Studentship Competition
Begin Your Research Career with Iapetus
Iapetus offers 13 fully funded PhD opportunities across leading UK universities and research organisations, giving you the chance to tackle real-world environmental challenges while benefiting from expert supervision, specialist training, and a vibrant interdisciplinary research community.
The Application Process
The process has up to five stages, depending on whether you are a Home or International applicant.
Stage 1: Choose a Project
Browse the available projects and identify those that match your interests, skills and qualifications.
Before applying, we recommend that you:
- Read the project description carefully.
- Check the academic requirements.
- Contact the supervisor if you have questions about the project.
- Choose the one project that is right for your career goals and research interests.
Stage 2: Additional Stage for International Applicants
Before submitting an Iapetus application, international applicants must secure sponsorship from the lead supervisor of their chosen project.
This additional step helps ensure that supervisors can support the limited number of international studentships available.
International Applicant Process
- Contact your chosen supervisor as early as possible, but by no later than Monday 7th December 2026.
- The supervisor will review requests and confirm sponsorship decisions by Monday 14th December 2026.
- Sponsored applicants then submit a full Iapetus application.
Please note that Iapetus can award no more than 30% of studentships to international applicants each year.
UKRI funding covers tuition fees at the Home fee rate. Any difference between Home and International fees is determined by the host organisation, so you should check the position of the relevant university with the supervisor before applying.
Stage 3: Submit Your Application
Complete the Iapetus Application Form and submit the required supporting documents before the deadline of Tuesday 5th January at 12 PM (Midday) GMT
You will need to:
- submit the online Iapetus application form
- email a 2-page CV and academic transcripts to iapetus.applications@durham.ac.uk
Please note:
- We recommend using the Iapetus application form template to draft your responses before copying and pasting them into the online application form.
- CV’s should be no longer than 2 pages in length.
- Academic transcripts should be sent in one rolling pdf in a non-password protected format.
- Applications can only be submitted using the online form. Do not send the completed template document to us, as it will not be accepted.
- As part of your application, you will provide the details of two referees. Iapetus will automatically contact them on receipt of your application form. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure referees are available and willing to provide a reference before the deadline of Monday 18th January 2027.
- Applications cannot be received after the deadline under any circumstances so please do not leave it to the last moment to apply.
Key Application Documents
Iapetus Studentship Competition Application Form Template (Available from 6th November 2026)
Iapetus Studentship Competition Application Form (Available from 6th November 2026)
Iapetus Applicant Guidance
How Applications Are Assessed
Applications are considered through three separate shortlisting stages.
Stage 4: Supervisor Shortlisting
After applications close, supervisors receive all applications for their project.
The supervisory team reviews applications and identifies:
- Their strongest applicant for the project.
- An additional Widening Participation applicant, where applicable.
Only applicants selected at this stage proceed to the next round.
Stage 5: Host Organisation Shortlisting
Each university or research organisation then conducts its own internal competition.
Because nomination places are limited, your application will be evaluated against applications for other projects within the same Host Organisation
Host Organisations submit:
- Their highest-ranked applicants.
- Highest ranked eligible Widening Participation and Research Experience Placement candidates.
Only the strongest applications across the institution move forward to the final Iapetus competition.
Stage 6: Iapetus Shortlisting and Interview
Applications nominated by Host Organisations are assessed by the Iapetus Studentships Committee. Each application is reviewed by multiple panel members.
Shortlisted candidates are invited to interview.
The final ranking is based on:
- 50% application assessment
- 50% interview performance
Award Decisions
Following interviews, the Iapetus Studentships Committee agrees the final rankings and studentship offers are made.
Successful applicants will receive an offer and be given a deadline to accept.
Where offers are declined, studentships may be offered to candidates on the reserve list.
Applying to Iapetus is highly competitive. We receive over 25 applications for each UKRI studentship that we recruit. Being unsuccessful at one stage does not mean your application was weak; many excellent candidates apply each year for a limited number of studentships. Iapetus does not provide feedback on applications.
Widening Participation Scheme
Iapetus is committed to increasing participation in doctoral research from groups that have historically been underrepresented in postgraduate study.
The Widening Participation Scheme is open to eligible Home applicants, including:
- Applicants from UK minoritised ethnic groups.
- Applicants who lived in a POLAR4 Quintile 1 area while attending secondary school.
- Applicants with a disability.
Through this scheme, Iapetus aims to allocate up to 30% of interview places to eligible applicants who would not otherwise have progressed through the standard shortlisting process.
We encourage all eligible applicants to indicate this within their application form.
What Makes a Strong Application?
Successful applicants typically demonstrate:
- Strong academic achievement relative to their opportunities, or have relevant comparable experience – we welcome applications from those with non-traditional routes to PhD study.
- A good understanding of the project.
- Evidence of relevant skills or experience.
- Clear motivation for pursuing the specific PhD project.
- Enthusiasm for participating in the wider Iapetus training programme and cohort activities.
Further Details
For more information on the Iapetus Studentship Competition, please see the Applicant Guidance document.
Need Help?
If you have any questions, please contact the project supervisor or the Iapetus team at iapetus.applications@durham.ac.uk.
FAQs
Choosing a project
The first supervisor listed on the project is the primary supervisor. Please contact them in the first instance. Their contact details are included in the Further Information section under the listed supervisors on the project page.
We recommend sending them an email to introduce yourself, including your motivation for applying for the particular project along with your CV. If the supervisor wants anything else or to speak with you, they will let you know.
All Iapetus projects will be online by Friday 6th November at 5pm.
