CENTA offers studentships through two main pathways.
You can apply directly to a project, or, if eligible, you can apply directly for one of our Science Opportunity Scholarships (or both). The routes have different eligibility criteria and application deadlines.
Have any questions about applying for a studentship / PhD project with CENTA? Visit our Studentship FAQs page.
Our project-based studentships
Our main recruitment round for 2025 entry has now closed, however we have one project still open for application for 2025 entry. Applicants to this project must be available to start no later than the start of the new academic year in autumn 2025. This opportunity is available to home-fee eligible applicants only.
Fate and Transport of Micro-and Nanoplastics in Groundwater
University of Birmingham
A unique opportunity to work side by side with researchers and practitioners and create transformative research that creates direct impact, using innovative methodologies based on the integration of next generation microplastic analysis, experimental and modelling techniques.
To find out more read the project information sheet.
For any enquiries related to this project please contact Dr Sophie Comer-Warner, [email protected], or Prof Stefan Krause, [email protected].
To apply to this project:
- You must include a CENTA studentship application form, downloadable from: CENTA Studentship Application Form 2025.
- You must include a CV with the names of at least two referees (preferably three) who can comment on your academic abilities.
- Please email your CENTA application form and CV to Dr Sophie Comer-Warner, [email protected].
Applications must be submitted by 23:59 GMT on Sunday 8th June 2025.
You may only apply to one project at any one university but you may apply to more than one CENTA project if they are hosted at different universities.
Further information on our project-based studentships and support for studentships is also available on our CENTA Studentship Information page.
During the period that applications to CENTA are open you will be able to view details on all available CENTA projects on this website. Once you have decided on which project to apply for you will need to apply directly to the university that is hosting the project through their application system. Details of how to apply to each project can be found in the Further Details’ section of each individual project advert. You will also need to ensure you submit the following documents:
- A CENTA studentship application form 2025 (Word document – 76.6kb)
- A CV with the names of at least two referees (preferably those who can comment on your academic abilities)
- The application form of the university you are applying to. This may be an online form or a form to complete and send to an email address.
- Do not forget to complete the EDI survey via the link on the CENTA application form and to add in your receipt number to the application form.
If applying for a project hosted at one of our Research Centre partners, you should apply via the partner university and inform the point of contact at the Research Centre.
Applicants should be aware that the CENTA Studentship Application Form is used for the assessment of the application and therefore applicants should focus their efforts on the completion of this form rather than on any personal statement required on the host institution application portal. Please complete this form in full and do not skip any sections. You must ensure that this form and your CV are attached to your application, as applications without the CENTA Studentship Application Form will be automatically rejected. Forms must be completed without coaching / assistance of the project supervisor or use of chatbots.
CENTA Studentship Application Forms are submitted to the host institution via their application portal. They are then shared with CENTA admin in order to facilitate processing of candidates through the selection and offer process and processing of EDI data for reporting purposes.
Deadline
Please note: the application deadline for 2025 entry has now passed.
Eligibility
Our project-based studentships are open to all applicants who meet the academic requirements (at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or at least a pass at UK MSc level or equivalent).
International Applicants
UKRI allows international students to be eligible for studentships but only for a maximum of 30% of the cohort (please see.: https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/UKRI-030221-Guidance-International-Eligibility-Implementation-training-grant-holders-V2.pdf). CENTA can only fund tuition fees at Home fee level. Unless you are eligible for a Home award you will need to consider the potential gap between the home and international fee rate and contact the named supervisor of the project you apply for to discuss any support the hosting University may offer you (e.g., self-funded difference, or – if available – an international fee waiver).
Please also note that CENTA cannot reimburse the costs of choosing to relocate to the UK if you are an International Student. These include visa fees (for you or your family), Immigration Health Surcharge fees, relocation fees, flights, accommodation, taxes and other expenses accrued as part of coming to live and study in the UK. Please ensure you have considered what the likely costs might be and how you will meet them if you are choosing to relocate to the UK.
