PhD Opportunities

Advancing the Frontiers of Earth System Prediction (AFESP) is a 15-year, £30million research programme at the University of Reading, in partnership with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the UK Met Office and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science.  

All PhD projects will sit within one or more of the three strategic AFESP themes:  

1. Predicting the Earth system up to the sub-seasonal range (up to 1 month); 
2. Challenges and opportunities in simulating the Earth system at the kilometre-scale; 
3. Data assimilation for the Earth system across a range of scales.  

Our vision is that AFESP will be recognised internationally for: 

• making world-leading contributions to the advancement of next-generation, extended-range weather and Earth system predictions; 

• offering a unique research and innovation hub combining meteorology, physics, mathematics and computational science; 

• offering long-term career opportunities for scientists who will be able to move seamlessly between fundamental and applied research; 

• researching and enabling new applications and services, in partnership with public and private sectors. 

AFESP also aims to maximise the societal benefits of improved extended-range Earth system predictions by working with operational weather services, weather data users (e.g. energy, agriculture, fisheries), and both industrial and government decision-makers to improve risk assessment, planning and resilience. 

The AFESP PhD programme will offer a wide range of excellent and innovative training in quantitative environmental science, research skills and a wider set of professional skills in preparation for a leading role in science, industry, the public sector or academia. 

The awarding institution for PhDs will be the University of Reading, which will also provide the lead supervisor for all PhD projects. Each PhD project will also have at least one co-supervisor from ECMWF, the UK Met Office, or NCAS. 

From the start of their PhD, students will be part of a supportive research group, including other PhD students, early-career researchers and senior investigators. Students will be immersed in an excellent research environment and involved in regular AFESP science workshops and meetings, where they will hear about the wider research developments, help shape the programme, and have the opportunity to discuss their research with world-leading scientists. 

A wide range of MSc modules, covering the specific requirements of AFESP research, are available to PhD students from across the full range of modules at the University. In addition, the University’s Doctoral and Researcher College runs a Researcher Development Programme which offers transferable skills training with courses on, for example, how to write a thesis, publishing papers, and interacting successfully with your supervisor. 

Funding 

Studentship awards from the University of Reading will cover tuition fees, a research training support grant, and a stipend for up to four years to cover living costs, on similar terms to the PhD funding offered by UK Research & Innovation. This call is open to applicants worldwide, with additional support for international students to help with costs of visas and access to UK healthcare.  

We are aiming to recruit a cohort of up to ten PhD students to commence in Autumn 2025. Applicants should have the potential to contribute to the programme and demonstrate a keen motivation for working in one of the AFESP strategic themes.  

Applicants must set out their interest in, and suitability for, doctoral training in one of the AFESP strategic themes listed above with reference to the AFESP Science Plan. Co-development of specific PhD projects will take place following acceptance onto the programme (previous projects can be found here and further examples of future projects can be found here) 

Applicants should hold or expect to gain an excellent Bachelors (2.1 or equivalent) and/or a Masters Degree in physics, mathematics, computer science, or a closely related environmental, physical, or engineering science. Strong programming skills (Python and Fortran) will be beneficial, but programming and software development will be part of the training offered.  

The selection criteria are: 

1. Degree in core scientific disciplines, e.g. physics, mathematics, chemistry, engineering, computational science  

           a) Candidate profile fit to the AFESP science programme (criteria include: degree subject, modules covered, grades, etc.) 

           b) Previous research experience of relevance to a PhD in any of the three AFESP themes. 

    2. Personal statement, which should discuss: 

          a) Why you want to apply to this PhD programme on Earth System Prediction; 

          b) What particular skills and experience you would bring to the programme;  

          c) Which AFESP theme, or, in special cases, themes, are of interest to you, and why; 

         d) Why you think that AFESP will make a difference, e.g. in terms of benefits to society. 

     3. Other indicators of merit/distinction, e.g. overseas development work (even as volunteer), previous work in government/industry that motivated a return to academia. 

AFESP is hosted within the School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences at the University of Reading, which occupies a distinct position in the physical sciences community in terms of the variety of ways it applies the core disciplines of computing, environmental sciences, mathematics, meteorology and to addressing the fundamental challenges of climate change, climate resilience and climate protection. Scientists will also be involved from the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Sciences which aims to further the understanding of environmental systems, human communities and their interactions in the past, present and future. 

The University of Reading is ranked 5th in the world for Atmospheric Science (Shanghai Ranking 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects). 

The two Schools host more than 280 academics and research scientists, including five Fellows of the Royal Society, a Regius Professorship, and six lead authors of the most recent IPCC Assessment Report. At any point in time, there is a community of approximately 200 PhD students.   

All PhD students are supported by the Doctoral and Researcher College which provides advice, study facilities, and training and professional development for all doctoral students (c.1800 students from over 100 countries). The Doctoral and Researcher College is dedicated to ensuring students get the most out of their PhD and fulfil their potential as a researcher. It runs a number of programmes to help students develop academically and professionally.  

The European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts is both a research institute and a 24/7 operational service, producing medium and extended-range global numerical weather predictions and other data for the European Members and Cooperating States and the broader community. The Centre has one of the largest supercomputer facilities and meteorological data archives in the world. Other strategic activities include delivering advanced training and assisting the World Meteorological Organisation in implementing its programmes. 

The Met Office is the national meteorological service for the UK, providing weather services and world-leading climate science for government and business in the UK and around the world. The Met Office is a science-led organisation and its reputation for weather forecasting and climate prediction depends on its world-class research programme, which spans an ever-increasing range of science disciplines from fundamental atmospheric physics to ecosystem behaviour. 

The National Centre for Atmospheric Science is a world-leading research centre, funded by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council. NCAS research covers three key areas: air pollution, climate and high-impact weather and long-term global changes. NCAS also provides the UK with state-of-the-art services for observing and modelling the atmosphere. These include a research aircraft, advanced ground-based observational facilities, computer modelling and support, and major facilities for storing and analysing diverse data.