Earth System Prediction Doctoral Training Programme – up to 10 PhD studentships available for 2023

Advancing the Frontiers of Earth System Prediction (AFESP) is a new 15-year, £30million research programme at the University of Reading, in partnership with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the UK Met Office and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science.

AFESP is establishing a long-term Doctoral Training Programme to develop skills in the fundamental new research across the physical, mathematical and computational sciences that will be required to address next-generation challenges in Earth system prediction and operational weather and climate forecasting. PhD students will be trained and embedded within the overall AFESP programme.

About AFESP

All PhD projects will sit within one or more of the three strategic AFESP themes:

1. Predicting the Earth system up to the sub-seasonal range (up to 1 month)
2. Challenges and opportunities in simulating the Earth system at the kilometre-scale
3. Data assimilation for the Earth system across a range of scales.

Excellent training and development opportunities

Students will have a lead supervisor from the University of Reading and will also have at least one co-supervisor from ECMWF or the UK Met Office.

The Earth System Prediction PhD programme will offer a wide range of excellent and innovative training in quantitative environmental science, research skills and a wider set of professional skills in preparation for a leading role in science, industry, the public sector or academia.

Students will be immersed in an excellent research environment and involved in regular AFESP science workshops and meetings, where they will hear about the wider research developments, help shape the programme, and have the opportunity to discuss their research with world-leading scientists.

Funding

Studentship awards from the University of Reading will cover tuition fees, research-training costs and a stipend for up to three-and-a-half years for living costs, on similar terms to the PhD funding offered by UK Research & Innovation. Towards the end of the PhD, there is the opportunity to apply for a funding extension; the maximum duration of funding is four years. This call is open to applicants worldwide, with additional support for international students to help with costs of visas, access to UK healthcare and travel.

Eligibility

• Applicants should hold or expect to gain a Bachelors (or equivalent) at 2:1 (Upper Second Class) level or above, and/or Masters Degree in physics, mathematics, computer science, or a closely related environmental, physical, or engineering science.
• Strong programming skills (Python and Fortran) will be beneficial, but programming and software development will be part of the training offered.
• Open to candidates worldwide.

How to apply

We are aiming to recruit an initial cohort of up to ten PhD students to commence in Autumn 2023. Applicants should have the potential to contribute outstanding work to the programme and demonstrate a keen motivation for working in one of the AFESP strategic themes.

For full details of the Doctoral Training Programme and to download an application form please visit the Earth System Prediction Doctoral Training Programme webpage: www.reading.ac.uk/graduate-school/funding/phd-studentships/earth-system-prediction-doctoral-training-programme

Application deadline

Applications should be submitted by midnight (GMT) on Tuesday 31 January 2023.