About the Project
We invite applications from ambitious life-science graduates for a fully funded PhD at Cranfield University, supported by the EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award. The award covers Home fees (£5,238 p.a.) and provides a £24,500 annual tax-free stipend for three years. Based in the Cranfield Environment Centre, the student will investigate how legumes shape nitrogen cycling, crop performance and greenhouse-gas emissions in regenerative arable rotations, developing science to support sustainable,…
lower-input farming and UK Net Zero goals.
UK agriculture produces around 70% of national nitrous oxide emissions, a greenhouse gas with 273 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide over 100 years. Much arises from inefficient nitrogen fertiliser use. Legumes can reduce this reliance by fixing atmospheric nitrogen, removing synthetic nitrogen fertiliser requirements for themselves and potentially reducing requirements for following crops. Yet we cannot reliably predict when, where or how much legume-derived nitrogen becomes available. This limits farmers' ability to adjust subsequent fertiliser applications and realise the full economic and environmental value of legumes.
This PhD will uncover how legumes regulate soil nitrogen cycling across arable rotations. The student will quantify effects on subsequent cereal yield, nitrogen-use efficiency, greenhouse-gas emissions and fertiliser-replacement potential under contrasting arable management systems. Field, laboratory and controlled-environment experiments will determine when and where legume-derived nitrogen becomes available within bulk soil and the rhizosphere. Conventional soil mineral nitrogen testing will be compared with detailed measurements of mineralisation, biological nitrogen fixation, crop nitrogen uptake and microbial processes. The research will test whether this deeper nitrogen accounting can deliver worthwhile financial and environmental gains over current practice.
This EPSRC-funded studentship will be based in the Cranfield Environment Centre, whose research spans soil and air quality, climate change, crop monitoring, resilience and ecosystem services. The project also offers close collaboration with the James Hutton Institute, an internationally recognised centre for sustainable-cropping research. Hutton scientists will provide co-supervision, expertise in legume agronomy and biological nitrogen fixation, and specialist training during a placement in Dundee, linking mechanistic science with field evidence and practical nitrogen management recommendations.
This research will strengthen nitrogen fertiliser recommendations after legumes, helping farmers and agronomists reduce unnecessary inputs, costs and emissions without compromising crop performance. Findings will be incorporated into farm carbon accounting tools, translating new knowledge into practical whole-farm decisions. The work will advance lower-input, resource-efficient cropping systems and identify where legume-based rotations can deliver the greatest agronomic and environmental benefits while supporting UK Net Zero.
The student will work with established field trials and industry-relevant datasets from Nitrogen Climate Smart, LegumES and the James Hutton Institute's Centre for Sustainable Cropping. A placement in Dundee will provide specialist experience of long-term cropping-system research. Opportunities will include UK fieldwork, engagement with farmers, agronomists and industry through project events, Groundswell and the Pulse Crop Genetic Improvement Network, and presentation of findings at national and international conferences, including the UK Legume Research Community and International Legume Society conferences.
The student will gain integrated training in field experimentation, laboratory and controlled-environment research, soil–plant–microbial science, greenhouse-gas assessment and quantitative analysis. They will also develop skills in project management, scientific writing, grant development, stakeholder engagement and communicating evidence to academic, farming, industry and policy audiences. Through Cranfield, the James Hutton Institute, Nitrogen Climate Smart and LegumES, the student will have the opportunity to build an exceptional professional network and interdisciplinary profile, providing an excellent foundation for a long-term life-science career in sustainable cropping systems and environmental research or the wider agri-food and -feed sectors.
At a glance
- Application deadline: 11 Nov 2026
- Start date: 25 Jan 2027
- Duration of award: 3 year (full-time)
Supervisor
1st supervisor Prof Wilfred Otten
2nd supervisor Dr Emily Guest
Entry requirements
Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree or equivalent in a related discipline. This project would suit graduates from a wide range of backgrounds such as soil science, environmental science, agronomy, plant science, ecology or related disciplines.
Experience of, or a strong interest in, fieldwork, laboratory analysis and quantitative data analysis (e.g., R) would be beneficial, though full training will be provided. We warmly welcome applications from a diverse range of educational, cultural and socioeconomic groups, including those who are currently underrepresented in soil sciences or agriculture, or those returning to research with a new direction. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where we recognise different perspectives as strengths.
How to apply
For further information please contact:
Name: Dr Emily Guest
Email: Emily.Guest@cranfield.ac.uk
If you are eligible to apply for this studentship, please complete the online application form.
This vacancy may be filled before the closing date so early application is strongly encouraged.
Funding Notes
Sponsored by EPSRC and Cranfield University, this studentship will provide a bursary of up to £24,500 (tax free) plus fees* for three years.
This studentship is open to both Home and Overseas fee status students, however we are only permitted to offer a limited number of studentships to students with Overseas fee status. Eligibility for Home fee status is determined with reference to UK Department for Education rules.
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