Applications are invited for Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) PhD scholarships in The Department of Natural and Built Environment, commencing 2 October 2023.
The scholarship is for three and a half years full-time study (pro-rata part-time) and covers home PhD fees, currently £4596, and pays an annual stipend at the living wage foundation rate of £18,178 per year in the academic year 22/23.
The GTA scholarship scheme aims to develop highly skilled postgraduate researchers. More information can be found here: https://www.shu.ac.uk/-/media/home/research/research-degrees/files/gta-scholarships-overview-of-scheme-for-applicants.pdf?sc_lang=en&hash=F4D6FDE7809DAFD448DB0D16E870A5D5
The project is part of a Graduate Teaching Assistant scheme which aims to develop highly skilled postgraduate researchers who are well prepared to enter a career in academia or research by providing structured opportunities for development and experience in learning, teaching and assessment activity. The successful applicant will carry out up to 180 hours of teaching or teaching-related activity per academic year. This activity forms part of the scholarship award and there is no additional payment for it. More information can be found here.
The Department of the Natural and Built Environment is a multidisciplinary department, comprising three subject groups: Geography, Environment and Planning, Built Environment, and Architecture. Geoscience is one of the most research-active parts of the Department, with staff engaged in a range of research activity at a wide range of scales, from local natural flood management to global ice sheet modelling.
Project title: Simulating Ice Stream Variability for the last North American Ice Sheet Complex
Ice sheets primarily deliver ice to the oceans through narrow regions of fast flow, called ice streams. It is therefore important to understand ice stream behaviour to reliably predict future ice-sheet mass evolution and corresponding sea level change. We know from studying ice sheets of the past that ice stream flow is variable; they can migrate, change speed, and spontaneously activate or shutdown. However, computer simulations of future ice sheet change often ignore this variability, and therefore may underestimate the scale of future ice sheet change.
Simulating past ice sheets, where ice stream change is better constrained, can be the key to improving simulations of future change. In this project, you will use the BISICLES numerical ice sheet model to simulate the ice streams of the last North American Ice Sheet Complex. BISICLES can accurately and efficiently simulate rapid ice sheet change and ice stream evolution, and has previously been applied to simulating the last British Irish Ice Sheet. There is scope in this project to break new ground in understanding ice stream contributions to rapid collapse events, marine-terrestrial transition, model-data comparison, and unifying the palaeo and contemporary modelling approach.
Research questions:
1. Can the BISICLES ice sheet model simulate ice streams of the last North American Ice Sheet?
2. How does ice stream behaviour evolve through the deglaciation of the North American Ice Sheet Complex?
3. What is the role of ice streams in rapid marine and terrestrial collapse events during the deglaciation of the last North American Ice Sheet Complex?
How to apply:
We strongly encourage all applicants to contact Dr Niall Gandy prior to completing an application.
To apply for the PhD studentship, please complete and submit an application form and provide a proposal which specifically outlines:
- Why you are interested in the project.
- How your experience and background can make you the best candidate for the project.
- Potential areas you can contribute to within the teaching department (Geography, Environment and Planning) associated with this project.
[Please note that you do not need to write a research proposal associated with the project topic.]
GTA scholarships are open to Home, EU and International applicants. Please be aware that the bursary will cover only the Home fee. Generally, the shortfall between the Home and EU/ International fee, currently around £10,300 per year, will need to be covered by the student for the duration of the studentship. As part of the Sheffield Hallam PhD scholarship programme, additional funding may be made available to assist International students with the fee gap as described above. This additional funding is limited, though, and will only be offered to exceptional International applicants. Allocation of this additional funding will be based on information obtained through the standard GTA recruitment process, and no additional application will be required.
Entry Requirements:
a) Applicants should hold a 1st class honours degree or a Masters degree in a relevant subject with a minimum score of 60% for the dissertation mark.
b) Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate their English language proficiency through one of the following:
1. Recent academic IELTS demonstrating an overall score of 7.0 or above with no score below 6.5 in the other components or equivalent. Recent means that your IELTS results must have been awarded two years preceding the doctoral programme's start date.
2. Educated with a UK Master's degree level (merit and above) within one year preceding the doctoral programme's start date.
Further information about equivalent English language qualifications: https://www.shu.ac.uk/international/international-experience-team/pre-arrival-and-visa-information/english-language-entry-requirements
We strongly encourage all applicants to contact the Director of Studies or member of the supervisory team, prior to completing an application.
To apply for the PhD studentship, please complete and submit an application form. You can find our online application form on the ‘Apply Now’ section of the Natural and Built Environment full-time PhD page here PHD Natural and Built Environment Full-time 2023/24 | Sheffield Hallam University (shu.ac.uk). Please choose the option to apply for the October 2023 intake.
Please add the project title and the studentship you are applying for clearly within the 'Personal Statement' field of the application form.
Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University, whilst in receipt of the scholarship.
Please submit your application form by the closing date of Friday 12 May 2023 at 12 noon GMT. Late applications will not be accepted. Please e-mail [Email Address Removed] if you have any questions.
Provisional interviews, weeks commencing 12&19 June 2023.
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