Why choose the E5 DTP?

On these pages you can read about the Edinburgh Earth, Ecology and Environment Engagement Doctoral Training Partnership (the E5 DTP), including information about our current students, their projects, and our partners. We are proud of our previous E3 and E4 DTPs, with extensive training, research and collaborative opportunities offered to students to support them through and beyond their PhD journey, and the E5 DTP builds upon these experiences in addition to introducing new opportunities. We are delighted that you are considering applying to a PhD training opportunity, and you may wonder how the E5 DTP will support you in your research and career aspirations.

One of the highest concentrations of NERC-remit research in the UK

The E5 DTP is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and is hosted at the University of Edinburgh. The city of Edinburgh and its surrounding regions have one of the highest concentrations of NERC-remit research in the United Kingdom; it is home to the University of Edinburgh as well as the offices of large independent research organisations and partners such as the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology, the British Geological Survey, Scotland’s Rural College, the National Museum of Scotland, and Forest Research. Other partners at the Scottish Association for Marine Science and the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre are all within easy reach, and there is a vibrant ecosystem of government, charity, and private businesses working in and around Edinburgh that are part of the E5 partnership. Altogether, there are several hundred specialists across all areas of NERC’s research remit working with us who can collaborate in PhD training and supervision. In our list of available projects, you will find a wide range of research topics, and we also welcome self-proposed PhD topics that build upon our wide partnership. 

A vibrant and diverse research community with many opportunities

The clustering of environmental research around Edinburgh means that if you apply and are offered a position in E5, you will be part of a vibrant community of PhD students, researchers and professionals that extends naturally to many opportunities in science, policy, charity and business activities. Our community members have taken many and varied routes into environmental research and we encourage and support students from a diversity of subject and experiential backgrounds. As a result, our DTP is of sufficient size and diversity that we can offer an active menu of student-led activities to support your PhD journey, to go alongside numerous research groups and DTP training run by academic staff and non-academic partners. 

You can look on our students’ profile pages to see the various activities our students have engaged in: the DTP programme allows flexible training and internship opportunities in addition to core scientific research that is part of your PhD. Our "A day in my PhD life" 5-minute videos, showcasing some of our current DTP students, give a fantastic insight into what an environmental science PhD looks like on a day-to-day basis within the University of Edinburgh, and more widely in the City of Edinburgh and Scotland. Please do not hesitate to contact our current and past students: we think the E5 DTP is a fantastic place to get a PhD and are sure our students will agree.

A positive, supportive and inclusive environment

An E5 DTP cohort is made of about 21 students every year coming from a wide range of backgrounds and joining a community of more than 100 students already on the DTPs at any one time. We value the diversity of our student community and encourage peer-support, integration and inclusion via cohort-building, interdisciplinary and multi-cohort events. We are committed to increase the diversity of our recruited cohorts and support applications from under-represented candidates through our unique Widening Participation scheme. We foster discussions and awareness around EDI topics and related issues and welcome suggestions to continue to improve EDI amongst our students.

In addition to all the wide-ranging support services the University of Edinburgh has to offer, the E5 DTP dedicated administrative team is here to assist you and to provide support and guidance during your PhD journey. We care to create a positive and favourable environment for you to thrive as students and future professionals.

Finally, getting a PhD is not all about work and Edinburgh consistently ranks amongst the best places to live in the UK. Who would not want to live somewhere where you can hike to the top of UK’s highest mountain on Saturday, go to a beautiful sandy beach on Sunday, and then talk science with any number of the UK’s leading environmental scientists on a Monday?

We hope to see you soon.

Sebastian Hennige

E5 DTP Director