NERC UNRISK Centre for Doctoral Training in Understanding Uncertainty to Reduce Climate Risks

Applications now open for October 2025 entry

The UNRISK CDT is a consortium of the University of Leeds, University College London and the University of Exeter with over forty collaborative partners across climate services, including operational centres, consultancies, financial organisations, the public sector and charities. It will provide up to 41 PhD studentships spread over three intakes starting in September/October 2025.

UNRISK aims to train graduates with the multidisciplinary knowledge and skills across climate science, data science and decision science, with PhD projects having the potential to make a substantial advance in our understanding of uncertainty and/or risk associated with climate change.

PhD topics covering climate and Earth system projections, extreme events, hazard warning systems, propagation of uncertainty through to risk assessments, disaster risk reduction systems, and impacts on decisions and policymaking. Also included are advances in climate modelling, model-observation fusion, catastrophe modelling, uncertainty quantification, machine learning, digital twinning and decision systems.

Why Join Us?

• Fully funded studentship covering university fees, a maintenance grant and research and training costs (standard UKRI rate).
• Comprehensive skills training programme encompassing data science, decision science and wider career skills, with domain science knowledge obtained through extensive Masters-level taught modules.
• Opportunities for industry experience and networking
• Full and part-time positions
• Additional financial support for students with disabilities, and paid parental leave