DEFRA-NCAS Studentship: Exploring the Air Quality Impacts of Emerging Fertilisers

To apply: uom.link/pgr-apply

This 3.5-year PhD project is fully funded and home students, and EU students with settled status, are eligible to apply. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26) and tuition fees will be paid. We expect the stipend to increase each year. The start date is October 2026.

We recommend that you apply early as the advert may be removed before the deadline.

Agriculture is a major source of atmospheric pollutants, emitting substantial amounts of ammonia (NH₃), greenhouse gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These emissions influence local and regional air quality, climate, and human health.

While most emission reduction strategies to date have focused on greenhouse gases and ammonia, other pollutants remain poorly characterised. Recent evidence shows that some organic fertilisers emit complex mixtures of VOCs, which can undergo atmospheric oxidation to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA). SOA contributes to particulate matter (PM) which impacts air quality and human health. However, VOC emissions from newer fertiliser products—and their potential to form SOA—are poorly characterised. As the agricultural sector transitions toward organic and bio-fertilisers, understanding whether these products mitigate or exacerbate air quality impacts is critical for evidence-based policy and sustainable farming.

This PhD project will deliver a laboratory assessment of VOC emissions and SOA formation from a suite of conventional, organic and bio-fertilisers. The student will carry out controlled soil-plant chamber experiments to quantify emission factors and chemical fingerprints using advanced mass spectrometric techniques. Additionally, emissions will be introduced into an oxidation flow reactor to simulate atmospheric chemical processing. This will enable quantification of SOA yields and direct comparisons across fertiliser types to assess their relative contributions to air pollution.

This project is well suited to applicants with backgrounds in atmospheric or environmental science, chemistry, physics, environmental engineering or related fields and to those who have an interest in experimental science and environmental policy. It is expected that the scientific outcomes of this work will advance our understanding of emissions from emerging fertilisers and as such this PhD offers a unique opportunity to contribute to national priorities on sustainable agriculture and Net Zero targets. Furthermore, this project will enable the student to acquire skills in data analysis and visualisation, experimental planning, working across disciplines, science communication and engaging with stakeholders.

The University of Manchester provides a world-leading research environment, particularly in atmospheric science. The project will be based within the Centre for Atmospheric Science, supported by state-of-the-art laboratory infrastructure. The supervisory team, led by Dr Aristeidis Voliotis, brings extensive expertise in trace gas measurements, VOC chemistry and agricultural emissions. The student will also have an opportunity to spend time work-shadowing or undertaking a placement in the DEFRA air quality teams towards the end of their project.

The standard academic entry requirement for this PhD is an upper second-class (2:1) honours degree in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent) OR any upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at merit in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent).

To apply, please contact the supervisors; Dr Aristeidis Voliotis and Dr Emily Matthews (aristeidis.voliotis@manchester.ac.uk; emily.matthews@manchester.ac.uk). Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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