ARIES is led by the University of East Anglia, and funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
The partnership is comprised of five leading universities and nine research centres of national and international importance, and offers training and studentship funding (including tuition fees, a stipend, and research costs).
Our research
ARIES-funded research at UEA cuts across the whole NERC remit, including Oceanography and Atmospheric Science; Ecology and Conservation; Computational Biology; Environmental Microbiology; Geosciences; and Agri-Environments and Water. Our ARIES-funded postgraduate researchers are based in our Schools of Biological Sciences; Environmental Sciences; Computing Sciences; Global Development; and Mathematics.
UEA’s ARIES PhD projects are characterised by highly interdisciplinary approaches, reflected in diverse supervisory teams and whole-cohort training events. Many ARIES PhD research projects have strong collaborative elements with deep involvement from non-academic partners in the private, public, and charitable sectors.
Project partners
Project partners to date include: Anglian Water, Atkins, the British Antarctic Survey, Cefas, the Met Office, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and the RSPB; and Norwich Research Park partners the Earlham Institute and John Innes Centre. An Independent Research Impact Advisor, typically from a non-academic organisation will help you to gain a wider perspective on your research and career.
ARIES has close ties with Cambridge University’s Climate Life and Earth NERC DTP, which further enhances training and networking opportunities for research students through joint events and symposia.
Postgraduate researchers working in the Environmental Sciences will further benefit from the interdisciplinary approaches promoted by:
- the well-established Tyndall Centre
- ClimateUEA
- training and networking opportunities offered by the Critical Decade for Climate Change Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships programme
- interactions with environmental social scientists, including those funded, or jointly funded, with the SeNSS ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership.
Undertaking an ARIES PhD studentship at UEA provides an opportunity to make an outstanding contribution to NERC science, and apply your knowledge to the critical challenges facing the global environment.
Applications
Applications for ARIES studentships are made to individual research projects, which can be found advertised on the UEA website. Aries studentships Applications for October 2025 are now open, with the deadlines in early January 2025.