Apply for a funded PhD position
We offer a range of PhDs funded by different sources, such as research councils, industries or charities. As a PhD student, you will become a valued member of a research group. Here you will work with internationally respected academics, post-doctoral research associates and technicians. Find out more about our research groups below.
How to Apply
To apply for a funded PhD please read the advertised project information carefully as requirements will vary between funders. The project information will include details of funding eligibility, application deadline dates and links to application forms. Only applicants who have a relevant background and meet the funding criteria can be considered.
Current PhD Opportunities
Current PhD Opportunities List accordion
Fully-funded EPSRC PhD studentship available in Lancaster Data Science & AI Institute: Novel geospatial methods for combining data at multiple spatial and temporal scales in the context of historical disease mapping
Home status students only
With the advent of advanced technology, a vast amount of data has become available, making the integration of information across spatial and temporal scales increasingly crucial for understanding complex systems and making informed decisions. For instance, in environmental sciences, researchers often seek to understand the impact of climate change on ecosystems and biodiversity. To achieve this, data must be integrated from various spatial scales, ranging from local habitats to regional landscapes, and temporal scales, spanning decades or even centuries. Similarly, in epidemiology, the spread of infectious diseases is influenced by factors operating at different spatial and temporal scales. For example, the transmission of vector-borne diseases like malaria or dengue fever depends not only on local environmental conditions but also on global climate patterns and human mobility.
However, existing geospatial methods often fail to effectively account for the misalignment in time and/or space of data from multiple sources, with an increasing need of novel methods that are tailored to the characteristics and complexities of the data being integrated.
This research project aims to develop a novel geospatial modelling framework to address these challenges and improve the integration of data across different spatial and temporal scales in the context of historical disease mapping. This framework will then be applied to mapping, analysing, and interpreting sixteenth-century primary sources on diseases and epidemics, utilizing datasets and methods from the ESRC project Digging into Early Colonial Mexico. Epidemics, like the recent COVID-19, have had profound and enduring consequences throughout history. The application area of this project will be in the context of the introduction of diseases, like smallpox, during the Conquest of America that led to catastrophic declines in populations, with mortality rates reaching 97% in some regions. Traditional research methods struggle with the sheer volume, incompleteness, and uncertainty of historical data. In this project we will leverage advancements in machine learning, corpus linguistics, and geographic information sciences presents opportunities to explore vast historical collections and better address data variability and uncertainty. Specifically, the student will:
- Develop geospatial methods to extract and analyse and geographic information from ambiguous and uncertain descriptions of health and disease within textual records.
- Develop and apply spatio-methods capable that enable the identification of clusters of disease using uncertain data from historical records.
The successful applicant will be supervised by an interdisciplinary team consisting of experts from history, linguistics, statistics and geography.
Prospective candidates should have a first or upper second-class honours degree, or a combination of qualifications or experience equivalent to that level in a relevant subject.
For informal enquiries about the project please contact Duncan Whyatt (d.whyatt@lancaster.ac.uk), Patricia Murrieta-Flores (p.murrieta@lancaster.ac.uk) or Emanuele Giorgi (e.giorgi@lancaster.ac.uk).
To apply, please send a CV and cover letter demonstrating your motivation for the post to dsi@lancaster.ac.uk . The closing date for applications is 15th July 2024 and we anticipate a start date of October 2024 for the successful candidate.
Current PhD Opportunities - Envision Doctoral Training Partnership accordion
There are no funded projects for the Envision Doctoral Training Partnership at this time.
How the application process works
- Select the project you wish to apply for. You can make informal enquiries to the project supervisors if you wish. Please ensure that you check the application deadline dates and eligibility criteria.
- Complete your application by following the links to the application form. At this stage, you are able to apply for more than one advertised project if you wish.
- After the closing date, the Department will consider all applications. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview. Interviews can be arranged by Skype or telephone. The timescale for this will vary but is in the region of 4 weeks.
- If you are successful at interview for the studentship, you will be invited to formally apply via the admissions portal online. This ensures that you receive a formal offer of admission. Please submit one application only, and state the studentship that you have applied for in the source of funding section.
- Once a formal offer has been made, you will need to check the conditions in your offer letter and supply any outstanding documents by the required deadlines. If your offer is unconditional then this will not apply to you.
Research Groups
Facilities
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Laboratories
You will find yourself taking advantage of several laboratory facilities at Lancaster Environment Centre. There are our £4.4 million Teaching Labs, for example, as well as specialist facilities for Environmental Chemistry, Noble Gas, and Plant and Soil Ecology.
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Research Facilities
There are no fewer than 15 purpose-built glasshouse modules, 16 controlled environment plant growth rooms, 4 solar domes based at the Hazelrigg Weather Station and a suite of ultraviolet radiation research facilities that can truly claim to be world-class.
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Field Sites
You could find yourself working at a range of catchment science sites across England and Wales, including the local River Eden Valley, or they can travel much further afield to the tropical forests of the Amazon and Borneo.
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Cutting-Edge Technologies
You can be trained to use a range of equipment, such as our Stable Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer Facility, X-ray CT Scanner, Magnetometer or the LI-COR Portable Photosynthesis System, which has the capacity to measure plant gas exchange with exceptional speed and precision.
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Rich Data Resources
Dedicated support staff with expertise in GIS, statistics, modelling, information technology and programming are available to provide specialist training in all aspects of data acquisition, processing and analysis.