PhD Studentship: Microbiomes for Sustainable, Low-Input Agriculture

Overview

This four-year PhD studentship investigates how wheat genetics can be utilized to improve beneficial interactions between crop roots, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and other soil microbiomes. The research aims to determine if these interactions can enhance crop performance and nutrient-use efficiency under reduced-fertiliser conditions, contributing to sustainable, low-input agriculture. The student will be based at the John Innes Centre and will operate within a collaborative research environment that includes the University of East Anglia, NIAB, and the Earlham Institute.

Who can apply

This award is open exclusively to applicants with Home Fee Status. Candidates must possess at least a UK equivalence Bachelors Honours 2:1 degree. Additionally, applicants must meet the English Language requirement of the Faculty of Science equivalent, which is an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with 6 in each category. Selection for admission is conducted without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, or social background.

What you get

The studentship provides payment of Home level tuition fees directly to the University, a stipend to cover living expenses at the rate of £21,805 per annum, and a Research Training Support Grant of £5,000 per annum for each year of the studentship. The successful candidate will also participate in a comprehensive training program provided by the UKRI-BBSRC Norwich Research Park Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership to enhance professional development and research skills.

Requirements

Applicants are required to undertake a four-year PhD research project combining field experimentation, crop phenotyping, plant-microbe biology, and microbiome approaches. The work involves assessing crop performance, characterizing root-associated fungal and bacterial communities, and identifying microbial functions linked to improved crop performance under reduced-input conditions.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 2026-12-10. The mode of study is full-time, with the start date scheduled for 1 October 2027.