Summer 2026 ACCE+ DLA REPS projects are now open for applications!
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 17th June 2026 at 5.00pm (UK time).
The NERC Research Experience Placement (REP) scheme aims to address both thematic skills gaps as well as demographic and diversity-related challenges in the environmental sciences by offering funding to support paid summer placements for undergraduate students, during which they will carry out research projects within the scope of the environmental sciences.
The ACCE+ DLA is committed to recruiting extraordinary future scientists regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith or religious belief, pregnancy or maternity, parental or caring responsibilities or career pathway to date. We understand that a student’s potential can be shown in many ways and we strive to recruit students from all backgrounds, and support them on their scientific journey. We encourage all candidates to apply, and look to identify those who are likely to be successful in research regardless of what opportunities may have been available to them prior to their application.
ACCE+ DLA aims to improve the representation of students from widening participation backgrounds and will give additional consideration to widening participation candidates where candidates are of comparable merit.
EDI
The EDI form is a mandatory application document, but will not be used as part of the assessment process. It will not be passed to supervisors, will be anonymised at the earliest opportunity, and within the ACCE DTP will only be accessible to management staff. Data will only be kept until the Training Grant expires. The data collected will be used to ensure that our processes provide equal opportunities to all. For reporting purposes, anonymised data will be shared with NERC. For any questions you do not wish to provide information for, or where you would prefer your data not to be shared with NERC, please select ‘prefer not to say’. If you have any questions about this form, please contact us at acce.dtp@liverpool.ac.uk. A data privacy notice for this EDI form is available here.
Eligibility
Any undergraduate students who are in their final year of study who are awarded a REP placement, should not yet have graduated and should still have student status by the start date of the placement. REPs are not normally available to international students who are not currently based in the UK.
University of Liverpool projects
Project 1
Project title: Are we over-estimating the occurrence of large earthquakes?
The frequency–magnitude distribution of earthquakes is commonly described by the Gutenberg–Richter law, where the b-value characterises the relative proportion of small to large events (Gutenberg and Richter, 1944). However, in many real datasets, including tectonic and induced seismicity as well as controlled laboratory experiments (LabQuakes), deviations from this simple power-law behaviour are observed. This includes evidence of truncated or tapered distributions (Li and Avouac, 2026) which limit the number of larger earthquakes. Constraining the upper end of the magnitude distribution, whether in terms of a maximum magnitude (Mmax) or a gradual roll-off, is a key challenge and has significant implications for seismic hazard assessment and earthquake forecasting (Pisarenko, 2022). Understanding such behaviour is therefore essential for quantifying the likelihood of larger events and for interpreting the physical processes controlling earthquake occurrence. This project aligns with the remit of NERC, as it addresses fundamental questions in environmental geophysics and seismic hazard, with relevance to subsurface energy operations and natural earthquake processes.
Objectives
- To explore the concept of truncated Gutenberg–Richter distributions in earthquake data
- To estimate and compare b-values using different statistical approaches
- To assess the impact of data limitations (e.g. incompleteness, sampling) on inferred b-values
- To compare results between synthetic catalogues and real seismic datasets
Length of project: 6 weeks
Project location: University of Liverpool
Supervisor email (for informal enquiries): Dr Farnaz Kamranzad/Prof Ben Edwards (ben.edwards@liverpool.ac.uk)
Project 2
Project title: Spatial controls on dust deposition in New Zealand loess sequences
Atmospheric mineral dust is an integral Earth System component, impacting the atmospheric radiative balance, bioproductivity, and cryosphere dynamics . However, significant uncertainties remain in understanding the spatial variability and transport pathways of dust , particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, where observational data are sparse . These uncertainties limit the ability of climate models to accurately simulate past and future environmental change. Loess(geological dust) deposits provide valuable terrestrial archives of past dust activity and environmental conditions . In New Zealand, loess sequences are closely linked to South Westerly Winds dynamics and glacial–interglacial climate variability, yet their spatial variability at local scales remains poorly constrained. This project will investigate loess deposits from the Rangitikei and Oroua valleys to explore how geomorphic position and altitude influence dust deposition and post-depositional processes. Consequently the project will improve understanding of dust cycling and environmental change within the Earth system, particularly in relation to past climate variability and sedimentary archives.
Objectives. The student will address the following research questions: (1) How does geomorphic position within a river valley influence loess deposition?; and (2) Does variation in altitude influence sediment properties and postdepositional alteration? To answer these the student will generate and interpret new sedimentological and geochemical data from selected loess samples, compare variability between sites, and evaluate environmental controls.
