The University of Sheffield
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences

Current opportunities for graduate study in APS

Projects for PhD Studentships Commencing October 2013

The department currently has around 100 PhD students. These students are funded mainly by the UK Research Councils, University Scholarships, Industry and from overseas. We are currently seeking applications for studentships in all areas of the department's research topics. 

PLEASE NOTE: Research Council and University Studentships are only available to UK/EC students. Non-EU overseas students should go to the research opportunities for international applicants page and use the topic areas on that page as a starting point to identify suitable supervisors and project areas, then contact us directly to discuss possible projects.

To apply for any of the projects listed below please complete an on-line application form which can be found at http://www.shef.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply/applying.  For most PhD applications, the closing date is 15 January 2013, however, those listed towards the bottom have later closing dates. Please see the individual adverts.
Project Title Supervisor Supervisor
Plant evolution and the assembly of flammable biomes Dr Colin Osborne Dr Gavin Thomas
Evolutionary ecology of parasite infection in semi-captive Asian elephants Dr Virpi Lummaa
Local adaptation and speciation Dr Rhonda Snook
Climate, density-dependence and population dynamics: towards an integrated perspective Dr Dylan Childs
Restoring the ecological value of water bodies after anthropogenic perturbation: an ecosystem services approach Dr Duncan Cameron Professor Lorraine Maltby
Fighting pests, disease and global change: How will plant immune systems respond to the challenge of drought in a CO2-rich world? Dr Jurriaan Ton Professor David Beerling
Sex, spores and conquering continents: Professor David Beerling Dr Andrew Fleming, Professor Charles Wellman
Reconstructing early terrestrial ecosystems: a case study on exceptionally preserved biotas from the Lower Devonian deposits of New Brunswick, Canada Professor Charles Wellman
Testing the mechanisms driving climate change impacts on biodiversity Dr Karl Evans Dr Duncan Cameron
Developing innovation from regeneration - evolution and development of the pufferfish beak Dr Gareth Fraser
Ecology of species formation in stick insects: combining field, experimental, and genomic approaches Dr Patrik Nosil
Protecting freshwater ecosystem services from chemical pollution: linking ecology, ecotoxicology and culture. Professor Lorraine Maltby Dr Stuart Marshall
Restoring wetland functions in farming landscapes: what influences the effectiveness of new ponds? Dr Philip Warren Professor Lorraine Maltby
All in the timing: the importance of timing of root growth and activity in capturing nutrients in natural ecosystems Dr Gareth Phoenix Dr Duncan Cameron
Evolutionary models with ecological interactions Professor Rob Freckleton Dr Gavin Thomas
Reproductive immunity in insects Professor Michael Siva-Jothy
Metabolic Profiling and Imaging Metabolism in Wheat Professor Andrew Fleming Professor Mike Burrell
Quantifying uncertainty of marine ecosystem responses to climate change Dr Julia Blanchard Dr Tom Webb
Making sense of defence signalling networks in plants: how do plants prime their immune system to acquire long-lasting resistance against pests and diseases? Dr Jurriaan Ton
Discovery and functional analysis of Striga resistance genes in rice for targeted breeding of durable defence Professor Julie Scholes Professor Jon Slate
PARP inhibitors as novel crop protection agents Dr Stephen Rolfe
Climate change and greenhouse gas emission in Arctic tundra: the role of vegetation change on CO2 and CH4 fluxes Dr Donatella Zona Dr Gareth Phoenix
The epigenetic basis of trans-generational plant defence: how do plants inform their offspring about pests and disease? Dr Jurriaan Ton
Catch of the day: how do recreational anglers value the diversity of marine fish? Dr Tom Webb Dr Julia Blanchard
Acquisition of natural soil phosphorus compounds by crops: towards sustainable, low fertilizer crop production Dr Gareth Phoenix
The use of novel mass spectrometry imaging techniques to understand the metabolic basis of resistance and susceptibility of sunflower cultivars infected with the parasitic weed Orobanche cumana Professor Julie Scholes Professor Mike Burrell
Understanding the regulation of photosynthesis and metabolism by protein modification in rice leaves Professor Richard Leegood Professor Carl Smythe