For more information about likely costs, visa and other regulations affecting international students, please contact the international student office of your intended host university
Interviews
Your application will be considered by a local university-based recruitment team. If successful at the shortlist stage, you will be invited to an interview, most likely during the weeks of the 3rd-14th February 2025. It is likely that all interviews will be conducted online this year but as soon as is practically possible, you will be invited to visit your host institution and meet your potential supervisors in person.
Our CENTA Science Opportunity Scholarships (CSOS)
Please note: the application deadline for 2025 entry has now passed.
In order to address a historical imbalance, it is our ambition to offer up to 3 fully-funded scholarships to Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) Home-award-eligible applicants who meet the academic requirements.
These scholarships are awarded to candidates prior to any project development. Please note international students are not eligible to apply via this route and should apply via the project-based route outlined above.
The CSOS provides funding that is not attached to any specific project at the point of award, with the understanding that you use the CSOS to give you the flexibility to co-develop a tailored project in a research area that interests you, with a supervisor from within the CENTA network. Please note, CENTA is funded by NERC – we can only fund projects which are within the NERC funding remit. For example, we do not fund medical research.
If your application is successful, CENTA will help you to identify and select an appropriate supervisor, who will collaborate with you to shape your PhD project.
In the 2025 recruitment round, for autumn 2025 entry, we aim to fund up to three studentships through the CSOS route, but are only able to host a maximum of one CSOS studentship at any one of our ‘host institutions’ (university or Research Centre partners)*. Therefore we ask you to indicate on your application form which CENTA ‘host institutions’ (universities or research centres) might be a good fit for you by identifying at least one potential CENTA supervisor with whom you would be interested in working. You may indicate more than one supervisor per institution if you wish. You are not tied to any supervisors you list – this is simply a means for CENTA to learn at the application stage which hosting institutions are potential fits for you. To help with this we have provided a series of accordions below containing information on the NERC remit areas covered at our different partners and how to find out information about our partners.
* In this recruitment round we are able to offer one additional CENTA Science Opportunity Scholarship which must be based at the University of Birmingham and where the successful candidate must commence their PhD before 1st July 2025. The funding for this specific CENTA Science Opportunity Scholarship is already confirmed. If you are interested in undertaking a PhD project at the University of Birmingham and are available to start before 1st July 2025 then you will be able to indicate this on the CSOS studentship application form.
Please note the following:
- If you are interested in undertaking a PhD project at the University of Birmingham but not available to start until autumn 2025 you may still apply to our main CENTA Science Opportunity Scholarships, indicating your interest in the University of Birmingham on the form.
- If you interested in the opportunity commencing before 1st July 2025 you may also apply for our CSOS opportunities commencing in autumn 2025.
CENTA University and Research Centre Partners and our points of contact at each partner
University Partners:
University of Birmingham: Dr Tom Matthews ([email protected])
Cranfield University: Prof. Steve Hallett ([email protected]) & Dr Abdou Khouakhi ([email protected])
University of Leicester: Dr Tom Harvey ([email protected])
Loughborough University: Dr Jeff Evans ([email protected])
The Open University: Dr Luke Mander ([email protected])
University of Warwick: Dr Ryan Mushinski ([email protected])
Research Centre Partners:
National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO): Dr Jeremy Harrison ([email protected])
British Geological Survey (BGS): Dr Keely Mills ([email protected])
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH): Dr Cedric Laize ([email protected])
NERC remit areas covered by our partners
The table below shows all the NERC remit areas which are covered by our partners.
British Geological Survey: Further Information
Our lives are inextricably linked with geological materials and associated processes, whether as the source of the energy, materials and water we need, as the foundation of our built environment or as the source of many of the hazards we face daily. As a result BGS undertakes a broad portfolio of research which sit under three themes:
- Environmental Change, Adaption and Resilience. This portfolio of research seeks to reduce the vulnerability of social human infrastructure and biological systems to relatively sudden change, and focuses on groundwater, sea floor, coasts, soils and landscapes and urban geoscience.
