Environmental Research

The three streams of the NERC-Oxford DTP are as follows:

Biodiversity, ecology and evolutionary processes

Research in this theme in Oxford spans pure to applied science, linked by an overarching aim to understand the generation, maintenance and loss of biological diversity from the gene to the species, and the structure, function and dynamics of ecosystems at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.

Pure aspects of research include unravelling biotic and abiotic interactions between the atmosphere and biosphere, and their role in the Earth System; the effect of the environment on evolutionary processes at all levels from genes and genomes to populations; the use of experimental, macroecological and phylogenetic approaches to understand the biology and distribution of species; the quantification of evolutionary patterns and the assembly of modern biodiversity by integrating fossil and genetic datasets; and understanding carbon and other biogeochemical cycles.

Information generated by research in these areas provides the critical foundation to address many of the global challenges facing humanity today from climate change and biodiversity loss, to food security, to pest and pathogen outbreaks.

Physical climate system

Oxford researchers are advancing understanding of the behaviour of the climate system across the full breadth of atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and biosphere. This includes atmospheric dynamics from weather to seasonal prediction to climate; atmospheric composition, clouds and aerosols; the physics and biogeochemical coupling of the oceans; and studies of past climates and the effects of biosphere change on climate.

Oxford has new strengths in cryosphere and Arctic research and our researchers are established in the areas of effects of anthropogenic climate change on the physical climate system and biogeochemical processes, and lead the way in innovative citizen science, from climateprediction.net which uses a distributed network of volunteer computers to provide very large ensembles of climate model simulations, to rapid disaster response.

Dynamic Earth, surface processes and natural hazards

Within this stream investigators are developing new analytical, theoretical and experimental approaches to image, simulate and understand Earth’s internal structure; and advancing understanding of the fundamental processes that underpin the behaviour of earthquakes, volcanoes and their impacts on timescales from the human, to the geological.

The CDT is developing new approaches in the field of climate adaptation, and the management of climate-related risks to infrastructure, and redefining relationships between Earth surface processes and climate in desert and wider dryland regions. Oxford researchers continue to develop and apply new ways to investigate deep Earth and Earth-surface processes from the formation of the Earth to human history through experiment, analysis and theory.

You will either be recruited to a research stream or to a pre-determined project, but in either case you will begin your course based with the DTP. During the first two terms, you will undergo an intensive training programme during which you will have the opportunity to gain experience and skills in all nine departments and acquire an understanding of how researchers in other disciplines operate before writing your own research proposal in collaboration with your supervisor and in most cases an external partner. You will also carry out a short interdisciplinary group project in the second term, before you start on your DPhil project.

You will be trained in 'hard' skills such as mathematics, programming and scientific computing, as well as being offered a broad-brush understanding of the Earth system across all disciplines of the DTP. There will also be course modules in softer transferable skills such as project design, proposal writing, communication and problem solving to underpin the exploration of research methodologies.

Elective training will continue throughout the degree and you will be able to select from a portfolio of advanced training courses to create your own tailored training programme. Later in the course modules will include thesis writing and paper writing. You will remain a member of the DTP even after transferring out to a department.

Your work will be informally assessed on these training modules and you will need to attain a certain number of attendance and submission credits before you begin your research degree, and each year thereafter.

You will gain your DPhil from the department in which you carry out your research project. The eight departments of the DTP are as follows:

• Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art
• Department of Physics (sub-department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics)
• Department of Earth Sciences
• School of Geography and the Environment
• Department of Plant Sciences
• Department of Zoology
• Mathematical Institute
• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Engineering Science.

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Doctoral Training Partnership and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Doctoral Training Partnership.

You will be equipped with a wide range of skills that you will need whether you wish to pursue a career in research, government or private sector.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

All similar courses offered by the MPLS Doctoral Training Centre

Interdisciplinary Bioscience BBSRC DTP

Sustainable Approaches to Biomedical Science: Responsible and Reproducible Research EPSRC CDT

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Entry requirements