Hydro-geomorphic impacts of the return of the beaver, Fully-funded MSc by Research. Ref: 5893

Supervisors

Professor Richard Brazier, Director of CREWW - University of Exeter - Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy

Dr Alan Puttock, Lecturer in Nature-based solutions (water) - University of Exeter - Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy

The University of Exeter’s Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) is inviting applications for a MSc by Research studentship funded by the University of Exeter and the National Trust to commence on 21 September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.  For eligible students the studentship will cover Home (UK) tuition fees plus an annual tax-free stipend of at least £21,805 for 2 years full-time, or pro rata for part-time study.  The student would be based in the state-of-the-art CREWW facility in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy at the Streatham Campus in Exeter.

Until approximately 500 years ago, European Beaver (Castor Fiber) were hunted for their fur, castoreum and meat, leading to their extirpation (local extinction) on the British mainland and a consequent degradation of the freshwater habitats that they used to thrive within. The loss of a keystone species like the beaver, has meant that many of the critical ecosystem services that they support, (water storage, flow attenuation, wetland biodiversity, carbon storage and improved water quality to name but a few) have also been lost from the landscape. However, populations of the Castor Fiber are now expanding rapidly across Britain, as efforts are made to reintroduce this once common ecosystem engineer to British freshwater habitats.

One of the challenges that this MbyRes will address is that beavers are now returning to much more intensively-managed, ‘anthropocene’ landscapes – and we simply do not know how their ecosystem engineering will change these heavily modified places. Generating this understanding will be a key component of the MbyRes particularly because landowners (like the National Trust who are partners and co-funders of this research) need to know what beavers will do and where, in order to support their own plans for nature recovery and environmentally progressive land management.

A further challenge lies in the need to optimise the positive impacts that beavers might deliver and minimise the negative impacts, reducing conflicts between beavers and humans, enabling us to renew coexistence with this once common species. Thus, the research will also address where changes (most commonly brought about by the construction of dams and excavation of floodplain canals) occur, what they do to both hydrology and geomorphology and how these changes compare across all the beaver sites in GB, which of course represent very diverse land use, land management and degrees of ‘wildness’.

To address these challenges the project will:

1. Review Global literature on the hydro-geomorphic impacts of beaver engineering, including an assessment of methods to quantify impacts and upscale site-scale findings (desk-based, months 0-3)
2. Develop simplified and accessible rapid assessment approaches to quantify water storage across many different beaver wetlands (field-based, months 3-18)
3. Undertake detailed field surveys (using drones and ground-based survey equipment) of a number of beaver sites in south west England to calibrate national datasets built through 2 (field and computer-based, months 12-18).
4. Publish a paper describing the extent to which beavers change hydrology and geomorphology (desk-based, months 18-24).

The project will be based within the leading beaver research team in England, at the University of Exeter, where beaver research to pioneer our understanding of the return of the beaver has built a strong team over the last 15 years numbering half a dozen research staff. As such, the MbyRes student will be well supported and surrounded by colleagues who are deeply knowledgeable about this remarkable species. All appropriate training will be provided by the team, including drone-piloting, field survey methods, data analysis and any other training needs.    

The studentship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit. Students who pay international tuition fees are eligible to apply. However, please note the following:

• The award covers only part of the international tuition fee, approximately £27,000.
• It does not include a stipend for living expenses.
• 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 a PhD.

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. 

The collaboration also involves a project partner (the National Trust) who are providing funding [and other material support to the project], this means there are special terms that apply to the project, which will be discussed with Candidates at Interview and fully set out in the offer letter.  The collaboration with the National Trust is subject to contract.  Full details will be confirmed at offer stage.

Entry requirements

Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of study such as Physical Geography, Environmental Science, Ecology, Surveying or other Earth Science disciplines.

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements and provide proof of proficiency. Click here for more information. 

Ability to travel to remote field sites independently with field survey equipment will be necessary.

Experience with geospatial analysis and relevant GIS software is desirable (i.e. QGIS or ARCGIS) as is experience in R-statistics and/or Python.

How to apply

Apply now

To apply, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button above. In the application process you will be asked to upload several documents

• CV
• Letter of application (outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project).
• 1 page Research proposal
• Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained (this should be an interim transcript if you are still studying)
• Two reference letters. You can upload these letters to the application yourself OR your referees can send them directly to us at pgrapplicants@exeter.ac.uk
• If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your proficiency in English.

The closing date for applications is midnight on 1 August.  Interviews will be held on the University of Exeter Streatham Campus in August, for a start date in September 2026.

All application documents must be submitted in English. Certified translated copies of academic qualifications must also be provided.

Please quote reference 5893 on your application and in any correspondence about this studentship.

Summary