"PhD Studentship: Harnessing Floodwaters: Adaptive Strategies for Sustainable Water Resources and Flood Risk Management under Future Uncertainty"

Award Summary

100% fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £20,780 (2025/26 UKRI rate). Additional project costs will also be provided.

Overview

England’s hydrological system is increasingly fragile. The winter of 2024/25 brought high rainfall with good replenishment of rivers, aquifers and reservoir stocks but also causing flooding in some areas. Hydrological projections suggested higher or normal flows into the Autumn. Yet a dry warm spring and summer ensued, resulting in prolonged dry weather status across England and some areas designated as ‘drought’ in the early summer of 2025. This contrast and vulnerability demonstrate the urgent need for adaptive and resilient water management strategies that navigate the increasing risk of sequential flood and drought events.

This project addresses the opportunities for floodwater utilisation in the context of the Strategic Resource Options being developed by the water companies. These options overlook the potential of floodwater reuse despite its increasing availability and hazard due to climate change induced seasonal extremes.

Understanding and managing evolving flood and water supply risks requires adoption of a more holistic approach which considers multiple interacting aspects of the water system. This research will explore how SROs can be optimised to deliver dual benefits: reducing flood risk and enhancing water security, transforming hazard into resource. The project aims to deliver catchment-wide, nature-based solutions that reduce flood risk, enhance water security and enhance the environment – aligning with the Environment Agency’s EA2030 goals contributing to national resilience, environmental recovery and sustainable water management.

For further information on the project, we will be hosting a ‘Prospective applicant webinar’ at 2:00pm on the 26th of November. Link to the event can be found here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/376b2195-d8da-47c0-86e2-b18813ec19e3@4a5378f9-29f4-4d3e-be89-669d03ada9d8

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

1st October 2026

Award Duration

3.5 years

Application Closing Date

8th January 2026

Sponsor

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

Supervisors

Dr Caspar Hewett

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project (inc. computing, mathematics, engineering etc.). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.

Home and international applicants (inc. EU) are welcome to apply and if successful will receive a full studentship. Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.

International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme.

How To Apply

For information on how to apply, please see https://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/fees-funding/search-funding/?code=flood267

Contact Details

caspar.hewett@newcastle.ac.uk