Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships Programme for Interdisciplinary Resilience Studies

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Two routes

We will conduct an annual call for studentship proposals. Proposals can be submitted either by supervisory teams (two to three academic staff from different Schools), to which prospective students then apply, or by prospective students themselves.

The details

The following interdisciplinary projects have been proposed by supervisory teams from across the University and are open for applications:

African cities are undergoing rapid growth, with development partly funded by overseas remittances. However, the impacts of this on clean energy transitions is poorly understood You will address this gap by combining innovative qualitative and quantitative data sources on remittances and renewable energy deployment in African cities.

Full description: Dickinson_Accounting for remittances in modelling sustainable energy transitions in African cities

This project focuses on the role of music for disaster-affected people and communities in the UK in recovering from disasters and building back. Using archival, ethnographic and participatory methods, the student will explore how music can support community resilience and recovery after major disasters.

Full description: Park – Composing Resilience – The Role of Music in Post-Disaster Recovery and Community Resilience in the UK

This project conceptualises and empirically tests how identities – broadly conceived – and how they interact with distributive concerns, such as unemployment, to support or undermine democratic resilience. Co-supervised between Politics and Geography, it will build on new methods in both to contribute to a broad understanding of (democratic) resilience.

Full description: Devine_Democratic Resilience, Identities, and Geographical Imaginaries

ENCORE assesses the effectiveness of managed realignment as a nature-based solution (NbS) in the UK to enhance biodiversity, support climate adaptation and improve resilience in coastal communities. It combines empirical biodiversity, physical and social data. The combined datasets will feed into a socio-ecological model to evaluate NbS benefits and trade-offs. 

Full description: Dominguez Almela_Evaluating the Nature-based solutions for Coastal Resilience and Effectiveness (ENCORE)

This project investigates climate change’s impacts on global food production and trade networks, focusing on food security and nutrition outcomes. Using network analysis, it aims to identify pathways for enhancing global nutritional sustainability and resilience in a changing climate. 

Full description: Chan_Exploring-the-resilience-of-global-food-systems-and-nutritional-impacts-through-network-theory

This project explores fraud (UK’s fastest-growing type of crime) and asks what impact media representations of such things as scams, cons and swindles have on systems of fraud and their resilience. In short, do the representations encourage the resilience of fraud or the public’s resilience to the impacts of fraud? 

Full description: Spiller – Fraud, Resilience and the Media

‘Left–behind’ places have been central to British politics in recent years, especially since the 2016 referendum. This project will use a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how some left–behind places in the UK demonstrate greater democratic resilience than others in terms of participation, interest, satisfaction, and trust. 

Full description: Clarke_Left Behind Places and Democratic Resilience

Crisis narratives about privacy, creativity and automation have come to dominate techno-centric discourses about data. These crisis narratives, however, often overlook the very human vulnerabilities (re)produced by cis-hetero-patriarchal socio-technical infrastructures. This research will explore how queer data offer unique forms of resilience through attentiveness to plurality, mutability and intersectionality.

Full description: Webster – Queer Data and Resilience

This project will explore and examine dynamics of resilience by creating and developing deliberately simplified models of complex adaptive systems, constructed as “serious games”. Combining geography, game theory, creative design, and complexity science, these “serious games” will pursue a new method of gaining dynamical insight into classical resilience problems

Full description: LAZARUS_Reimagining complex adaptive systems as serious games for dynamical insight

Greenspace benefits human health but is it still true when plant emissions worsen air pollution, impacting both people and ecosystems? The RUSSAP project will examine socio-ecological resilience to air pollution – i.e., greenspace health under pollution exposure and its effects on human well-being by using satellite imagery, machine learning, and modelling

Full description: Zhu – Resilience of Urban Socio-ecological System to Air Pollution (RUSSAP) in the UK

E-scooters pose a significant public health risk and may increase health inequalities. This study will critically evaluate e-scooter usage, linking user data with health, environmental, demographic, and economic factors. Synthesising qualitative insights and quantitative models, it aims to contrast user patterns with industry claims, mapping e-scooter hubs against deprivation indices. 

Full description: Walker – Reviewing Impacts of Demographics and E-scooters on Health and the Environment (RIDE)

The Covid pandemic ruptured the longstanding relationship between schools and families, with many children and young people, especially those who are neurodivergent, struggling with attendance or choosing to withdraw from formal education. This project will explore how young people and families reframe, rebuild, and re-engage with learning through home education. 

 Full description: Parsons _Rupture and resilience in post-pandemic education- rebuilding and reframing positive experiences of learning through the home education of neurodivergent children

Rapid urban growth is fuelling demand for river sand, but sand mining poses risks to riverside communities. This project addresses critical questions regarding the resilience of river cities: How much sand flows from rivers to cities? How do these flows impact river environments? How do these changes affect river-related risks? 

Full description: Darby_Sand flows in growing river cities in the global south Developing a coupled model of urban growth river sand mining, and system resilience

This project explores sustainable development strategies for critical minerals (such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements) using game theory. By modelling the strategic interactions between governments, mining companies, and supply chain actors, the research aims to balance economic gains, environmental sustainability, and resource availability. The study focuses on how cooperation and competition influence decision-making in resource extraction, addressing challenges like environmental impacts, geopolitical tensions, and market volatility. This interdisciplinary research integrates game theory, sustainability, and supply chain management, offering insights into resilient, sustainable critical mineral supply chains. 

Full description: Zhou – Sustainable Development for Critical Minerals – A Game Theoretical Approach

How did past societies navigate cultural and environmental change? This project investigates the environmental impact of new religious practices during the Roman period in Britian, integrating scientific archaeological analysis of plant remains to uncover on-the-ground environmental changes, and philosophical analysis regarding the evolving conceptualisation of “nature” during this transformative period.  

