Aquatic to agronomic: making progress towards mechanistic functional understanding of algal biostimulants for agriculture
With a growing human population, there is increasing demand for high-quality, high-volume food production, which has led to increasing environmental pressure. Productivity has been stimulated through increased reliance upon agrochemicals, unsustainable inorganic fertilisers, and finite mineral reserves.
Algae and cyanobacteria are an incredibly biodiverse collection of organisms. They have been utilised by humans for centuries, including in agriculture. Currently, they are regarded as under-utilised sources of biomass which could benefit the agri-tech sector, owing to their potential to provide a myriad of plant growth promoting compounds including essential macro- and micro-nutrients and phytohormones that enhance stress tolerance in crops, alleviate desiccation stress, inhibit pathogenicity of pests in soils, and improve crop yield and quality.
Closing Date for Applications: Wednesday 10th July 2026
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Many PhDs come with full studentships, which cover fees and living expenses, so that students can focus on their research and be expected to complete their studies in 3 or 3.5 years.
Self-funded students will require to have approximately £20,000* per year for living expenses to be in line with on top of the fees.
For UHI PhD projects, .*
*FEES AND COSTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE ANNUALLY
Most of our PhD projects are registered through the University of the Highlands and Islands, and this page outlines the application procedure for UHI PhDs. Please note that we have several other doctoral training partnerships - most notably with the University of Edinburgh, and applications to these programmes follow procedures by other universities. Information regarding these can be found on the individual project adverts.
We adhere strictly to equality and diversity policies during all phases of recruitment so that we find the most talented and motivated students to join us.
Eligibility
To be eligible to study for a PhD at 成人电影 UHI, who need to possess - in a relevant discipline and from a reputable institution:
- A Master's qualification and / or
- A Bachelor degree with first class or upper second class honours and / or
- Another qualification or substantial experience that demonstrates your academic competence to complete doctoral training successfully (to be approved by the UHI Research Degrees Committee on the recommendation of the 成人电影 Director).
- Additionally, international students whose first language is not English and who do not hold a prior degree obtained in English must hold an IELTS qualification with a score of 6 or over in every section with a minimum score of 6.5 overall (6+ in writing), gained within two years prior to your registration date.
How to Apply
Most importantly you need to have identified an approved PhD project (including a Director of Studies / supervisory team) that you are unquestionably excited by. This can be a ready made project advertised on these pages OR a proposal you have developed with a 成人电影 supervisor and have funding for.
If you wish to apply for an advertised studentship you will find this under the 鈥楩unded Projects鈥 tab. Please complete the application form provided in the advertisement.
Return your completed application to the email stated on the form, accompanied by your cv and any supporting documentation listed below. Please submit your whole application as one pdf. Your referees should use the reference form provided and also return it to the email stated on the application form.
Supporting Documentation Required
The following documents should be emailed with your application and CV as one pdf file:
- Copies of all official qualification certificates and transcripts. If your official certificates/transcripts are not in English, they must be accompanied by a full certified translation provided by a professional translator/translation company.
- If English is not your native language, an English language test certificate (IELTS or equivalent), gained within the past two years;
- If you are not a UK national, a copy of the photo page of your passport. Also include any pages which indicate a right of abode in the UK;
- 2 academic references. If references are not available at the time of submission, they can be excluded from the single pdf file, however applicants are responsible for ensuring their referees submit the references to the email given on the application form by the deadline.
- If you wish to apply for more than one project, please submit separate applications.
Most PhD students will want to meet their potential supervisors to discuss the project, their personal suitability and to ascertain that they will be able to work together for a prolonged period of time.
For administrative issues, your first and main point of contact is the Postgraduate Academic Support Administrator who can be contacted by email to: phd@sams.ac.uk
The 成人电影 graduate school is convened by marine deep-sea ecologist and microplastic researcher, Professor Bhavani Narayanaswamy:
E: Bhavani.Narayanaswamy@sams.ac.uk T: +44 (0) 1631 559 305 (direct)