fungi PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

“Plants are not discrete entities, but instead are mergers of fungal cells with plant tissues”. This statement implies that every living plant has fungi living within the roots and shoots.

Fungal Ice nucleation: Moulding our environment?

University of Warwick
Department of Chemistry

Dr T Whale, Dr E Gaya, Prof I Gibson

Application Deadline: 7 June 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

This project will combine expertise in fungal phylogenetics and ecology at Royal Botanic Gardens (RGB) Kew with expertise in ice science at the University of Warwick to improve understanding of how fungi interact with plants, the biosphere and the atmosphere.

Biology and genetics of reproduction in filamentous fungi

University of Nottingham
School of Life Sciences

Prof P S Dyer

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Filamentous fungi are of importance in the food, industrial and medical sectors and have important roles in the ecology of natural ecosystems.

Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
Jena School for Microbial Communication

Fungal Informatics

Dr A Barber

Application Deadline: 25 June 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

The Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI, www.leibniz-hki.de) investigates the pathobiology of human-pathogenic fungi and identifies targets for the development of novel natural product-based antibiotics.

“Talking” trees and the ecology of underground fungal super-highways

The University of Manchester
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Prof D Johnson

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Introduction. Recent exciting discoveries have shown that plants respond to herbivore-induced signals from neighbours via underground fungal networks1-3.

Finding the right fungal friends: determining how plant defences against against insect herbivores are impacted by different mycorrhizal fungal communities.

University of Southern Queensland
School of Sciences

Dr A Frew

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but potential funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Background. Almost all plants on the planet are attacked by at least one, if not many, insect herbivores. Many of these insects have become pests of crops and they impact crop productivity.

Biomaterials for design - utilising fungi to develop a thick mat-like mycelium for use as an alternative textile - SACI0008

Edinburgh Napier University
School of Arts and Creative Industries

Dr S Vettese, Prof I Singleton

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION. The textile industry is based largely on the use of cotton, leather and oil derived polymers and these industries are resource intensive and unsustainable.

Interactions between introduced tree species and native mycorrhizal fungi in the UK

University of Reading
School of Biological Sciences

Dr BJ Pickles

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

"Mycorrhizal symbioses are one of the most extensive and important biotic interactions in terrestrial ecosystems, typically providing plants with improved access to nutrients in exchange for carbohydrates produced via photosynthesis.

MSc by Research Programme: Microbial Metal and Mineral Transformations: Significance for Metal Biorecovery and Biodeterioration

University of Dundee
School of Life Sciences

Prof G M Gadd

Application Deadline: 16 July 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

This course allows you to work alongside our world renowned experts from the School of Life Sciences and gain a ’real research’ experience.

The effects of air pollution on the behaviour and allergenic potential of fungi

University of Leicester
Department of Respiratory Sciences

Dr C Pashley, Dr J Morrissey

Application Deadline: 7 June 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Fungi are an essential component of the ecosystem, but cause major economic loss through crop damage and infection of domesticated animals and livestock, and affect human health through infections, toxicosis, or allergy.

Global diversity and ecosystem functions of plant-microbe symbioses

University of Warwick
School of Life Sciences

Prof G Bending, Assoc Prof C Quince, Dr R Griffiths, Prof M Ryan

Application Deadline: 7 June 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) are the most widespread symbiosis between higher plants and fungi, and have major impacts on terrestrial ecosystem processes, including biogeochemical cycling and the diversity and productivity of plant communities.

Friedrich Schiller University of Jena
Jena School for Microbial Communication

Fungal RNA Biology

Dr M Blango

Application Deadline: 25 June 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

The Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI, www.leibniz-hki.de) investigates the pathobiology of human-pathogenic fungi and identifies targets for the development of novel natural product-based antibiotics.

Structural and functional significance of Mucoromycotina ‘fine root endophyte’ fungal associates of vascular land plants

University of Sheffield
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences

Prof K Field, Prof T J Daniell

Application Deadline: 1 July 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

The colonisation of the landmasses by plants >500 Mya was a major turning point in Earth’s history, drastically altering the development of the biosphere and providing the basis for all terrestrial life ever since.

Developing a sustainable management system for the diamondback moth, a globally important crop pest

University of Warwick
School of Life Sciences

Dr D Chandler, Dr G Teakle

Application Deadline: 7 June 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

The diamondback moth (DBM) Plutella xylostella is a brassica-feeding specialist and one of the most important pests worldwide, causing US$5 billion crop losses globally p.a.

What are the effects of exotic tree introduction in British forests on soil nitrogen cycle processes?

University of Warwick
School of Life Sciences

Research Group: CENTA - Central England NERC Training Alliance

Dr R Mushinski, Prof G Bending

Application Deadline: 29 May 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Project Highlights. Exotic tree species are projected to become commonplace in Britain’s forests throughout the next century. You will assess whether these exotic tree species influence a significant change in the soil microbiome as well as production of nitrogenous gases.