The University of Leeds is advertising a competitive PhD on uncertainty in recent warming and extreme events using high-resolution climate models. 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 project investigates recent energy imbalance with a global kilometre-scale model. Statistical emulation and experimental design address uncertainty when expensive simulations limit ensemble size. The research examines recent variability and regional extremes. 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 base is Leeds, United Kingdom. The work involves climate-model experiments. The School of Mathematics hosts the opportunity. It forms part of UNRISK. Professor Timothy Heaton and three additional academics are named on the supervisory team. The project has Met Office CASE support.
Who Can Apply
Meteorology, climate science, statistics and mathematics are relevant backgrounds; experience with data-analysis tools such as Python and interest in physical climate processes are required. 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 that you can afford to run a complex simulation only a limited number of times. Ask which combinations of inputs would be most informative for the question you want to answer. Explain what you would need to know before replacing further runs with a faster approximation. This is a hypothetical preparation exercise, not a prescribed project experiment, a promised computing allocation or an additional admissions test.
You could extend the example by considering a fast approximation that performs well on familiar cases but has not been checked elsewhere. Identify a comparison that would help reveal where it is dependable and where it might be misleading. Separate an efficient calculation from a justified scientific conclusion, and make the assumptions behind that distinction visible. A bounded example of this reasoning can help explain your interest in computational uncertainty without claiming that you have already solved the project’s central methodological challenge.
Presenting Evidence of Preparation
If you have worked on a computational analysis, describe the original question, the information available, your own contribution and how you evaluated the result. Explain any decision about computational cost or model simplification that materially affected the work. If you used an existing model, distinguish configuring it, modifying it and developing an independent implementation rather than treating those activities as interchangeable. Connect the experience to a realistic learning goal and keep claims about programming ability proportionate to the tasks you actually completed.
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.