Mast-EER: ARIA-funded Masters by Research Scholarships (September 2026 Entry) Ref: 5892

The opportunity

The University of Exeter's Centre for Ecology and Conservation is recruiting a cohort of 20 postgraduate researchers to undertake a Masters by Research (MbyRes) as part of an exciting new Engineering Ecosystem Resilience initiative, supported by a £500,000 award from the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA).

As the first ARIA-supported postgraduate research cohort of its kind, the initiative aims to develop a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers who are comfortable working at the edge of what is currently possible, challenging assumptions, and tackling complex environmental problems where the answers are far from obvious.

Students will be based at the University's Penryn Campus in Cornwall and will undertake an independent research project aligned with the Engineering Ecosystem Resilience opportunity space.  Alongside their research, students will participate in a programme of cohort activities designed to foster interdisciplinary thinking, collaboration, innovation, and professional development.

For eligible students, the scholarship will cover Home tuition fees (full-time, or pro rata for part-time study for up to two years), together with a generous research and training support grant.

Scholarships are available for students starting in September 2026.

Funding

The funding is limited to cover the value of Home tuition fees for two years full-time (part-time pro rata) and a generous research and training support grant.  

Successful applicants will need to cover their own living expenses.

Scholarships are available for students starting on 21 September 2026.

International students who wish to apply for this opportunity will need to be in the UK ahead of the programme start date on 21 September 2026, so will need to ensure they have any student visas (if applicable) and ATAS clearance in place ahead of this date. Students who pay international tuition fees are eligible to apply, but the award will only cover the value of the Home fee each year (in 26/27 this will be £5,238). The international fee in 26/27 is £28,900 and will increase in 27/28.

• International applicants will need to cover additional costs, including:
  • Student visa fees
  • Immigration Health Surcharge
  • Relocation expenses associated with moving to the UK to undertake the MbyRes.

International fee-paying applicants should ensure they have sufficient funds to meet these costs before applying.

The conditions for eligibility of home fees status are complex and you will need to seek advice if you have moved to or from the UK (or Republic of Ireland) within the past 3 years or have applied for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

Training

Students will benefit from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation's internationally recognised expertise in ecology, evolution, conservation and ecosystem science, while also engaging with a wider interdisciplinary network spanning environmental modelling, data science, genomics, climate impacts and environmental engineering.

As part of the Engineering Ecosystem Resilience cohort, students will undertake a programme of specialist training designed to develop both disciplinary expertise and the broader skills needed to tackle complex environmental challenges. Opportunities may include advanced research methods training, workshops, cohort-based activities, interdisciplinary collaboration, and engagement with researchers and practitioners from academia, industry, policy and the environmental sector.

Training will be tailored to individual research projects, with opportunities for collaboration and secondments across research groups and partner organisations where appropriate.

Research Culture

Students will join a friendly, diverse and highly collaborative postgraduate research community within the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus.

The Engineering Ecosystem Resilience cohort will provide a unique environment for peer-to-peer learning, bringing together researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds who share an interest in developing innovative approaches to ecosystem resilience. Students will benefit from regular seminars, journal clubs, discussion groups and cohort activities, alongside opportunities to interact with leading researchers and external partners working at the forefront of environmental research, policy and innovation.

This combination of disciplinary excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration and a supportive research culture provides an exceptional environment in which to explore ambitious new ideas and develop as an independent researcher.

MbyRes project

Your MbyRes project will work across disciplines to generate new and important knowledge.

Find out more

For more information about the Centre for Ecology and Conservation and our MbyRes Scholarships please follow this link

Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity

To ensure students from all backgrounds and communities are able to get the best out of their student experience and to create a supporting and inclusive environment our university has a number of resources, networks and support teams in place.  Please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion pages for more information https://www.exeter.ac.uk/departments/inclusion/ and for details of support available visit out wellbeing pages https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/

Entry requirements

Applicants will typically hold (or be expected to attain) a First Class or Upper Second Class degree in biology or a related subject (or equivalent qualifications from other countries). However, specific requirements may vary and prospective applicants should contact the team via pgrapplicants@exeter.ac.uk 

Language requirements

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme.  For more information about the English Language requirements see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/

How to apply

Apply now

To apply for the MbyRes Scholarship please click on the 'Apply now' button above.    

In the application process you will be asked to upload several documents.  Please note our preferred format is PDF, each file named with your surname and the name of the document, eg. “Smith – CV.pdf”, “Smith – Cover Letter.pdf”, “Smith – Transcript.pdf”.

• Your CV

• A personal statement that should include why you are interested in interdisciplinary approaches to research.  You should also express your preference of which supervisors, themes or research projects you are interested in (up to three) from the list available on the Centre for Ecology and Conservation webpage Centre for Ecology and Conservation | University of Exeter.

• Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained

• If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your current proficiency in English.  For further details of the University’s English language requirements please see http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/english/

• Two references

Reference Information

Please ensure your references are submitted through the application portal where possible.  If you are unable to upload the references yourself, they can be sent directly to pgrapplicants@exeter.ac.uk.  

Please note, we cannot accept references from personal/private email accounts, unless it is a scanned document on institutional headed paper and signed by the referee.

Key Information

Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis and interviews will be conducted between 1 July and 8 August 2026.  If you are not successful in progressing to the interview stage you should expect to be informed within 2-3 weeks of submitting your application.  

Awards will be made by 8th August or sooner until all awards have been offered.  As decisions will be made on a rolling basis, we recommend submitting your application as soon as possible. 

If all scholarships are awarded before the deadline stated above, we will stop accepting applications and any prospective applicant who has not completed an application form will be notified.    

Contacting Us

For information regarding the academic programme please contact Dr M D Sharma (M.D.Sharma@exeter.ac.uk) or Dr Erik Postma (E.Postma@exeter.ac.uk)

If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email pgrapplicants@exeter.ac.uk and quote reference 5892 in the subject line.  

Data Sharing

During the application process, the University may need to make certain disclosures of your personal data to third parties to be able to administer your application, carry out interviews and select candidates.  These are not limited to, but may include disclosures to:

• the selection panel and/or management board or equivalent of the relevant programme, which is likely to include staff from ARIA;
• administrative staff at ARIA participating in the relevant programme.

Such disclosures will always be kept to the minimum amount of personal data required for the specific purpose. Your sensitive personal data (relating to disability and race/ethnicity) will not be disclosed without your explicit consent.

Summary