Environmental Science - PhD

Qualification: Master of Research (MRes) / Master of Philosophy (MPhil) / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Science
School: School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences / School of Health and Life Sciences
Campus(es): Paisley and Lanarkshire
Start date: October, February, April, or June
Admissions Deadline: September, January, March, or May
Duration:
MRes: Minimum of 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time
MPhil: Minimum of 24 months full-time or 48 months part-time
PhD: Minimum of 36 months full-time or 72 months part-time
Fees: Tuition Fees for Research Degrees

Environmental Science Research

Our research interests focus on the inextricable link between human health and health of our environment. From geochemical cycling through anthropogenic contamination to the impact of human activities on animal welfare, our combination of biologists, environmental scientists, chemists, engineers and mathematicians allows us to address the relationship between humans and their environment.

  • Addressing “Wicked Problems” facing environment and human health needs strong interdisciplinary teams. 
  • Based on over a decade of successful collaboration and engagement advancing signature research and impact in human health and environmental systems strengthening alignment with UN SDGs.
  • A critical mass of academics across Schools of Health & Life Sciences (HLS) & Computing, Engineering & Physical Sciences (CEPS)

One area of our research seeks to understand the impact of contaminants on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including the effects of pharmaceuticals, metals, plastics, pesticides and how some of these factors interact to negatively impact biota. We consider how the health and the welfare of aquatic animals used for human consumption (fish and shrimp) and companionship (pet fish) can be improved to foster a sustainable relationship between humans and their aquatic environment. In the terrestrial arena we consider eco-taxonomic studies of plants and fungi and seek technical solutions to climate change issues, including methods for carbon storage. We also develop risk and vulnerability assessment methods to facilitate local adaptation decision-making.

Our expertise in waste, bioremediation and geochemical cycling feed into risk assessment in response to human and ecosystem health concerns, and with emerging issues such as antimicrobial resistance in the real world. We also address fundamental aspects of earth processes. 

We have wider links to environmental regulation and policy development at a local and international scale and work in partnership with other research groups within IBEHR and UWS to address implications for public and environmental health. 

Strong and sustained international collaborative partnerships exist with research groups in Europe and Asia and with a variety of industrial partners (partnerships page). We are involved in a number of interdisciplinary teams addressing global SDG challenges and are members of the Scottish Research Pools: SAGES, MASTS and SULSA (link to partnership page).

Research conducted under Environment can be in any area of our expertise including:

Multiple stressors

“The combined impacts of threatening processes to adversely affect biodiversity and human health”

  • Aquatic ecotoxicology: acute and chronic effects
  • Invasive species: ecosystem impacts 
  • Pollutant fate/geochemistry: transportation/degradation/accumulation
  • Antimicrobial resistance in the real world

Energy and resource management

“Promoting and supporting sustainability and security in the resource-product-waste cycle”

  • Wastes management
  • Clean technologies and resource efficiency
  • Environmental health
  • Occupational safety & health

Human-biotic interactions

“Investigating exposure pathways, impact and risk on sensitive ecosystems”

  • Human-animal interactions
  • Aquaculture
  • Welfare
  • Invasive species
  • Conservation
  • Human-plant/soil interactions

Industry and business 

“Applying holistic systems approach to innovation, optimisation of resource use and mitigation of environmental footprint”

  • Environmental sustainability, 
  • Industrial ecology, lifecycle and process systems, 
  • Resource efficiency and process development
  • Aquaculture – fish health and welfare, disease mitigation 
  • Ecology and pollution – contaminated land, environmental stressors in aquatic systems, emergence of antimicrobial resistance
  • Land, waste, air – pollutant transport, regulation and mitigation
  • Industry and business – environmental sustainability, industrial ecology, resource efficiency

Research undertaken by members of the group maps onto 10 UN SDGs which include: 

  • managing waste and toxin emission to air, water and land in urban and rural systems and both terrestrial and aquatic environments [SDGs 2, 3, 6, 14, 15]
  • developing more sustainable innovative industrial processes and resilient economic growth [SDGs 9, 11 and 12] 
  • supporting effective partnerships to address policy and institutional buy in, sharing best practice globally [SDG 13 and 17]

In the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024, UWS was officially recognised in the top 400 universities worldwide as assessed against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UWS was recognised as the 2nd most impactful university in Scotland, and 16th globally, for 'reducing inequalities' (UN SDG 10).

Find out more about UWS and UN SDGs

Our group includes staff from the Schools of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) and Health and Life Sceinces (HLS) and collaboration with Infection and Microbiology Group*

Dr Mhairi Alexander, Senior Lecturer, HLS 

Dr Gillian Clayton, Lecturer, Environmental Science, CEPS

Dr Phillip Cowie, Lecturer, Marine Biology, HLS

Dr Ciaran Ewins, Senior Lecturer, Chemistry & Forensic Science, CEPS

Dr Beric Gilbert, Lecturer, Zoology/Parasitology, HLS

Prof Andrew Hursthouse, Professor of Environmental Geochemistry, CEPS

Dr Ann-Sophie Korb, Lecturer, Forensic Science, CEPS

Dr Iain McLellan, Senior Lecturer, Environmental Chemistry CEPS    

Dr Carrie Mullen, Lecturer, Forensic Science, CEPS

Prof Brian Quinn, Professor of Ecotoxicology, HLS (CEO WellFish Tech) 

Prof Kath Sloman, Professor of Aquatic Biology, HLS

Dr Richard Thacker, Senior Lecturer, Zoology, HLS

Dr James Turner, Lecturer, Zoology, HLS

 

Infection and Microbiology Group*

Dr Steven Kelly, Senior Lecturer, Microbiology, HLS

Dr Kiri Rodgers, Lecturer, Environmental Science, HLS

Dr Roderick Williams, Lecturer, Microbiology, HLS

CONTACT DETAILS

Email address: CEPS-Research@uws.ac.uk
School: School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences 

Entry Requirements

The minimum requirements for an applicant for registration for the degree of MRes or MPhil or for the degree of MRes/MPhil with the intention of transfer to PhD shall be a first or second class honours degree of a university in the United Kingdom, or of an equivalent qualification.

Applicants holding qualifications other than those specified in (above) shall be considered on their merits and in relation to the nature and scope of the programme of work proposed.

Direct registration for the degree of PhD may also be approved, at the discretion of the University if the applicant holds an MRes/MPhil degree of a United Kingdom University, or an MRes/MPhil degree of equivalent standard of a non-UK University, provided that the MRes/MPhil degree is in a subject area which is appropriate to the proposed programme of work.

Exceptionally, direct registration for the degree of PhD may also be approved, at the discretion of the University, even if the applicant is not the holder of an MRes/MPhil degree, but does hold an exceptionally high-quality honours degree or taught master’s degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline, AND has appropriate research experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in significant peer-reviewed publications, and where verifiable evidence of accomplishment is supplied.

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.

General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)

For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf), applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:

  • Overall score of 6.5
  • No sub-test less than 6.0

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

HOW TO APPLY

Applying for postgraduate research study at UWS has never been simpler. Click the link below to find more information about:

Postgraduate Research step-by-step guide – everything you need to know to submit a successful application
Link to our online application system

applying for research degrees

Last updated: 03/03/2025