UKRI grants £5 million in postdoctoral funding to the University of St Andrews

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) announced on 13 November that the  University of St Andrews was to be awarded £5 million in a groundbreaking initiative to train the next generation of environmental science leaders.Funded through the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the investment will support the doctoral training programme in a collaborative proposal titled NETGAIN: developing the science and practice of nature markets for a new positive future. 

The programme, which will invest close to £5 million from NERC and institutions such as the University of St Andrews, Aberdeen, Durham, and Glasgow, will train at least 36 PhD researchers across three cohorts. This interdisciplinary initiative will focus on advancing both the scientific and practical applications of NETGAIN. The initiative is bolstered by a network of over 60 external partners spanning research, policy, economics, and consulting. Its ultimate goal is to develop multidisciplinary practitioners equipped to deliver evidence-based solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges. The programme is funded through one of four doctoral focal awards, which target emerging training needs within the environmental sciences. 

In an announcement on the University news page, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, UKRI Chief Executive, said: “UKRI’s investments in Doctoral Training are pivotal for the UK’s research and innovation endeavor.” She added: “The awards provide funding for Universities across the UK to nurture a cadre of creative, talented people to develop their skills and knowledge, to build partnerships and networks, and to peruse the discoveries that will transform tomorrow, with diverse benefits for society and economic growth.” 

Dr Chris Sutherland, a reader in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at St Andrews and an affiliate of the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modeling (CREEM), will lead the award. 

The award reflects a broader UKRI strategy to harmonise talent-focused investments under its Doctoral Investment Framework, which was announced in 2023. This framework simplifies funding by structuring support into two streams: doctoral landscape awards and doctoral focal awards. 

The NERC award aligns with UKRI’s £500 million commitment to advancing discovery-driven research across the UK, solidifying the nation’s role at the forefront of global environmental innovation. It reinforces the University of St Andrews’ reputation as a leader in sustainability, research excellence, and collaborative education. 

The awards follow the launch of the UKRI Doctoral Investment Framework in 2023, part of UKRI’s transition to collective talent funding which aims to simplify and harmonize talent focused investments. The framework structures doctoral support around two types of awards — doctoral landscape awards and doctoral focal awards.

Photo from WikiCommons