Full description: Collar – Environmental and Religious Changes in Roman Britain

Drawing on an interdisciplinary resilience perspective, this project uses biographical interviews, discourse analysis and social network mapping to understand elasticity and brittleness in social networks of gay men and how, underpinned by a shift to online communities, networks of older gay men have changed over time with implications for wellbeing. 

Full description: Sadler – Understanding how the shift to online communities has influenced the social networks and wellbeing of older gay men

This project investigates how Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced persons navigate migration trajectories and maintain resilience in the face of adversity. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the project will provide insights into how Ukrainians are coping with the fall-out of Russia’s invasion [demography + psychology] 

Full description: Perelli-Harris­_Understanding Resilience among Ukrainian Displaced Persons

When creating a research proposal, consider the question or issue you want to address with their project. Think about the context for the idea, and how your research will be an original and interdisciplinary contribution to scholarship. Also think about the methods you may use to conduct your research.

Potential supervisors

Because applicants submitting their own proposals may be less aware of research expertise among academic staff across the University, the programme Board will use its institutional breadth to review and recommend supervisory teams for student-led proposals.

You can search our academics to find potential supervisors whose research interests align to yours. When you find a match, contact them to discuss your ideas. Allow time for them to respond, and consider their feedback. Contacting potential supervisors as you develop your project concept will help you build a stronger application.

How to structure your proposal

Your research proposal can be up to 1,500 words (excluding a bibliography) and should include:

  • Title
  • subheadings:
    • Introduction
    • Interdisciplinary context
      • background / framing the conceptual space(s) in which your idea fits
    • Research question
    • Methods
      • including potential data sources, research methods, critical approaches you’ll use
    • Potential challenges
      • what aspects of this idea might not work? and how might you work around that?
    • Bibliography

Write with short paragraphs and sentences. Use images and diagrams as appropriate. Your submitted version should be in pdf format.

Writing your research proposal

You should keep your proposal clear and realistic. Your proposal should convey:

  • the question you want to address
  • clear objectives of what you aim to achieve
  • relationship and references to previous work in the academic (or other) literature
  • why the research is relevant and original
  • your proposed method and approach
  • how your skills will help to conduct the research
  • any training you may need to undertake the project

Up to six students will comprise each cohort. We will offer:

  • 4 x studentships to UK (or UK-domiciled) students
    • fully funded for 48 months at UKRI base rates for maintenance and tuition
    • £10k (£2.5k per year) Research Support and Training Grant
  • 1 x studentship to an international student
    • fully funded for 48 months at UKRI maintenance and University international tuition rates
    • £10k (£2.5k per year) Research Support and Training Grant
  • 1 x “Master’s + PhD” studentship to an eligible UK (or UK-domiciled) student*
    • fully funded for 60 months at UKRI maintenance and University tuition rates for:
      • 12 months master’s degree
      • 48 months doctoral degree
      • £10k (£2.5k per year) Research Support and Training Grant

*Note that funds for the “Master’s + PhD” track are ring-fenced for supporting students from underrepresented groups. To be eligible, applicants must be:

  1. a UK domiciled student
  2. not already have a master’s degree from the University of Southampton
  3. be from a low-income household background evidenced by, for example, being in receipt of a full maintenance loan or Special Support loan during their undergraduate studies

and/or

  1. be one of the following categories of ethnicity:
    • Black African
    • Black Caribbean
    • Black Other
    • Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
    • Mixed – White and Black African
    • Other mixed background (including Black African, Black Caribbean and Black Other)

General requirements

You will need to have a 2:1 honours undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification. If your grade was lower than 2:1 you can still apply, but your application and narrative CV should demonstrate progression since your degree.

If you have completed a master’s degree, you should have achieved a merit or above including 60% for the dissertation. If you have not completed a master’s, you’ll need to show you can produce high quality writing and analysis.

English language requirements

If English isn’t your first language, you’ll need to demonstrate that you possess a minimum standard of English language proficiency in order to be admitted to a course at the University, per University requirements. Full information on English language proficiency requirements are available here.

Selection criteria will emphasise interdisciplinarity and the applicant’s potential to undertake research.

The deadline to apply for a project is 31st January 2025. Please ensure that all of the necessary documents are submitted to ensure that the application will be considered.

** Please submit your application documents as part of your application to the relevant programme**

A complete application will include:

  • Programme for Interdisciplinary Resilience Studies application document (download: PIRS cover application form – 2025 entry)
  • pre-formatted CV (download: PIRS CV template – 2025 entry)
  • narrative résumé (download: PIRS narrative resume template – 2025 entry)
  • academic transcript of your undergraduate degree showing modules and marks achieved, in English
  • undergraduate degree certificate (if you have graduated)
  • academic transcript from your master’s degree (if applicable) showing modules and marks achieved
  • master’s degree certificate (if applicable, and if you have graduated)
  • English Language Qualification (if required)
  • project proposal if applying for a student-led project – further guidance on creating a project can be found here, or above, under “Student-led route: Propose your own project”)
  • 2 academic references from your most recent place of study or details for 2 academic referees

Applications submitted without all of the necessary documents will not be shortlisted for further consideration.

All shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview.

If you are an international (non-UK) applicant – please note that PIRS cannot cover the costs of a visa and UK health-check fees associated with enrolling in a PhD programme as an international student. Nor will those costs be otherwise covered by the University. This incurred expense (should you accept an offer) may inform your decision to apply.