An environmental science research partnership supported by the University of Glasgow is set to share in £100m of new funding for postgraduate training.

The IAPETUS2 partnership is one of 17 Doctoral Training Partnerships which will benefit from funding from NERC - the Natural Environment Research Council - to support environmental science PhD training. A total of 16 postgraduate studentship awards will be made to IAPETUS2 each year for the next five years.

Named after the ancient ocean that closed to bring together England and Scotland, IAPETUS2 brings together the leading research universities of Durham, Glasgow, Newcastle, St Andrews, Heriot-Watt, Stirling, together with the British Geological Survey, British Antarctic Survey and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. The project aims to bring a united approach to doctoral research and training the next generation of leaders in the science of the natural environment.

Dr Nick Kamenos from the University of Glasgow’s School of Geographical and Earth Sciences said: “We’re pleased and proud to be partnering again with the University of Durham and our other partners on the next phase of the IAPETUS partnership, which has already trained over 60 researchers with valuable new skills to bring to academia and industry.

Professor Miles Padgett, Vice Principal for Research at the University of Glasgow, said: “I am delighted by this award. This is an excellent opportunity to grow and develop the next generation of scientists, and to strengthen ties with our partner organisations. I am looking forward to meeting the first IAPETUS2 intake in October next year.”

The NERC-funded PhD training centres, known as DTPs, underpin the UK's world-leading profile within the environmental science community and bring together universities, research organisations and partners from a wide range of backgrounds, including charities, non-governmental organisations, government bodies and industry leaders.

DTPs will train the scientists of tomorrow by providing the scientific, professional and technical skills that increase the UK's scientific capability to solve economic problems. Together, DTPs will train the highly skilled workforce that the UK needs for its future as a leader in cutting edge research, innovation and sustainable economic growth.

The 2018 DTP2 call was an open and competitive process that identified 17 DTPs that will host PhD studentships funded by NERC. Each DTP was assessed on the basis of excellence through a transparent, peer-reviewed application process.

The PhD studentships will be available over the course of five annual admissions, starting in the 2019-2020 academic year. Each DTP will recruit a number of students every year, which will create a cohort of students who will network, train and tackle challenges together.

Professor Tim Wheeler, Director of Research & Innovation at NERC, said: “This investment will provide a bedrock for the environmental science community, fostering the next generation of highly skilled professionals that bring together specialist knowledge from academia, industry and beyond.”

Sam Gyimah, Minister for Science & Innovation, said: ”The UK is alive with ambitious young minds that have the potential to shape the science and research landscape, stretching existing boundaries of knowledge and conquering the challenges of tomorrow. 

“Making the most of the UK's world leading reputation in science and innovation is at the core of our modern industrial strategy, and it is today's young people that will fulfil this ambition to create a Britain fit for the future."

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First published: 11 October 2018