The University of Leeds is advertising a competitive PhD on data-driven prediction of long-term European windstorm risk. 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 examines long-timescale storm variability and the usefulness of forecasts. Possible directions include generative downscaling and uncertainty-aware climate services. The research connects climate analysis with insurer decision-making. 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 concerns European windstorms. The School of Earth and Environment hosts the opportunity. It forms part of UNRISK. Dr A Maycock, Dr B Summers and Professor Douglas Parker are named supervisors. The project is linked to the university’s Lloyd’s Banking Group partnership.
Who Can Apply
Quantitative backgrounds such as atmospheric science, physics, mathematics, engineering or computer science, together with an interest in decision science, are relevant. 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 a forecast contains useful information but the intended user is unsure how it relates to a planning decision. Ask what you would need to learn about the decision before choosing a performance measure. Consider whether a method that improves one statistical score necessarily improves every practical use of the forecast. This is a hypothetical preparation exercise, not an advertised admissions task, a promised industry assignment or advice about an actual insurance product.
You could extend the example by considering a prediction that becomes less certain as the planning horizon increases. Explain how you would communicate that change without either hiding the uncertainty or suggesting that uncertain information has no possible value. Identify the assumptions behind a proposed use and what evidence would help test them. A bounded discussion can demonstrate interest in climate services without claiming that a single forecast or model automatically supplies a decision for every organisation.
Presenting Evidence of Preparation
If you have completed a quantitative project, describe the problem, your individual contribution, the method selected and how you judged the result. Explain how the purpose of the analysis influenced your choice of comparison or performance measure. If you communicated findings to another person, describe what feedback you actually received and distinguish that experience from proving a change in practical outcomes. Identify the modelling or decision-science skills you would still want to develop and support claims about existing programming ability with concrete tasks you 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.