| Qualifications |
Duration |
Start dates |
Application period |
PhD
(MPhil also available) |
Full-time: 3–4 years
Part-time: 6–8 years |
February and October |
January to April |
Qualifications
PhD (MPhil also available) |
Duration
Full-time: 3–4 years
Part-time: 6–8 years |
Start dates
February and October |
Application period
January to April |
Earth system modelling and integrated assessment modelling are about investigating the future of the Earth system and the response to ongoing climate change. Ultimately a key aim is testing the effectiveness of environment policies in producing desirable outcomes for society. At the OU we use a range of Earth system models of intermediate complexity to study past and future change in the Earth system and related socio-economic developments.
We are particularly interested in the quantification of uncertainty, and the long-timescale dynamics of the Earth system, including the interactions between environment and biodiversity. We also work on the development of human civilisation and the socio-economic dynamics of climate change mitigation policy. The group regularly has studies of past and future change published in Nature and Science journals.
Entry requirements
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your .
Potential research projects
We encourage enquiries from prospective students on all aspects of Earth system modelling linked to the expertise of the potential supervisors.
Current/recent research projects
- Transient climate-carbon cycle simulations of the Last Interglacial
- The use of statistical emulators in climate modelling
- Investigations into the glacial-interglacial change in atmospheric CO2
- Statistical emulation for environmental sustainability analysis
- Sustainable infrastructures for inclusivity in south-south cooperation
- Understanding uncertainty in the weak underbelly of Antarctica
- The oceanographic impact of the Weddell Sea Polynya.
Potential supervisors
- – integrated Earth system modelling, palaeoclimate modelling
- – temperature and PCO2 proxies application and climate modelling
- – the interaction of the ocean with the cryosphere
- – integrated Earth system modelling, palaeoclimate modelling
Fees and funding
| UK fee |
International fee |
| Full-time: 拢4,786 per year |
Full-time: 拢15,698 per year |
| Part-time: 拢2,393 per year |
Part-time: 拢7,849 per year |
Some of our research students are funded via the Central England NERC Training Alliance; others are self-funded.
For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.
To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see .
Links