ECOSOLUTIONS
Shape the future of a non-toxic environment.
Join the ECOSOLUTIONS PhD Programme.
Are you passionate about solving complex environmental challenges? Interested in creating non-toxic urban spaces that benefit society and nature alike? The NERC-funded ECOSOLUTIONS PhD Training Programme is your opportunity to make a difference!
ECOSOLUTIONS DTP is now closed for applications for September 2025 start.
Why ECOSOLUTIONS?
Led by the Universities of Sheffield and York and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, ECOSOLUTIONS is a cutting-edge, transdisciplinary initiative. This innovative programme combines science, policy, and societal engagement to transform chemicals policy and management, enabling a safe, sustainable chemicals sector and non-toxic environments.
ECOSOLUTIONS will train the next generation of transdisciplinary, solution-focussed graduates that can apply systems-level thinking to facilitate the delivery of a non-toxic UK environment and a safe and sustainable chemicals products sector for environmental, economic and societal benefit.
Your PhD will be part of a cohort-based challenge, focused on urban environments, that combines cutting-edge environmental science with approaches from other disciplines (natural, health and social sciences, engineering). You will deliver a new approach to chemicals assessment and management that moves from describing chemical risk to a solution-based, systems approach to prevent or manage both current and future pollution.
Cohort 1 (2025 start) will address the challenge of delivering a non-toxic urban environment.
As part of the PhD programme, you’ll receive 3 years and 9 months of funding to focus on the urban challenges and take part in a dynamic training and development programme, including:
Residential induction course: Connect with fellow students, supervisors, and the ECOSOLUTIONS team while exploring the programme’s mission.
Primer course: Gain foundational knowledge on chemical impacts, policy landscapes, and sustainable chemical innovation.
Transferable skills workshops: Master data management, big data methods, research practices, communication, and more.
Systems-solutions workshops: Collaborate across disciplines to address urban chemical pollution and develop actionable solutions.
Three-month secondment: Work with a partner organisation, applying your research in real-world contexts.
International conferences: Share your findings and network with global experts.
ECOSOLUTIONS graduates will be systems-focused innovators who can identify solutions to critical problems, can work across sectors and disciplines and have the competencies and confidence to pursue a career as an independent researcher in a wide range of sectors.