- Multi-hazards and Resilience. This portfolio of research seeks to understand natural hazardous processes, as well as the risks and impacts of disasters on economic growth, the built environment and lives and livelihoods. Research includes topics such as single hazard characterisation, multi-hazard characterisation, forecasting, hazard and risk communication.
- Decarbonisation and Resource Management. This portfolio of research seeks to enable the use of the subsurface to support net zero. Research covers topics such as radioactive waste, carbon capture and storage, critical raw materials and mineral resource security and flows.
Cranfield University: Further Information
Key areas of NERC research themes at Cranfield
- Soil science, Organisms and Ecosystems: focusing on dynamics of ecosystems and soil science. https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/academic-disciplines/soil
- Climate and Environmental Sustainability and resilience: understanding and mitigating environmental changes. https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/centres/cranfield-environment-centre
- Dynamic Earth and Digital Environment: Studying Earth’s processes using big data analytics and digital technologies to enhance environmental understanding and policy https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/centres/cranfield-environment-centre
- Sustainable water management, sanitation, and waste management https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/themes/water
Loughborough University: Further Information
Key areas of NERC themed research, University level strategic aims at Loughborough –
Climate change and net zero – https://www.lboro.ac.uk/strategy/strategic-themes/climate-change-net-zero/
Climate-Water-Energy – We are recognised for our world-leading interdisciplinary research around climate compatible growth and the provision of safe, low-carbon energy alternatives in the Global South – https://www.lboro.ac.uk/subjects/geography-environment/research/climate-water-energy/
Hydroclimate, Risks and Resilience – Our research on extreme heat, urban flooding and catastrophe modelling aims to reduce the vulnerability of communities and strengthen the resilience of infrastructure to climate change and increasing hydroclimatic risks – https://www.lboro.ac.uk/subjects/geography-environment/research/hydroclimate-risks-resilience/
Understanding and Managing Environmental Change – We investigate the Earth’s environmental systems, their interconnected processes, past histories and possible futures – https://www.lboro.ac.uk/subjects/geography-environment/research/understanding-managing-environmental-change/
Geotechnics and Geomatics – Our research develops improved methods for modelling, designing and monitoring structural and geotechnical systems using computational and experimental approaches – https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/abce/research/geotechnics-and-geomatics/
Water Engineering – Developing knowledge and capacity in water engineering worldwide. We undertake research at a range of scales from Kolmogorov to Continental, with our work spanning the fundamental physics of water science, water chemistry and treatment, and associated management and policy issues – https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/abce/research/water-engineering/
National Centre for Earth Observation: Further Information
NCEO staff at the University of Leicester focus on a range of research activities related to Earth Observation. These include global atmospheric composition and air pollution, long-range transport of pollutants, for example emitted by biomass burning, the complex interactions of chemistry, climate and meteorology, and understanding the drivers and consequences of land use change. There is also a focus on the remote sensing of land surface temperature, atmospheric aerosols, and greenhouse gases, as well as laboratory spectroscopy and atmospheric radiative transfer modelling.
Please note that only NCEO staff based at the University of Leicester can supervise CENTA students. Applicants interested in carrying out a project with the NCEO should contact the CENTA NCEO point-of-contact, Dr Jeremy Harrison ([email protected]), for further guidance and advice on supervisors.
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology: Further Information
UKCEH is a world-class research organisation focusing on land and freshwater ecosystems and their interaction with the atmosphere.
