic
- Keep it short and to the point – supervisors may not have a great amount of time to carefully read all initial emails they receive
- Check the person’s title (for example, Dr, Professor, Mr, Mrs.)
Allow 2 to 3 weeks for an initial response. If you haven’t received a response within that time, you can contact the Doctoral College Faculty team – Doctoralcollege-admissions@soton.ac.uk.
It is possible to propose your own project to the IGNITE Doctoral Landscape Award. To do this, you should:
- Find a supervisor from one of the IGNITE DLA Hosting Partners to discuss your project idea and get their support
- Email nerc-dla@soton.ac.uk to request a Project Proposal Template
- Follow the guidance on how to create your own research proposal
- An application link will be added when the recruitment window opens
It will not be possible to submit your application without the minimum required documents. To have your application processed, you’ll need to send us:
- The application form, which will include your personal statement
- An official academic transcript of your undergraduate degree showing modules and marks achieved
- An official academic transcript from your Master’s degree, showing modules and marks achieved.
- Undergraduate degree certificate and Master’s degree certificate (if you have already graduated)
- Research proposal (if you are planning your own project, or if it states you need to provide it)
In addition to the minimum required documents above, we would encourage you to also provide:
- Two academic references from your most recent place of study
- English language qualification (please check our English Language Proficiency page if English is not your first language)
- CV (also referred to as a resume)
Any additional documentation will help our academic supervisors make a decision about your application. It is in your best interest to submit the strongest application possible.
What we’re looking for in a personal statement and CV
We’ve included some further information on what we’re looking for in a personal statement and CV, and some contact points (particularly for students from backgrounds which are currently under-represented in our PhD cohorts or in UK higher education) for further support.
Your personal statement
The personal statement is an important part of the application – here, we get the chance to learn more about you and your motivation for study, beyond degree scores and basic details in your CV. A good personal statement gives detail on:
(a) what is your motivation for and interest in doing a PhD, and in particular the specific PhD(s) you’ve applied for. This includes what you hope to get from a PhD in terms of supporting your future career ambitions: we recognise that PhDs are not purely avenues for academic research careers – motivations for study can include developing the research and independent self-organisation skills needed to thrive in a wide range of industries and work sectors; and
(b) how your background skills and experience will support the work in the PhD – these can be wider skills, such as communication, coding, report writing, or team-working, or specific skills such as previous laboratory work or project experience that’s relevant to the topic of the PhD. Examples where you have used your initiative, imagination, or perseverance to achieve a goal can be very useful here – we are interested in how you have made the most of the opportunities available to you to gain skills and experience.
You are welcome to acknowledge if you’ve had to overcome any particular challenges to get to where you are today (that is, a graduate applying for a PhD, so that we can (in confidence) take this into account. Please note that applications are reviewed by the proposed supervisor and the IGNITE recruitment panel, so please share only information you are comfortable with and that is relevant. These challenges may include overcoming mental health or other challenges, or challenges around support and opportunity (e.g. first generation of your family to study at University, unconventional career path, periods spent outside of education).
Your CV
A good CV should be clearly organised, and not exceed 2 pages in length. It should cover details of your educational achievements including any research projects undertaken as well as describing any work experience. There is a range of online material discussing how to construct a CV, but a recommended resource for general CV construction can be found on the University web pages.
Further details/support
Applicants can seek advice and further details from potential project supervisors and Doctoral College Admissions at Doctoralcollege-admissions@soton.ac.uk.
The application deadline is 8 January 2027.
Once you have submitted your application, it will be reviewed by the Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences Admissions team (Doctoralcollege-admissions@soton.ac.uk).
After you have uploaded all the required documents, your application will be passed on to the lead supervisor for the project you are applying for. Please ensure that you submit all of your documents, as incomplete applications will not be sent to the supervisor.
You can expect to hear back from us within a month of the application deadline as to whether you will be offered an interview.
After you have Applied
If you are shortlisted for an interview or placed on the interview reserve list, you will be invited to our visit day. Our visit days are an opportunity for interview candidates to find out more about the IGNITE DLA and the interview process. You will also have an opportunity to meet with the prospective supervisor to discuss the project. We hope that you will be able to join us in person at the Waterfront Campus, and we will provide some funding for reasonable travel expenses. However, if you’re unable to travel, we will offer the same programme of activities online.
- 24 February 2027 – Online Visit Day for invited IGNITE applicants
- 26 February 2027 – In-Person Visit Day for invited IGNITE applicants
All interviews take place online. These are due to take place between 1 and 5 March 2027
General enquiries and requests for reasonable adjustments should be directed to the NERC DLA team: nerc-dla@soton.ac.uk.
Preparing for the interview and the interview process.
If you are shortlisted for an interview, we want you to be comfortable and give your best performance at the interview. Interviews will include a Chair and a co-Chair who are independent from the project, as well as the project supervisor. Our interview Chairs are experienced at putting you at your ease, and so we hope that the interview will be a positive experience. While the exact format of the interview will vary depending on the particular interview panel, most IGNITE PhD interviews start with some general questions on your academic and wider experience (this is where you can talk about research that you’ve previously completed or are currently doing), why you’re applying for a PhD, and how the PhD work might support your future career goals. All of our interviews are held online.
In the interview, we’re looking particularly for motivation and enthusiasm, both for the specific PhD topic(s) and the wider field, including evidence of your understanding of what the PhD project is about and why this PhD research might be important to wider society and our understanding of the environment – a typical question might be “in 2 – 3 sentences explain why this work is important”. It’s important that you’ve also read around the PhD topic – make sure you’ve read about the topic, and also check the webpages of your potential supervisors for their background. Make sure that you’ve “done your homework”, as this shows your enthusiasm for the project and makes the interview more rewarding for all! You’ll get the chance to discuss the project in advance of the interview with supervisory team members and ask them specific questions about the project. You can also ask the prospective supervisor for advice about the interview. You are very welcome to contact your prospective supervisor(s) ahead of an interview, and indeed this is a good idea – they will welcome hearing from you.
IGNITE has an opt-in guaranteed interview scheme for qualifying UK applicants who self-identify as belonging to a Black and Black Mixed ethnic group. This positive action supports low recruitment of this group into our programme and is an opt-in process. For further information on ethnic groups in the UK, please click on the following GOV.UK link to an agreed list of ethnic groups.
To opt in to this scheme you must;
- Meet the minimum eligibility criteria specified in the “How to Apply” section above.
- Hold UK (Home) fee status for 2027 entry. If you are unsure, please review the University of Southampton’s Fees Classification webpage
- Apply for an IGNITE DLA research project.
- Email the NERC DLA team at nerc-dla@soton.ac.uk quoting your application number and confirming that you belong to a Black and Black Mixed ethnic group.
We expect to be able to start making offers a week after the interviews have taken place.
Initially, we will email you to let you know that we intend to make you an offer, so that you can consider this at your earliest convenience. We will send your formal offer and studentship letter shortly after this.
The NERC Universal Acceptance Date is still to be confirmed (TBC) for the 2027 entry cycle by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). It typically falls on the third Wednesday in March (17th March).