Global Environment & Society Academy

Perfect Storms: Doctoral Scholarships at the University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh invites applications from exceptional candidates for a fully funded doctoral research project that addresses a ‘Perfect Storm’.

The Leverhulme Trust has awarded the University of Edinburgh 15 doctoral scholarships, five per year for the next three years, worth £1 million (to which the University has committed to fund a fourth cohort), for students to undertake interdisciplinary research on ‘perfect storms’ - the most profound problems facing contemporary and future societies, shaped by rapid social and political transformation, brought about by the unique convergence of events, processes, forces and systems.

There are many ‘perfect storms’ brewing across the world arising from combinations of rising food insecurity, population growth and the threat of climate change, through risks from zoonotic diseases and religious unrest, to newly delineated forms of societal and cultural conflict. Our doctoral scholarships are focused on the perfect storms which threaten to disrupt and destabilise the lives of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

These prestigious scholarships will cover full UK/EU/International fees as well as living and research costs for 36 months of study.

The Perfect Storm Scholars will be hosted by the University of Edinburgh’s Global Academies, which work to equip tomorrow's doctoral graduates with the interdisciplinary research expertise to contribute to the world’s most complex problems. Each Perfect Storm scholar will be guided by an interdisciplinary team of supervisors. They will be part of a dynamic interdisciplinary research culture, receiving specialist training through regular interdisciplinary masterclasses, a ‘perfect storm’ seminar series, and an annual summer research ‘sand pit’. The aim is to equip researchers able to grapple with complex problems, work comfortably across disciplines, and undertake innovative, impactful research.

The Scholarships will pay UK/EU/International fees per academic session and the remainder can be used for living and research costs.