Central England NERC Training Alliance (CENTA)

CENTA stands for Central England NERC Training Alliance, a consortium of Universities, research institutes and non-academic partners for example that are working together to provide excellence in doctoral research training within the remit of the Natural Environment Research Council.

The CENTA group comprises five other universities in addition to º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ (University of Birmingham, the Open University, University of Leicester, University of Warwick, and Cranfield University) and two partner organisations (British Geological Survey and Centre for Ecology and Hydrology).

We also work in close partnership with several UK and international businesses, NGOs, museums and charitable organisations (such as the National Trust, Natural England, Natural History Museum, Halliburton, Jacobs and the Lighthill Risk Network), who are involved at a variety of levels. Our partners are actively involved in CENTA management, delivering the training programme, providing placement opportunities and offering CASE partnerships for our doctoral researchers.

CENTA will host studentships across the full range of NERC science with particular focus on three key science themes:

  1. Climate and environmental sustainability
  2. Organisms and ecosystems
  3. Dynamic Earth

CENTA is currently awaiting confirmation of funding under the BBSRC-NERC Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) scheme, which is the new name for Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs). This funding will support cohorts starting from 2025 onwards. We anticipate receiving further information by late October or early November 2024. The availability of funding for both studentship pathways, and for all projects listed on our website, depends on this confirmation.

The application deadline is 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 8th January 2025

The CENTA application form can be downloaded here CENTA-application-form-2025

 

Centa Code Title º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ supervisor (main) º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ supervisors (co-I) º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ supervisors (co-I) Flagship CASE
2025-LU1

Internet of Things (IoT) for microclimate monitoring within forests

 Amal Hajjej-Ep-Zemni Stephanos Theodossiades   YES YES
2025-LU2 Dusty Rivers: quantifying fluvial flooding controls on aeolian activity Matthew Baddock Edwin Baynes Jo Bullard    
2025-LU3 From Pixels to Phenotypes: Using AI and Large Language Models for Precision Plant Specimen Image Analysis Haibin Cai Jonathan Millett Paul Roach    
2025-LU4 Oceanic island insights into river-driven volcanic landscape evolution John Hillier Edwin Baynes      
2025-LU5 BEST N2: Managing the Nitrogen Cycle and Tackling Fixed Nitrogen Pollution Using BEST ANAMMOX for Enhanced N2 Production Ahsan Islam Diganta Das David Ryves    
2025-LU6 Integration of multi-sensory technology solutions to use visual and acoustic sensor systems for wildlife and eco-system monitoring Paul Lepper Claire Guo      
2025-LU7 Leveraging AI and Deep Learning for Plant Health Monitoring to Support Biosecurity and Biodiversity Baihua Li        
2025-LU8 Embedded AI-Powered Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Qinggang Meng     YES YES
2025-LU9 Above-below ground interactions for nature recovery in coastal sand dune wetlands Jonathan Millett Helen Glanville      
2025-LU10 Environmental Change in High Arctic Lakes: from the Holocene to the Anthropocene Dave Ryves Jeffrey Evans      
2025-LU11 Reconstruction fashion’s plastic transition in the lake sediment record to inform a greener fashion future Thomas Stanton David Ryves Paul Roach    
2025-LU12 Development of non-invasive sampling methods for the study of pollinators Matthew Turner Amy Managh   YES YES