EastBio: Optimising soils for enhanced carbon sequestration

Details

This fully funded, 4-year PhD project is part of a competition funded by the BBSRC EASTBIO Doctoral Training Partnership.

Soils are complicated because so many factors are interdependent. We take the measurement of soil pH and soil organic matter for granted but we often fail to see the drivers that such parameters have on soil processes and ecosystem functions. Much of our focus on land management has been about the production of crops through rotations or the management of land for livestock with no strategic oversight of the value of soil for managed carbon sequestration. Our culture is changing and so is our appreciation of the value of soil.

Soils with higher mineral carbon content seem to have a greater ability to increase carbon sequestration. This is related to the cation exchange capacity (CEC). But when soils have a coarser texture, the CEC is pH dependent: higher pH means higher CEC. The nature and form of the carbon that enters the soil is dependent upon the land management (crop selection/ stage of rotation/ amendment with organic/ inorganic fertilisers) and also on the soil biome. These are pH dependent.

This studentship will investigate these key processes both in the field and the laboratory using traditional and novel techniques and develop a predictive model for soil carbon sequestration.

This will be achieved by-

1. Measuring and characterising pH dependent CEC across a range of coarser textured soils under different management regimes with contrasting organic and inorganic carbon concentrations;
2. Comparing and optimising a suite of soil enzymatic assays in sols with a range of microbial biomass carbon values. And relating the enzymic responses to key ecosystem functions in the soil;
3. Study the interaction between mineral and organic carbon and better understand the processes: rate, depth, fluxes;
4. Studying a pH soil transect to asses the parameters that change in the pedosphere and trying to understand and quantify the dynamic processes;
5. Selecting field sites to sample to more fully test the combination of techniques to integrate soil pH, organic/ inorganic carbon dynamics and land management;
6. To use the assimilated data to focus on the relationship between measured soil parameters and potential carbon sequestration;
7. To develop a model to predict field scenarios and determine which soils through pH management may be most enhanced for carbon sequestration.

Comprehensive training for each stage will be delivered. The School of Biological Sciences is particularly well supported in terms of soil analysis and has access to a range of relevant field sites.

This project is available for part-time study (Home/UK students only).

Interested applicants should contact the lead supervisor to discuss the project prior to applying. You can do this by selecting the first listed name at the top of this advert and sending your enquiry. Alternatively, you can search for the supervisor through the University of Aberdeen staff directory and email them directly.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants should hold a minimum of a 2:1 UK Honours degree (or international equivalent) in a relevant subject. Those with a 2:2 UK Honours degree (or international equivalent) may be considered, provided they have (or are expected to achieve) a Distinction or Commendation at master’s level.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and are committed to having a diverse, inclusive team.

All students must meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the UKRI guidance on funding for postgraduate training and development. This guidance should be read in conjunction with the Terms and conditions for training funding – UKRI.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

For full details and to download the application form, visit: https://biology.ed.ac.uk/eastbio/how-to-apply

Please note that you may only apply for one EASTBIO project.

1. Application submission

Submit your complete application by 23:59 GMT on 16th November 2026 to smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk.

Send your application as a single email with the subject line:

“EASTBIO Application – [Your Name]”

2. Required documents

Your application email must include the following:

• Completed EASTBIO application form
• Academic certificates and transcripts
• Two references (one reference may be non-academic)

3. References

All references must be provided using the official EASTBIO reference form (available here).

References can be either:

• Included with your application, or
• Sent directly by referees to smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk with the subject line: “EASTBIO Reference – [Your Name]”

All references must be received by 23:59 GMT on 16th November 2026.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure both references are submitted by the deadline, as we cannot request them on your behalf.

Important notes

• No research proposal is required.
• Do not include any additional documents (for example, school certificates, conference papers, or dissertations).
• Incomplete applications or those including unnecessary materials will not be considered.
• Due to workload constraints, we are unable to follow up on missing documents or process incomplete applications.
• All candidates will be notified of the outcome of their application.

For any questions or assistance with the application process, please contact smmsn-pgrenquiries@abdn.ac.uk.

Funding Notes

This fully funded, four-year PhD project is offered as part of a competition within the EASTBIO BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership. The opportunity is open to both UK and international applicants, although the proportion of international students recruited through the EASTBIO DTP is capped at 30% by UKRI BBSRC.

EASTBIO studentships provide a tax-free UKRI doctoral stipend (estimated at £22,437 for the 2027/28 academic year), a training grant of £5,000 per year for the first three years (and £1,500 in the fourth year), and a travel and conference allowance of £230 per year.

Please note that EASTBIO is unable to fund visa costs or associated healthcare surcharges for international students.