The University of Leeds is advertising a competitive PhD on seamless regional climate prediction and adaptation decisions. UK and international applicants may compete for funding. The deadline is 13 January 2027. Applicants should consider the research fit and financial conditions together before deciding whether to apply.
Research Focus
The work tests how climate information across planning timescales can support adaptation. It combines uncertainty characterisation with decision science. Case studies examine contrasting levels of confidence. Read the project description as a starting point for identifying a question that interests you, rather than assuming that every possible method will appear in the eventual thesis.
Location and Academic Team
The university is in Leeds, United Kingdom. The research considers UK or European climate information. The School of Earth and Environment hosts the opportunity. It forms part of UNRISK. Professor Suraje Dessai and Professor Jason Lowe are named supervisors. Professor Dessai researches climate adaptation and uncertainty.
Who Can Apply
The project seeks applicants with strong quantitative preparation and an interest in climate and decision science. Check the current programme requirements for the precise qualifications and supporting documents needed. A relevant subject or an eligible nationality does not by itself guarantee admission or an award.
Funding and International Conditions
UNRISK offers 15–18 awards across the programme, covering full tuition, a UKRI-rate stipend, £6,000 individual research support and £5,000 cohort training per student. International awards are limited, with visa and Immigration Health Surcharge expenses remaining personal costs. Confirm the applicable stipend and written award terms before making financial commitments.
Exploring the Research Problem
For optional preparation, imagine an organisation that must make one decision next month and another decision about an asset expected to last many years. Ask whether the same piece of information would answer both questions, and explain what additional context you would need before advising the organisation. Consider how the timing of the decision might affect which uncertainty matters most. This is a hypothetical thinking exercise, not an advertised assessment task, a specified partner case study or a claim that the project guarantees a particular dataset.
You could extend the example by considering a decision that can be revised later and another that is expensive to change once implemented. Explain how you would make those differences explicit before comparing possible courses of action. State which assumptions support your reasoning and what evidence would make you reconsider an initial recommendation. A carefully bounded example can show interest in decision-making without implying that a single forecast or a single analytical method supplies a complete answer to every planning problem.
Presenting Evidence of Preparation
If you have completed a quantitative project, explain the question, the information available, the method you chose and how you checked the result. Describe a decision in which the limitations of the information influenced what you could responsibly conclude. If your experience is primarily mathematical, explain how you communicated the meaning of an output rather than only displaying the calculation. If it is primarily applied, identify the quantitative work you actually performed and the skills you would still want to strengthen during doctoral research.
If supporting materials are requested, make your individual contribution clear when discussing work completed with other people. Distinguish a class exercise, an unpublished report and a peer-reviewed research output instead of presenting them as equivalent achievements. Explain what your evidence can establish and what remained unresolved, including any limitation that would matter to the conclusion. Adapt these preparation suggestions to the actual application questions, since optional advice does not add requirements to the programme’s document checklist or guarantee a particular assessment outcome.
How to Apply
Use the current programme instructions to establish the submission route and complete supporting-document checklist. Review the exact project title and academic contacts wherever the form asks you to identify your research preference. An informal academic conversation can clarify fit, but it does not replace a formal application or constitute an admission or funding offer.
- View scholarship details and follow the linked institutional application instructions.
- Identify this named project and check the current academic and funding requirements.
- Submit through the specified route by 13 January 2027 and retain confirmation.
Before Submitting
Information was checked on 23 October 2026. Reconfirm the deadline and current terms before submission, particularly where your ability to enrol depends on receiving an international award. Keep a copy of the final form and any written clarification that materially affects your eligibility, financial expectations or decision to accept an offer.