The following PhD project is available in the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh, UK under the NERC E5 Doctoral Training Partnership for 2026 entry. Please note the deadline for applications is Sunday 14th December 2025.

How will atmospheric oxidation changes impact the efficacy of Net Zero policies and the Global Methane Pledge? (email ruth.doherty@ed.ac.uk ). Supervisors:  Prof Ruth Doherty (U. Edinburgh), Prof Oliver Wild (Lancaster U) o.wild@lancaster.ac.uk , Dr Fiona O’ Connor (UK Met Office) fiona.oconnor@metoffice.gov.uk , Dr Yu Wang U. Edinburgh), Prof James Lee (NCAS, U. York)

Atmospheric oxidation processes govern the levels of air pollutants and short-lived greenhouse gases including Methane and Ozone. The effectiveness of Net Zero policies remains unclear because of our lack of understanding of regional atmosphere oxidation in different chemical environments such as over polluted cities or clean marine regions that are changing over time.

This project will use the UK Earth System Model to improve understanding of atmospheric oxidation and explore how future oxidation changes influence the efficacy of current and future climate policies for different regions and the effectiveness of the Global Methane Pledge for climate mitigation and improving air quality. See: https://e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/project?item=1728

Project Highlights:

• Use the state-of-the-art UK Earth System Model, used in IPCC assessments, to model atmospheric composition
• Gain knowledge of fundamental atmospheric chemistry and physics processes
• Use reanalyses and observational datasets from recent measurement campaigns and be part of an upcoming aircraft measurement campaign “Trop-Ox” in the tropics
• Learn machine learning and statistical approaches
• Explore the effectiveness of climate policies surrounding Net Zero and the Global Methane Pledge
• Exposure to the Met Office research environment including a placement opportunity through CASE funding

Being an E5 PhD student, you will join a large interdisciplinary, vibrant research network. You will be equipped with the science expertise to address core environmental problems and climate action in your future career.

Please see:  https://e5-dtp.ed.ac.uk/e5-dtp-application-for-2026-open-now/how-to-apply for eligibility and how to apply, and contact the named supervisor at the email addresses listed above for enquiries.