Current research degree projects
Explore our current postgraduate research degree and PhD opportunities.
450 research degree projects
-
Ocean and earth science
Disturbance and recovery of benthic habitats in submarine canyon settings
How are habitats and benthic communities in submarine canyons influenced by natural disturbance and what does that tell us about the best way to conserve them? You will investigate how the resident biological communities and their habitats change in time and whether active habitat restoration is effective in conservation effort. -
Ocean and earth science
Disparities in divergence: The genomics of large vs small genera
Across all walks of life, from bacteria to plants and animals, there are examples of ‘mega-diverse’ genera, often sitting in groups containing other much smaller genera. What are the evolutionary causes and constraints behind this disparity in species numbers? This project investigates some key hypotheses. -
Ocean and earth science
Comparing cryptobenthic fishes: From cool climates to coral reefs
This project will compare communities of small ‘cryptobenthic’ fishes (camouflaged, less than 5cm long) across latitudinal gradients, from temperate to tropical reef ecosystems. You will learn lab and field techniques alongside morphological, molecular and isotope analyses to assess the functions of tiny fishes in food webs across diverse and important ecosystems. -
Ocean and earth science
Coastal flood management: Understanding inlet morphodynamics over annual and decadal timescales
This project will undertake a detailed comparative analysis of the evolution of a natural tidal inlet subjected to adaptive management (Pagham Harbour) and a managed realignment site (Medmerry) to improve understanding of how inlet schemes will respond to the intervention measures designed to mitigate the risks of erosion and flooding. -
Ocean and earth science
A seismic study of the continent-ocean transition southwest of the UK
This project investigates how continents break apart and form new oceans, focusing on a region southwest of the UK. Using seismic and electromagnetic data, it aims to understand how tectonic faulting and magmatism shape the solid Earth at the boundary between continents and oceans. -
Ocean and earth science
Causes and consequences of abrupt environmental and geomagnetic change under contrasting climate states
You will work on exciting sediment archives recovered during a recent major international scientific research expedition to the North Atlantic. This project will shed new light on fundamental shifts in Earth’s past climate as well as develop new understanding on the dynamics and causes of Earth’s magnetic field changes. -
Ocean and earth science
Taking control - can phytoplankton increase nutrient uptake by manipulating their microenvironment?
Many areas of our oceans are extremely nutrient poor, so phytoplankton have evolved diverse ways to support photosynthesis and enhance nutrient acquisition in these regions. This project will examine how diatoms use photosynthetic enzymes to manipulate their cellular microenvironment and increase the availability of nutrients. -
Ocean and earth science
Exploring the eruptive behaviour of a rare young stratovolcano
Subduction zone volcanoes are notoriously dangerous and unpredictable. But did they behave differently when they were young? Here, pre-eruptive magmatic processes and timescales of a rare, young stratovolcano (Bagana, PNG) will be compared to an old stratovolcano (Etna) to explore how eruption size, style and timescales change as volcanoes age. -
Engineering
Flow and noise control using non-equilibrium turbulent boundary layers
The aim of this research project is to investigate how airfoil self-noise is generated through the interaction between an airfoil blade and the turbulent boundary layers that form over it, and how these structures can be manipulated for flow and noise control. -
Engineering
AI-assisted robust aero-engine structural analysis due to fan blade-off
Robust design is crucial for ensuring the durability and reliability of aerospace components throughout their entire life cycle, given the variations that arise from geometry, material properties, and loads during long-term operation.