The Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC)has been awarded 5 NERC PhD studentships for 2012/13 and the following projects are in competition for this funding, for which we are currently accepting applications.

LEC forms one of the largest centres for environmental research in Europe. LEC's inter-disciplinary research themes focus on atmospheric science, biodiversity and global change, catchment and aquatic processes, environmental geosciences and the relationships between the environment and society. The excellent research environment and facilities these themes offer provides the setting for our PhD training.

• A multiproxytephrochronology for the Antarctic Peninsula and Scotia Sea: constraining Antarctic deglaciation during the Holocene.
  Supervisors: Dr Mark Hounslow, Dr Jennie S Gilbert and Dr Dominic A. Hodgson (British Antarctic Survey).
• A novel technique for Be-7 determination, a tracer of significant environmental processes.
  Supervisors: DrJackie Pates, Prof John Quinton, Dr Phil Barker and Dr Stephen Maberly (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Lancaster).
• Bottom up melting of the Icelandic glaciers.
  Supervisors: Dr Peter Wynn, Dr Mike James and Dr Hugh Tuffen; with informal supervisory collaboration with Dr DavidRippin (York University).
• Carbon storage in grasslands - the impact of atmospheric nitrogen pollution.
  Supervisors: Dr Carly Stevens and Prof Richard Bardgett.
• Investigating the closure of the Tethys Ocean as recorded by the Liuqu Conglomerate, Tibet.
  Supervisors: Dr Yani Najman and Dr Greg Holland.
• Investigating the efficiency of reforestation approaches in restoring rainforest biodiversity and function.
  Supervisors: Dr Rosa Menendez and Dr Kate Orwin.
• Meeting demand for animal protein at the lowest cost to Amazonian ecosystems
  Supervisors: Dr Luke Parry and Dr Jos Barlow
• Novel stable isotope techniques based on phosphate oxygen to trace the biogeochemical cycling of macronutrients in lake ecosystems.
  Supervisors: Dr Ben Surridge, Dr Peter Wynn, Dr Andrew Folkard and Dr Stephen Maberly (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Lancaster).
• The Dispersal of Volcanic Pollutants in the Atmosphere.
  Supervisors: Dr Jennie Gilbert, Dr Oliver Wild and Dr Anne-Marlene Blechschmidt.
• Understanding gully erosion through rapid 3d data acquisition (Spain).
  Supervisors: Dr Mike James and Dr John Quinton.
• Using noble gases to determine groundwater quality and flow paths.
  Supervisors: Dr Greg Holland, Dr Ben Surridge, Dr Phil Barker and Prof Andrew Binley.

Academic Requirements: First-class or 2.1 (Hons) degree, or Mastersdegree (or equivalent) in an appropriate subject for the project you apply to.

Funding: Full studentships(fees and maintenance grant (£13,590 (2011/12) tax free, per year) who have been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of an award. EU candidates who have not been ordinarily resident in the UK for the last 3 years are eligible for "tuition fees-only" awards (no maintenance grant). Unfortunately studentships are not available to non-UK/EU applicants.

Application Deadline: Midnight Sunday 26 February 2012
Provisional Interview Date: Friday 16 March 2012
Start Date: October 2012

Application process: Please send a CV and a covering letter outlining your background and suitability for this project, along with two references (Download the reference form: http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/docs/LECPG/PG_Reference_Form_LEC.docx) and email to Andy Harrod, Lancaster Environment Centre, (lec.pg@lancaster.ac.uk). Please pass the reference form to your two referees and ask them to send their completed reference direct to Andy Harrod.

Due to the limited time between the closing date and the interview date, it is essential that you ensure references are submitted by the closing date or as soon as possible.

Please do not apply via the online application system.

Further information: http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgresearch/research-degree-opportunities.php