About the Project
This fully funded PhD project is part of the QUARTILES Doctoral Landscape Award, a BBSRC and NERC-funded research and training programme designed to equip PhD students with the skills, expertise, outlook, and real-world experience needed to become the next generation of scientific leaders capable of addressing pressing environmental grand challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability.
The Hindu-Kush–Himalaya (HKH) region is a critical freshwater source which supports nearly 1.3 billion people and contains almost half of all glacierised terrain located outside of the polar regions. Its high-altitude glaciers feed major rivers that sustain agriculture, hydropower, and domestic water supply across vast areas of Asia. However, these glaciers are extremely vulnerable to climate change, with even minor shifts in temperature or precipitation causing significant changes in glacier mass balance (accumulation and ablation) and the dependent river flows. Despite their global importance, scientific understanding of these systems remains limited due to sparse data and the challenges of working in remote, rugged terrain.
This PhD project offers a unique opportunity to address these challenges through the development of a novel glacio-hydrological model, tailored for Himalayan catchments. The research will focus on the Baspa Basin in the Western Himalaya, a glacier-fed catchment with extensive long-term data already available. The student will use remote sensing to map glacier and land-cover changes (over 30+ years), downscale and bias-correct climate datasets, and integrate them into a new modelling framework. The innovative glacio-hydrological model will leverage satellite-derived land surface temperature, rather than sparse air-temperature data, to deliver improved melt projections across the complex elevation gradients of Himalayan catchments. Once validated using the long-term data already available, the model will be used to simulate future scenarios using CMIP6 climate projections, helping to quantify the contributions of ice melt, snowmelt, and rainfall to river flow under changing climate conditions.
Hosted by the Cryosphere and Climate Change Research Group at the University of Aberdeen, the PhD is jointly supervised by experts from Aberdeen and Queen’s University Belfast. The supervisory team brings deep expertise in glaciology, glacio-hydrology, water management, climate modelling, and Himalayan fieldwork, offering a rich and supportive research environment. The student will receive comprehensive training where required, for example in remote sensing, climate data analysis, model development, and scientific communication. Fieldwork in the Himalaya will be a core component with at least x2 field campaigns, each of 3 weeks, are planned. This will provide the successful candidate with hands-on experience in data collection in a high-altitude glaciated catchment. This is an exceptional opportunity for a motivated candidate to contribute to climate-resilient water management in one of Earth’s most sensitive and strategically important regions.
Applicants should hold a first or higher degree in Geography, Geographical Information System (GIS), Environmental Science, or a related discipline with at least a basic knowledge of GIS and Python. Prior experience in handling and analysing large spatial datasets, numerical or hydrological modelling, or familiarity with Himalayan or other high-mountain environments, will be considered an advantage.
Informal enquiries are encouraged! For further project information please contact the lead project supervisor by selecting the first listed name at the top of this advert and sending your enquiry.
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ELIGIBILITY:
Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion is core to the QUARTILES Doctoral Landscape Award. We actively encourage applications from diverse career paths and backgrounds and across all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status, amongst other protected characteristics.
We also invite applications from those returning from a career break, industry or other roles. We typically require a minimum 2:1 in your first degree (or equivalent), but exceptions can be made where applicants can demonstrate excellence in alternative ways, including, but not limited to, performance in masters courses, professional placements, internships or employment – this will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and is dependent upon approval from the relevant host institution. We offer flexible study arrangements such as part-time study (minimum 50%), however this does depend on the nature of the project/research so will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
If you have any questions about your eligibility, please email us at quartiles-admissions@abdn.ac.uk
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APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
- Please visit this page for full application information: How to Apply – QUARTILES DLA
- Please send your completed QUARTILES application form, along with academic transcripts and certificates to quartiles-admissions@abdn.ac.uk
- Please provide two academic references (we are unable to directly request references from your referees. If you would like to include references to support your application, please ensure they are provided directly to us. Some project supervisors may choose to contact your referees – please also include their contact details on your CV.
- Please ensure you submit all the required information and documentation.
- If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact us at quartiles-admissions@abdn.ac.uk
Funding Notes
This 45 Month (NERC) opportunity is open to UK and International students (The proportion of international students appointed to the QUARTILES DLA is capped at 30% by UKRI).
QUARTILES studentships include a tax-free UKRI doctoral stipend (£19,795 for the 2025/26 academic year, the 2026/27 rate has yet to be released), plus a training grant of £9,000 to support data collection activities throughout the PhD.
QUARTILES does not provide funding to cover visa and associated healthcare surcharges for international students.