Uniquely, UKCEH integrates UK-wide observation systems and curiosity-driven research, from the smallest scale of genetic diversity to large-scale, whole-Earth systems. We work across disciplines and facilitate academic, public, private, and voluntary sector partnerships. UKCEH’s extensive, long-term monitoring, analysis, and modelling deliver UK and global environmental data, providing early warnings of change and management solutions for our land and freshwaters. http://www.ceh.ac.uk/
University of Birmingham: Further Information
Birmingham has a wide range of research interests within the NERC remit, including:
- Global biogeochemistry – principally from the perspective of their interactions between Earth’s terrestrial surfaces, the ecosystems they harbour and the atmosphere
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/physical-geography/research/global-biogeochemistry
- Water sciences – including hydrology, biogeochemistry, global change ecology, hydrological extremes, and water pollution.
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/physical-geography/research/water-science
- Biodiversity, ecology and environmental change – across scales, from population and behavioural ecology, through to community ecology and macroecology / biogeography. We have expertise in a range of taxonomic groups and habitat types, including a large group researching forest ecology, and a group interested in plant science and food security. We also have expertise in both theoretical and empirical ecology, as well as biodiversity conservation and global environmental change.
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/physical-geography/research/biodiversity-ecology
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/biosystems-environmental-change/about
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/plant-science
- Natural hazards and dynamic earth – focusing on the tectonic and magmatic processes that shape our planet, as well as improving our understanding of processes underpinning floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, weather extremes and wildfires.
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/physical-geography/research/natural-hazards
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/earth-sciences/dynamic-earth
- Atmospheric chemistry and air pollution – understanding natural and anthropogenic emissions to the atmosphere, the transport and chemical and physical transformations of atmospheric constituents, and evaluating and managing the effects of air pollution and atmospheric chemistry upon the environment, and particularly upon human health.
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/environmental-health/areas/atmospheric
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/eese/communications-sensing/serene/serene
- Meteorology and Climate – including research in urban climatology, infrastructure meteorology, extreme climatic events, climate change modelling and biosphere-climate interactions
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/environmental-health/areas/meteorology-climate
- Environmental Nanoscience – including research on engineered nanomaterial and advanced material synthesis and characterization, nano-bio interactions and applications of nanomaterials and biomaterials (e.g. biochar) for environmental remediation
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/environmental-health/areas/enviro-nanoscience
- Palaeobiology – research focusing on a range of biological, temporal and spatial scales, and the group has expertise stretching from single-celled algae to the largest vertebrates to have walked the Earth, as well as the plants they ate.
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/earth-sciences/palaeobiology
- Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoceanography – research that combines geochemistry, micropalaeontology, and climate modelling to produce an integrated view of ancient, modern and future environmental change across a wide range of time-scales. Key research areas include climate and earth system modelling, micropalaeontology, and organic and inorganic geochemistry.
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/earth-sciences/palaeoclimates
University of Leicester: Further Information
At the University of Leicester, supervisors of NERC-facing projects work across a number of Schools, including Geography, Geology and the Environment; Physics and Astronomy (including some staff from the National Centre for Earth Observation); Chemistry; Genetics; and Archaeology and Ancient History. Much of this research is encompassed by the following groups, but lots of other research happens too – so please enquire if you cannot see the subject area you are interested in.
Centre for Landscape and Climate Research
The Centre for Landscape and Climate Research (CLCR) carries out discovery-led and applied research, often in collaboration with industrial partners. We develop new Earth Observation methods for better ecosystem monitoring to address pressing global challenges. Key research themes include: Earth observation data science, human/environment interactions, and water and carbon cycle interactions.
Centre for Palaeobiology and Biosphere Evolution
Our research is focussed on understanding the processes and patterns of the evolution of life, and the interactions between the biosphere and other elements of the Earth system, spanning Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Recent organisms, exceptionally preserved fossil biotas, and palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironmental research.
https://le.ac.uk/research/centres/cpbe
Centre for Sustainable Resource Extraction
Our vision is to carry out research that will ensure a sustainable and secure supply of Earth resources to society, whilst minimising the environmental footprint and maximising socio-economic benefit. This requires a holistic approach to research and innovation from geoscientists, chemists, engineers, environmental scientists and sociologists. CSRE focuses on these critical resource challenges to deliver vital solutions to the security of supply of metals for the 21st century.
