PhD: Exploring the role of UK drainage catchments in managing water levels

Award Summary

100% fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £20,780 (2025/26 UKRI rate). Additional project costs will also be provided.

Overview

England’s vital low-lying areas, including the Fens and Romney Marshes, depend on complex networks of drains, rivers, and pumps to regulate water levels. These drainage catchments are crucial for protecting homes, sustaining fragile wetlands, and enabling productive farmland. However, effective water management is challenging due to an incomplete understanding of these systems. We lack clarity on water movement, their sensitivity to extreme weather, and the cumulative impact of different water users. This uncertainty seriously hampers planning, especially as climate change brings increasingly severe floods and droughts. Robust evidence is needed to ensure the resilience of flood defences and maintain ecological health.

This PhD project will address this gap using an interdisciplinary ‘systems-of-systems’ methodology. The research is structured around four critical activities:

1. Evidence Gathering: Collect both qualitative and quantitative data through a systematic review of operational literature and interviews with key stakeholders, including the Environment Agency and local communities.

2. Systems Dynamics Mapping and Modelling: This will inform a conceptual ‘systems-of-systems’ model. The iterative model will explore vulnerabilities and feedback loops between hydrological processes, infrastructure, and social actors.

3. Embedded Learning: Placements with the Environment Agency and the British Geological Survey (BGS) will help ground the research in operational reality.

4. Adaptive Planning: Modelling insights will be translated into a scenario-based planning toolkit to support evidence-based decision-making.

Ultimately, this project will produce the crucial evidence for better management and adaptation, helping catchment managers minimise future crop losses, infrastructure damage, and biodiversity reductions from both flood and drought events.

For further information on the project, we will be hosting a ‘Prospective applicant webinar’ at 2:00pm on the 26th of November. Link to the event can be found here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/376b2195-d8da-47c0-86e2-b18813ec19e3@4a5378f9-29f4-4d3e-be89-669d03ada9d8. 

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

1st October 2026

Award Duration

3.5 years

Application Closing Date

8th January 2026

Sponsor

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

Supervisors

Dr Anna Murgatroyd 

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project (inc. computing, mathematics, engineering etc.). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.  

Home and international applicants (inc. EU) are welcome to apply and if successful will receive a full studentship. Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.  

 International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme. 

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal 

• Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.  
• Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:  
• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8040F
• The Research Area is: Civil Engineering (Water Resources)
• Select PhD Civil Engineering (full time) as the programme of study 

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:  

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (include your research interests in flooding and rationale for your choice of project)
• The studentship code FLOOD268 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field
• When prompted for how you are providing your research proposal – select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.

In the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section please upload:

• Your CV giving details of your academic record and stating your research interests

In your application you will also need:

• The name two current academic referees together with an institutional email addresses
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates (translated if not in English)
• Language certificate (IELTS/TOEFL), if applicable.

Contact Details

anna.murgatroyd@newcastle.ac.uk