The ACCE+ application system is a little different from other PhD programmes. We strongly recommend that you read the How to Apply webpage to understand what we are looking for at ACCE+ and how to make your application.
In brief:
– You can apply for more than one project, up to a maximum of two projects at each ACCE+ institution.
– As part of your online application submission you will also need to include details of two referees. In addition, a completed EDI form must be emailed to acce.dtp@liverpool.ac.uk.
Please check carefully – your application may not be processed if any documents are missing.
Please apply to University of Sheffield projects via this application form, following all the instructions given: https://forms.gle/kvW4D4pNWy41TrKZ8
A copy of the questions in the form is available here for your information. Please do not complete a paper copy of the form; you must complete the online application form.
The closing date for all applications for October 2026 entry is Wednesday 7th January 2026 at 5.00pm (UK time).
If you’d like to join the candidate mailing list to hear more about the recruitment process, sign up here!
Projects available at University of Sheffield
School of Biosciences
Professor Dylan Childs – Landscape-scale drivers and limits of endangered species spatial and temporal distribution
Dr Luke Dunning – Detecting rapid evolutionary responses to climate change in UK plants
Dr Karl Evans – Changing contributions of gardens for wildlife and ecosystem services – causes, consequences and solutions
Professor Rob Freckleton – Uncovering the drivers of diversity in tropical savanna forests
Dr Thomas Guillerme – How do global and climate-driven migrations affect local functional diversity?
Dr Ellie Harrison – Engineering underground ecosystems for sustainable legume production
Dr Nicola Hemmings – Can microrefugia buffer threatened species from climate change?
Professor Colin Osborne – Climate change impacts in grasslands: from Australia to the world
Professor Gareth Phoenix – Small size, big impact: the importance of mosses and lichens in arctic ecosystem function
Professor Jon Slate – The inheritance of phenotypic plasticity in a wild mammal
Professor Gavin Thomas – Assessing the future effectiveness of spatial conservation networks in tetrapods
Dr Maria Val Martin – Assessing the role of upland fires in air pollution and public health in the UK
Dr Alison Wright – The impact of climate change on sexually selected traits and its consequences for evolutionary fitness
School of Geography and Planning
Dr Robert Bryant – Assessing the extent and drivers of illegal selective logging across Peru
Dr Jeremy Ely – Wetlands within water towers: How will bofedales respond to climate change?
Dr Andrew Sole – Quantifying water storage beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet and its influence on ice dynamics and runoff
Note – UKRI funding only covers UK (Home) fees. The DLA partners have various schemes which allow international students to join the DLA but only be required to pay home fees. Home fees are already covered in the UKRI funding, meaning that successful international candidates do not need to find any additional funding for fees.
Please note that visa, NHS health surcharge fees and relocation costs are not covered by ACCE+DLA.