Centre for Sustainable Materials Processing
The Centre for Sustainable Materials Processing is dedicated to materials chemistry research and enterprise, offering the opportunity to translate and scale-up academic research and pilot processes through interaction with industrial partners. Current academic projects and research activities focus on a range of materials focused themes, such as finishing processes, sustainability, recovery, mineralogy, engineering applications, forensics and the development and chemical analysis of novel ionic liquids and their applications within these fields.
https://le.ac.uk/sustainable-materials-processing
Social Epigenetics Lab
Epigenetics is defined as the heritable change in expression of a gene without any change in the DNA sequence. Many diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer’s, show epigenetic changes between the normal or healthy state. We research epigenetics in insects, mainly bumblebees and wasps. We do this both as a model of more complicated systems – like humans – and because of insects’ importance in our survival.
https://le.ac.uk/social-epigenetics-lab
Institute for Environmental Futures
Our research is organised into five research challenges: Habitable earth, Environmental justice, Climate risks, Resilience, and Environmental change and loss (including forest ecology and restoration, and urban ecology). Recent NERC-funded projects include CongoPeat: past, present and future of the Congo basin peatlands; Philippines Remediation of Mine Tailings (PROMT); and Copper Basin Exploration Science (CuBES).
https://le.ac.uk/research/institutes/environmental-futures/areas
University of Warwick: Further Information
The NERC-aligned researchers at Warwick are carrying out world-leading research, addressing global environmental challenges. Our research spans environmental microbiology, plant evolution, environmental archaeology, landscape ecology, climate-active trace gas metabolism, plant-microbe-environment interactions, soil science, vector-borne diseases, and sustainability. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/research/envireco/
If you are interested in any of the CENTA projects that have been advertised, you may apply directly to that project as well, through the separate project-based studentship pathway (see above).
To apply for a CSOS scholarship you will need to send:
- A CSOS Application Form 2025 (Word document – 83.7Kb) and
- A CV with the names of at least two referees (ideally those who can comment on your academic abilities)
Please do not forget to complete the EDI survey via the link on the CENTA application form and to add in your receipt number to the application form.
Deadline
Please note: the application deadline for 2025 entry has now passed.
Eligibility
Our CSOS scholarships are open to all home-award-eligible BAME applicants who meet the academic requirements (at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or at least a pass at UK MSc level or equivalent).
To be classed as a home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
- Have settled status, or
- Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
- Have indefinite leave to remain or enter, or
- Be an Irish National
If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student.
(For further information please see Annex B of this document from UKRI: https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/UKRI-020424-TrainingGrantTermsConditionsGuidanceApril2024.pdf )
If you’re offered a scholarship
If you are offered a studentship, CENTA will put you in contact with academics you will have indicated on your application form, or with other suitable academics at the same institution or research centre, who will, with your help, design a suitable project for you. There may therefore be projects offered by a number of supervisors at different institutions or research centres. By mid-February, you should be able to decide which one you would like to work on. CENTA will support you in this process.
Successful candidates – acceptance date
Successful candidates on both pathways will be made a conditional offer in late February or early March.
The annual universal acceptance deadline for NERC PhD studentship offers is this year expected to be at 12 noon GMT, Wednesday 19th March 2025. The purpose of the annual universal acceptance deadline is to ensure that PhD applicants who have applied for multiple studentship opportunities, and may therefore receive multiple offers, do not have to make a decision on the studentship they wish to accept before knowing the outcome of all of their applications.
Applicants who receive a PhD studentship offer from a NERC DTP or CDT for the forthcoming academic year are therefore not required to accept an offer formally before this date unless they wish to do so.
Further information
Please contact the CENTA Manager at [email protected] for more information.