Submit a project proposal

Detailed information can be found at the NZPS DTP website: http://nzps-dtp.ac.uk

We are pleased to announce a call for PhD project proposals, in the first round of the Net Zero Polar Science (NZPS) Doctoral Training Programme recruitment, for studentships starting in October 2026.

Please complete the NZPS Project Proposal Form by 5pm on 7th November 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact nzps@northumbria.ac.uk.

To submit a project proposal you must be a member of academic staff from one of our lead institutions. You will be asked to confirm this in the project proposal form.

Please read the NZPS Overview and Programme Details to ensure you understand the remit of the programme. For more information, watch the Net Zero Polar Science DTP informational video:

Project proposals must deliver impactful polar science with a reduced carbon footprint.

Relevant NERC Science Areas include:

Atmospheric science
Climate change
Ecology
Geosciences
Environmental chemistry
Hydrology
Oceanography
Cryosphere
Terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments.

Projects should also include the use, review, development, or creation of low-carbon methods, techniques or technologies.

There are three main thematic areas that we are focused on to achieve the NZPS programme aims:

AI and Computing (this may include numerical modelling, digital twins, data management and analysis, and machine learning techniques).
Earth Observation (satellites and remote sensing techniques).
Low-carbon technologies (this may include autonomous vehicles, platforms and sensors, and renewable energy).

Developing partners with industry or other external organisations is strongly encouraged. Please get in touch with us if you would like support developing your supervisory team.

NZPS PhD Proposal Writing Tips resource

NZPS PhD Proposal Writing Tips Download

FAQs

Net Zero Polar Science seems like a very narrow topic of focus. How will different areas of NERC science fit into this programme?

Polar science makes up approximately 10-15% of all NERC science, but all NERC science areas apply in the polar regions. Relevant research areas for this programme include: Atmospheric science, Climate change, Ecology, Geosciences, Environmental chemistry, Hydrology, Oceanography, Cryosphere, Terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments.
While all environmental science disciplines can be applied to the polar regions, ensuring that this is justified in a scientifically sound way is key. We would recommend talking to a friendly polar scientist and getting them involved in your project if you need to.
This programme is also interested in the sustainable use of our natural resources. Today the Venn overlap between polar science and low-carbon technologies and methods is quite small. We hope that it will be much larger by the end of this programme.

Do the science objectives need to be focused on net zero?

We are not making it compulsory for the science objectives to be focused on achieving net zero. It is only essential that the research questions fit within the usual NERC remit and are focused on polar science.
However, the net zero objective for the project does have to be described alongside the science objectives, and it should relate to the science objectives. More information on the Net Zero Case Study can be found here.
Please contact nzps@northumbria.ac.uk if you would like more information about this or if you would like to discuss your project idea further.

Are non-polar glaciers and ice caps in remit for NZPS?

Yes, we encourage proposals from all areas of cryosphere research, though we may prioritise projects with a clear polar focus in the event of oversubscription.

Are we allowed to talk to external partners, industry connections, etc, about projects now?

Yes, we are able to do what we need to do to develop and advertise projects for the NZPS programme at this stage. However, we ask that you do not put out any media releases or formal external communications about the programme at this time.

If supervisory teams are in the process of developing industrial partnerships for potential NZPS projects, do they need to be in place by the proposal deadline of 3^rd November 2025?

If you already have strong links with relevant industrial/external partners or even if you have only made initial enquiries with specific organisations about your project at this stage, please include details of potential involvement in your project proposal submission.
If you haven’t had chance to discuss a potential partnership with industry or other external organisations, please do not worry. The NZPS leadership team has developed a large network of industrial/external partners who are interested to get involved in this programme, and we’ll start a process after projects have been selected of matching supervisory teams with industry representatives/external partners.

Will the net zero case study be part of the PhD project of the student?

The net zero case studies will be produced by PhD students, and so they should they should be designed to find a home in the doctoral thesis. We expect that they will be useful content for the discussion chapter of any PhD thesis, rather than acting as a stand-alone science objective or chapter.
We also want to make sure that the net zero case studies are useful stand-alone documents, similar to an impact case study, so that other people (academics, scientists, government, industry, and other stakeholders) can make use of them.

Do projects need a specific net zero case study objective if the methods we are planning to use are already more sustainable than traditional methods? Some supervisory teams already work with technologies within the NZPS thematic focus areas, such as satellites and other remote sensing techniques.

Making use of satellite data, for example, is a relatively low carbon approach to environmental science, and satellite Earth Observation of the polar regions has grown over the past 30 years. Unfortunately for those of us who already that make use of remote sensing techniques in our research, we have an additional challenge because the aim for this programme is to reduce the carbon footprint of polar science based upon the present approaches. If the present approach is to already make use of satellite Earth observations, you’re going to have to think a little bit harder about your net zero objective.
Consider if there ways in which you can reduce the carbon footprint of this work even further. Are some traditional, carbon-intensive methods still used for certain aspects of research in your area of interest and can you use remote techniques instead?

Is it mandatory to have gender-balanced supervisory teams?

Single-gender supervisory teams are not permitted, but we do not expect that all teams have an equal gender balance.
We ask that PhD project supervisory teams strive to be diverse, for example including academics with a mix of gender, ethnicity and career stage, in the same way that breadth of subject expertise is considered.
External members of supervisory teams (outside of the core HEI partners and BAS) can be included when you are considering the diversity of your team.
Please note: If you are struggling to fulfil these requirements, please do not let it put you off submitting a project proposal! We will not automatically reject proposals on this basis. We will provide support and a match-making service to supervisory teams (where required), and the NZPS Recruitment Committee may request some proposal amendments and iterations post-submission. While we recommend that supervisory teams are kept small (usually up to four people), we recognise that expecting diversity within teams may lead to higher numbers of supervisors in some cases.

Recruitment Schedule:

15/10/25	Call for NZPS project proposals.
17/10/25, 11.00-12.00 am	Information session and Q&A
22/10/25, 16.30-17.00	Information session and Q&A
29/10/25, 16.30-17.00	Information session and Q&A
07/11/25, 17.00	Deadline for receipt of project proposals.
w/c 24/11/25	NZPS Recruitment Committee meets. Any requests for project proposal amendments and iterations are communicated to applicants.
w/c 24/11/25	Supervisory teams informed of results of project selection process and studentships advertised. Please note: feedback to unsuccessful teams may be limited.
07/01/26	Application deadline for studentship candidates.
w/c 02/02/26	NZPS Recruitment Committee meets to select interview candidates.
By 06/02/26	Candidates notified of interview selection process outcome.
w/c 23/02/26	In-person interviews at Northumbria University (option for online interviews) – over 2 days.
w/c 23/02-02/03/26	NZPS Recruitment Committee meets to select interview candidates.
w/c 02/03/26	Interview outcomes communicated to candidates and offers made.
18/03/26	Deadline for successful candidates to accept studentships.
October 2026	Successful applicants start studentships.

Version Control:

Recruitment Schedule added: 21.10.2025

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