Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) ARIES

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Scholarship value

These scholarships include a doctoral stipend (equivalent to the Research Councils UK National Minimum Doctoral Stipend, currently £20,780 p.a), tuition fees at the home rate and access to further research funding. If you are applying as an international candidate, Kent will waive the difference between Home and International fees. A limited number of ARIES studentships are available to International applicants. Please note, however, that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.

Deadline

23:59 GMT on Wednesday 7th January 2026.

Criteria

  • These studentships are open to Home, EU and International candidates.
  • See each project webpage for information about the candidate.

Further details

The University of Kent is proud to be part of the Advanced Research and Innovation in the Environmental Sciences (ARIES) Doctoral Training Partnership which is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). ARIES will equip the next generation of environmental scientists with the knowledge and tools to better understand and manage our planet by:

  • Developing multiple cohorts of scientists with advanced skills and knowledge, multidisciplinary outlooks, and substantial potential to operate successfully across all postgraduate career options;
  • Assembling a diverse and integrated training partnership that enables our PGRs to address priority topics in environmental sciences through cutting-edge and world-leading research;
  • Training all of our PGRs to understand modern methods of data management, interrogation, analysis, and presentation; from bioinformatics to artificial intelligence;
  • Ensuring our graduates engage with the interfaces between environmental science and societal needs by growing their ability to achieve non-academic impact and effective public engagement.

The ARIES studentship competition is now open for entry in October 2026.

The projects below are available for applications at Kent:

How to apply

To express your interest in one of these projects you must submit a Kent ARIES Expression of Interest Form and a copy of their Curriculum Vitae (CV) to kentgrc@kent.ac.uk by 23:59 GMT on 7th January 2026.

Step 1. Download a copy of the Kent ARIES Expression of Interest Form which can be found on our ARIES webpage.

Step 2. Submit your completed form and a copy of your CV (no more than 2 pages) to kentgrc@kent.ac.uk.

Step 3. Complete the ARIES EDI Form.

You must complete all three steps to be considered for a project.

DEADLINE: 23:59 GMT on 7th January 2026.

Interviews

There will be a two-stage interview process. If you are shortlisted at Kent, the first round of interviews will take place at the end of January 2026. Successful nominees will then participate in the second round of interviews conducted by the ARIES panel in February 2026.