PhD Studentship - Comprehensive Tracking of Nutrient Flows Across Anaerobic Digestion Systems Boundaries to Enable Precision Crop Fertilisation with Anaerobic Digestate

Funding

School of Civil Engineering Studentship to start on 1 February 2025, providing the award of full academic fees, together with a tax-free maintenance grant at the standard UKRI rate (£19,237 in academic session 2024/25) for 3.5 years. EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award to start on 1 October 2025, offering the award of fees, together with a tax-free maintenance grant (currently £19,237 academic session 2024/25) for 3.5 years.

Lead Supervisor: Dr. Cynthia Kusin Okoro-Shekwaga c.k.okoroshekwaga@leeds.ac.uk

Project summary

Synthetic fertilisers is currently responsible for much of the global food production, however, the flood of excess nitrogen (N) from synthetic N-fertilisers is one of the most severe pollution threats humanity faces today; poisoning water bodies, plants, animals and humans, and contributing to climate change through emissions of the nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent GHG with 265 times the potency of CO2 over 100 year. N2O emissions from agriculture was estimated to be 13.6 million tone of CO2 equivalent (Mt CO2e) representing 71% of the total N2O emissions in 2021. This has influenced a global drive to cut down synthetic fertilizer application around the world. One technology able to ensure a sustainable supply of biofertiliser as a replacement for synthetic fetilisers is anaerobic digestion (AD).

Applicants to research degree programmes should normally have at least a first class or an upper second class British Bachelors Honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline.

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