No, you may only apply to one Iapetus project per year. If you were to submit a second application form to Iapetus, your first application form would automatically be withdrawn from the competition.
We strongly advise that you do not submit a second application, because your referees will be contacted automatically each time you submit an application.
We recommend all applicants contact the primary supervisor. As an applicant, it is useful to discuss the project details with the supervisor and talk through your suitability for the project. After having this conversation, you can incorporate this into your application.
If you are a Home fees applicant, you are not required to contact the primary supervisor though it is encouraged.
If you are an International fees applicant, you are required to contact the primary supervisor in order to request sponsorship for the project. Only international applicants with the Unique International Sponsorship Code from the primary supervisor will be eligible to apply to Iapetus.
Applying
If you aren’t sure whether you are a home or an international student, you can find out more from UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs)
Anyone listed on the project is ineligible to provide a reference for your application. You will need to find two people unconnected to the project to provide references.
Please keep your CV to no more than 2 pages long, please do not include a photo on your CV and please ensure your CV is written in gender neutral pronouns to avoid unconscious bias during the application process.
This refers to the grade or final mark you received for your degree. In the UK, degrees are classified as 1st, 2:1, 2;2 and 3rd. If you have an international degree please state the mark or grade you were awarded with the UK equivalence if you know it. If you don’t, please do not worry, our supervisors are experienced in assessing international applications.
Iapetus are only able to cover the Home Fees for International students. Some of our institutions pay or waive the difference in fees between home and international fees for successful international applicants. Please do discuss this with the primary supervisor of the project, as they will be able to advise the policy of their university. International students receive the same stipend and research funding as home students.
Please use the Iapetus application template to draft your application. Applicants must then submit their application by copying and pasting their answers from the template on to the online application form. As part of the Application Form, applicants also need to submit answers to some EDI questions. No parts of the EDI section are used for determining any part of awarding the studentships.
Application templates must not be emailed to Iapetus, only completed online application forms will be accepted.
Please check the Key Dates for the application deadline as no applications will be accepted after this deadline.
Iapetus supports 3.5-year PhD projects within the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) structure. If you are interested in shorter-term opportunities, it is best to email supervisors directly to see what they may be able to support.
If you are still an undergraduate, we do offer Research Experience Placements (REPs) in the summer. These paid opportunities last 6 – 8 weeks and are advertised through a separate process from April each year.
Iapetus is funded through the UKRI Research Council NERC. All UKRI Doctoral Training Partnerships are required to submit anonymised EDI Statistics within an Annual Report. None of the data is used in conjunction with your application in the Studentship Competition.
For each question in the EDI section, there is a Prefer not to say option
You will provide reference details on your Iapetus Application Form.
Iapetus will automatically contact your referees when you submit your Application Form. Referees will be asked to complete an Iapetus Reference form and this will need to be submitted to Iapetus by the published deadline on the Key Dates section of the How to Apply page.
Please ensure your referees are available to write a reference for you, before this date.
Please remember that any supervisors who are listed on the project you are applying to are ineligible to provide a references for you.
No, when submitting your Iapetus application, you are just submitting an application to fund a PhD in one of the Iapetus institutions. You will be notified by email when you need to submit a PhD application to the awarding university.
Please submit your 2-page CV and transcripts to Iapetus at iapetus.applications@durham.ac.uk by the same deadline as the application form.
If your referee(s) are not available then your application will be considered without the reference(s). Please ensure your referees are available to provide a reference. If they are not, please select new referee(s) and update Iapetus with this information as soon as possible.
No, if a supervisor of the project you are applying for is your current supervisor in your Masters, they cannot provide you with a reference for your Iapetus application. Please select another referee not listed on the project advertisement.
Yes. It should be included in the main education section of the form.
After Submission
If you need to correct something you wrote on your submitted Iapetus application form, please email iapetus.applications@durham.ac.uk at your earliest convenience. If it is before the deadline, it may be possible to make the change.
We strongly advise that you do not submit a second application, because your referees will be contacted automatically each time you submit an application.
Due to the large numbers of applications, Iapetus does not offer any feedback to applicants.
It is worth discussing this question with potential supervisors, but for the most part you should be able to reuse the material from the initial application in the personal statement part of the form – we’re not anticipating the need to rewrite the material substantially.
Once requested by Iapetus, you apply to the university where the primary supervisor is based at. (The first supervisor listed on the project). If the primary supervisor is based at BAS, BGS or UKCEH, you apply to the university of the second supervisor.
For details about how applications are assessed, please see the Applicant Guidance document.
Iapetus will contact applicants on the following dates:
Friday 29th January, 5pm – Confirm whether an applicant has been shortlisted to the host institution’s internal competition
Friday 12th February, 5pm – Confirm whether an applicant has been shortlisted for interview or not
Friday 26th February, 5pm – Confirm whether an applicant has been awarded a studentship or not
Please do not contact Iapetus in advance of these dates and times to check on the status of your application as notifications will only be sent out on these dates.
Interview & Notification
All interviewed applicants will hear from Iapetus on Friday 26th February 2027
Yes, you will be asked to give a presentation at the start of the interview. Details of what you will be asked to present on will be sent out in the Invitation to Interview.
All Iapetus interviews will be held online.
If you are successful at shortlisting stage, you will receive your invitation to interview by 5pm on Friday 12th February 2027. If you are not successfully shortlisted, you will receive notification of this on this date.
Interviews will be held on Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th February 2027. You will not get to choose the date and/or time of interview. Please ensure you are available to be interviewed on these dates.