About the Project
We are looking for PhD proposals which could fit within the new Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute at Pembroke College, Oxford, which supports both the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) and the Strategy, Statecraft, and Technology (Changing Character of War) Centre. The Institute aims to use the best available science to tackle global challenges, with a particular focus on conservation and statecraft (including but not limited to war). Projects should have some intended pathway from the academic question to real-world impact, either in the field of conservation, statecraft, or intersections between the two. We are not proscriptive about the exact topic, but are looking for interesting research ideas which can advance the understanding of these global challenges, and help inform how to tackle them in some way.
Aims
The exact topic, and project aim, should be proposed by the student, but it should focus on a key challenge in either biodiversity conservation (of any taxa, terrestrial or marine) or statecraft, strategy and war. Projects focused on those topics individually would be of interest, as would those focused on an intersection between those two research areas: e.g. understanding how armed conflict affects biodiversity; how natural resource use (e.g. mining, extraction of critical minerals) affects statecraft and conservation; the militarisation of conservation; illegal wildlife trade etc. Overall, we are seeking novel, cutting-edge research ideas which could have relevance to policy and wider impact regarding these global challenges.
Methods
The exact methods will depend on the research topic proposed by the student. The day to day research life will depend on the focus of that research: students with a conservation focus will be mainly based within the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), those focused on statecraft will be mainly based within the Strategy, Statecraft, and Technology (Changing Character of War) Centre. In either case, the student would be at Pembroke College and would contribute to the Recanati-Kaplan Minerva Institute.
Project code
AD01
Funding
This project is part of the DPhil in Biology programme. This project covers tuition fees at the relevant rate (UK or overseas), plus a £24,000 a year maintenance grant and £10,000 per year research budget. It is open to any nationality.
Eligibility
For full entry requirements and eligibility information, please see the main admissions page.
How to apply
The deadline for applications for 2027/28 entry is 6 January 2027. We will continue to accept applications submitted after this date, but these late applications will not be considered for scholarship funding.
You can find the admissions portal and further information about eligibility and the DPhil in Biology Programme at the University's graduate admissions page. Please quote the Project Reference Code alongside the title in the ‘Proposed field and title of research project, if applicable’ field in the application form.
Institution website: https://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/dphil