Dr I Oliver
No more applications being accepted
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Application of drinking water treatment residuals (WTRs) to soils may present an environmentally friendly disposal option for a waste product and may also offer soil enhancement potential. However, the impacts on earthworms, soil microbial function, gas emissions and soil solution properties are yet to be determined. This project will involve full field scale and smaller mesocosm investigations to determine the effects of WTRs on earthworm diversity and populations over the short to medium term. It will examine how WTR addition affects soil microbial functions and processes such as soil respiration rate, nutrient cycling and gas emissions. The project will also investigate and model element release from WTRs and how this influences soil solution properties. The project is in collaboration with environmental consultant firm 4R Group, and the PhD student will benefit from an industry placement with 4R Group of ~1 month per year.
Through this project the PhD student will develop:
Earthworm sampling and identification skills.
Soil sampling, processing and analysis skills.
Experiment (field & mesocosm) design and manipulation skills.
Laboratory skills.
Experience with ICP-OES, ICP-MS and GC-MS equipment.
Statistical analysis skills.
Employment skills and experience through industry placement
Funding Notes
100% tuition fees for 4 years.
Stipend for 4 years at Research Council rates. Stipend for 2017/8 is £14,553 per annum.
Funding for project costs (eg consumable and travel expenses) is provided.
Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF)
Eligibility Criteria:
Applicants should hold a degree (1st or 2:1) in Environmental Science, Ecological Science or similar discipline and/or a Masters (MSc) degree in a relevant field. Open to UK students, though EU students may be considered.
Please quote FNS GS 2017-17 on your application.
Please see http://www.keele.ac.uk/pgresearch/studentships/ for further information.