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Available PhD topics, current PhD projects, open projects, NERC and other funding bodies
Although many people do a PhD in order to go into academia, it can also be very beneficial for careers in industry and the private sector. A PhD is hard work and takes at least 3 years to complete, so you need to find a suitable topic, which will engage your enthusiasm and interest for the long-haul.
AvailableTopics
If you are interested in applying to do a specific PhD project in our Department (self-initiated, self-funded or through a non-DTP studentship), you should direct your initial enquiry to the named supervisor (or co-supervisor) who can guide you further. In cases of uncertainty, you may also direct your enquiry to the Graduate Tutor. Once a supervisor has agreed in principle to supervise your project, or if you are applying for a specific funded studentship, you must complete a formal UCL PhD application.
- Fully funded: Earth Sciences PhD scholarship
Enquiries: Dr. Maxim Ballmer (m.ballmer@ucl.ac.uk).
Application Deadline: January 23rd 2025
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- NERC London DTP and the NERC TARGET Mineral Resources CDT
Applications are open for PhD projects starting October 2025.
Application Deadline: January 22nd 2025.
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The London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).
The PhD topics shown here are representative examples of projects offered by our department that are eligible for funding through the London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). The London DTP offers studentships covering all aspects of earth and environmental science, hosted by different London-based academic institutions including UCL.
- Past Life and Environments
Project Title Supervisor(s): Using the Past to Improve Predictions of the Future of Vertebrate Biodiversity. Prof Phil Mannion; Dr Alex Pigot Neuroanatomical insights into the early evolution and biogeographic history of alligatoroid crocodylians. Prof Phil Mannion; Prof Paul Upchurch The Cambrian explosion: causes and consequences. Prof Graham Shields; Dr Nick Lane The Evolutionary and biogeographic impact of the break up of Gondwana during the Cretaceous and Cenozoic Prof Paul Upchurch; Dr Julia Day Size control on extinction dynamics in Cenozoic planktonic foraminifera. Prof Bridget Wade; Dr Andy Purvis Quantifying temperature changes in the Oligocene icehouse. Prof Bridget Wade Giants and dwarfs: body size, climate and extinction. Richard Twitchett, NHM & Prof Bridget Wade
- Solid Earth Dynamics
Project Title: Supervisor(s): The initial condition for the long-term evolution of terrestrial planets. Dr Maxim Ballmer; Prof John Brodholt The seismic signals of the heterogeneous Earth mantle. Dr Maxim Ballmer; Dr Paula Koelemeijer The dynamics of mantle plumes, and their geophysical and geochemical expressions. Dr Maxim Ballmer; Prof Ana Ferreira Game of Stones: how does rock strength control river incision? Dr Byron A. Adams & Prof Tom Mitchell The deep nitrogen cycle – nitrogen storage in the subduction system. Prof John Brodholt; Dr Andrew Thomson Glacial erosion in the tropics: The Santa Marta Range, southern Caribbean. Dr Matthew Fox; Prof Andrew Carter Illuminate intra-crustal magma/gas transport beneath active volcanoes with very long-period tremors (VLP). Dr Teh-Ru Alex Song; Prof Chris Kilburn Mapping Core-mantle boundary anisotropy with core-reflected P waves. Dr Teh-Ru Alex Song Tracking the topographic evolution of the Sierra Nevada, California. Dr Frances Cooper & Dr Byron Adams The viscosity of the Earth’s inner core. Prof Lidunka Vočadlo; Prof John Brodholt Understanding the Earth’s cores: benchmarking the ELASTIC toolkit for core-forming materials. Prof Lidunka Vočadlo; Prof John Brodholt The structure, dynamics and composition of the Earth’s core. Prof Lidunka Vočadlo; Prof Ian Wood
- Earth, Atmosphere & Ocean Processes
Project Title: Supervisor(s): Sensitivity of West Antarctic Ice Sheet to 2 degrees warming: how does topography control ice sheet stability? Dr Matthew Fox; Prof Pieter Vermeesch Data fusion of 20 years of polar remote sensing data: emerging climate trends? Dr Michel Tsamados; Deep Learning for radar altimetry echo classification and sea ice surface image recognition. Dr Michel Tsamados; Testing Earth’s thermostat with novel isotope tracers. Dr David Wilson; Dr Susan Little Ice sheet-ocean-climate interactions during the Pleistocene Ice Ages. Dr David Wilson; Dr Heather Ford
If you are interested in any of these topics, please contact the named supervisor for more information in the first instance. To apply for a DTP studentship, please do not apply to UCL directly but instead follow the DTP instructions. Whilst the topics illustrate a cross-section of active research within our Department, the list is not exhaustive and we also welcome enquiries from students who wish to formulate their own topics.