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Evolutionary Biology

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PhD Evolutionary Biology, Immunology and Infection Research (Evolutionary Biology) - 3 Years (Full-time)

PhD Evolutionary Biology, Immunology and Infection Research (Evolutionary Biology) - 6 Years (Part-time)

Information on fees & costs

Individual programme fees are linked above. For detailed information on fee status, policies, payment and funding opportunities see:

Students may incur additional costs when studying. For example this may be for field trips, course equipment, or specialist fees.

Most laboratories require a bench fee of up to £2,000 per year. This cost can be covered in Research Council studentships.

Contact information: Carole Ferrier (Postgraduate Programme Administrator)
Phone: +44 (0)131 650 5455
Fax: +44 (0) 131 650 6564
Email: carole.ferrier@ed.ac.uk; Address: Graduate School of Biological Sciences
117, Darwin Building
Edinburgh
EH9 3JT

As a research student at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology you will join the UK’s largest and most dynamic community of researchers in the field. With about 30 research groups, which includes about 50 PhD students, you’ll benefit from a busy programme of seminars, journal clubs and other research-led activities and will be encouraged to publish your findings. You’ll also take part in student-led courses and talks.

Entry requirements

International students

All applicants must meet our general entry and language requirements. Detailed advice for international students is available here:

Research profile

Our researchers are working on everything from viral evolution and host-parasite co-evolution to natural selection in the wild and plant conservation genetics.

We go beyond the study of animal behaviour to focus on the underpinnings of the science of evolution, down to the level of DNA, to look at how organisms fundamentally develop as a result of natural selection.

Our current research falls under three broad themes:

evolutionary and quantitative genetics
evolutionary ecology and behaviour
biodiversity and ecology.

We have an enviable record in academic career success. Our institute reflects the School-wide figure of 84 per cent for students achieving academic posts after they complete their PhD.

Training and support

PhD students may attend the taught components of the MSc courses Quantitative Genetics & Genome Analysis and The Evolution of Language & Cognition. In addition, there are several active seminar series and journal clubs both within the Institute and elsewhere in the University. A programme of transferable skills courses facilitates broader professional development.

Supervisors are an important source of support for our PhD students. You can identify potential supervisors from the School of Biological Sciences website and discuss your PhD proposal with them.

Facilities

Topping our list of impressive research tools is the GenePool, one of the UK’s biggest and best university-based genomics facilities. Attracting visiting researchers from all over the UK and internationally, this next-generation facility opens up new ways of creating research data.

If your study involves bioinformatics, the Ashworth Bioinformatics Support Service provides a vital link with the expertise and facilities on offer through our world-leading School of Informatics.

Funding

Each institute receives a number of PhD studentships from the UK research councils to support postgraduate study. In addition, there may be funding for specific projects, details of which can be found on the School's website.

Please see Scholarships and Student Funding Services for other funding opportunities:

Scholarships and Student Funding Services

Further Information

This article was published on Apr 25, 2013