The University of Leeds is advertising a competitive PhD on uncertainty in aerosol-driven monsoon variability and climate 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 work uses regional climate-model ensembles to investigate aerosol processes. It examines why models give contrasting monsoon responses. Observations help distinguish possible mechanisms and constrain uncertainty. 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 research concerns Asian monsoon systems. The School of Earth and Environment hosts the opportunity. It forms part of UNRISK. Dr Leighton Regayre and Professor K Carslaw are named supervisors. The work uses the UK Met Office regional climate model.
Who Can Apply
The announcement welcomes motivated STEM applicants with a genuine interest in climate modelling and developing quantitative research skills. 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 two models produce opposing responses after what appears to be a similar change in their inputs. Before selecting a preferred result, ask whether the models represent the relevant processes in the same way. Identify what comparison could reveal which assumptions drive the disagreement. This is a hypothetical research-thinking exercise, not a prescribed project experiment, an admissions task or a prediction of future rainfall for a particular region.
You could extend the example by considering observations that are consistent with more than one possible mechanism. Explain what additional information would be useful and why agreement with one measurement might not uniquely identify the underlying process. Separate the evidence you have from an explanation that remains a working hypothesis. A clear account of those limits can demonstrate scientific curiosity without requiring you to claim experience with every modelling or machine-learning technique mentioned in the announcement.
Presenting Evidence of Preparation
If you have completed a mathematical, programming or scientific project, explain the question, your own contribution, the method and the checks used to assess its output. Describe one occasion when changing an assumption affected your interpretation of a result. If your background is outside climate science, explain the quantitative skills you can transfer and the subject knowledge you would need to develop. Keep the discussion of experience proportionate to the work you actually completed and use a concrete example instead of relying on broad claims of enthusiasm or expertise. Keep a precise account of which checks you completed and which possible extensions remained outside the scope of the work.
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.