Length of project: 6 weeks
Project location: University of Liverpool
Supervisor email (for informal enquiries): Dr Kaja Fenn (kaja.fenn@liverpool.ac.uk)
Project 3
Project title: From point cloud to riverscape: multi-sensor UAV characterisation of the River Bollin
Rivers and their adjacent floodplains and riparian zones (collectively termed riverscapes) are functionally complex systems where vegetation exerts an important control on flow hydraulics and river morphodynamics. The River Bollin (NW England) is a meandering gravel-bed river with several highly dynamic reaches. Bank erosion has been observed at rates of 1-2 m per year, and major channel reorganisation has been documented following high-flow events. Across rivers in England and Wales, riparian vegetation has increased substantially over recent decades. The distribution and structural characteristics of riparian vegetation influence biogeomorphological processes and feedbacks, but as yet, these factors have not been fully appraised on the River Bollin. Recent advances in remote sensing technologies, particularly uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), enable detailed representations of riverscapes, providing information that can support varied river and catchment management applications. The proposed research will apply a multi-sensor approach (e.g., LiDAR, RGB, and multi-spectral imagery) to generate a three-dimensional representation of the River Bollin, enabling multi-scale characterisation of the fluvial geomorphology and riparian vegetation. This digital riverscape will allow us to test hypotheses regarding how vegetation characteristics vary across different geomorphic units, and will help us to establish a baseline for future monitoring. Resulting outputs will be deposited through NERC’s Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC), providing an openly accessible dataset for academic and practitioner communities working on themes relating to Freshwater Science and Environmental Risks and Hazards.
Objectives
O1. Acquire co-registered LiDAR, RGB, and multispectral imagery over an actively meandering reach of the River Bollin upstream of Wilmslow.
O2. Process acquired data into Digital Surface Models (DSMs), Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), canopy height models, orthomosaic imagery, and multispectral indices.
O3. Quantify vegetation structure metrics across pixel, geomorphic unit, and reach scales to determine how riparian vegetation distribution varies over the riverscape.
O4. Prepare the dataset and supporting documentation for release through the NERC EIDC.
Length of project: 6 weeks
Project location: University of Liverpool
Supervisor email (for informal enquiries): Dr Richard Boothroyd (richard.boothroyd@liverpool.ac.uk)
Project 4
Project title: Understanding Auk foraging ecology through stable isotope analysis of their prey species
Offshore wind farms (OWFs) are expanding around the UK as a source of renewable energy in response to meeting the UK government’s targets for clean power and lower electricity bills. However, OWFs may lead to displacement of seabirds during the non-breeding season and can also alter food webs through the addition of hard substrate, creating a reef and attracting fish (Dierschke et al. 2016). Auks are of particular concern for displacement due to OWF, specifically during the non-breeding period when they aggregate offshore and are more suspectable to mortality particularly from starvation (Vanermen et al. 2015; Buckingham et al. 2022; Fullick et al. 2022). Yet little is known about auk ecology during the non-breeding season, and there is scant information on their diet during this period. Therefore, the overarching aim of this project is to determine the diet of auks during the non-breeding period using stable isotope analysis of auk feathers and key prey species (i.e. fish) in Scottish waters.
Objectives:
You will determine d15N and d 13C stable isotopic signatures of 5 key fish species, completed by:
- Dissecting fish to obtain suitable tissue for isotopic analysis.
- Preparing fish tissues for stable isotope analysis, including lipid extraction, homogenisation, weighing samples.
- Process and code data to determine inter-species and regional differences in fish isotopic composition, comparing this data to auk feather stable isotope data.
Length of project: 6 weeks
Project location: University of Liverpool
Supervisor email (for informal enquiries): Dr Rachel Jeffreys (jeffreys@liverpool.ac.uk)
Project 5
Project title: The Effect of Environmental Factors on Lineage-Specific Detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in South African Freshwater Systems
The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) causes chytridiomycosis, a disease that has driven declines in over 500 amphibian species and at least 90 extinctions. Its persistence and spread depend strongly on environmental factors like temperature and precipitation , with optimal growth at 18–25 °C and reduced survival at extremes. Genetic studies reveal multiple Bd lineages that may differ in environmental tolerance and disease dynamics , therefore, understanding these differences is key to predicting future pathogen outbreaks. In this project we take advantage of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, a powerful, non-invasive method for detecting Bd in aquatic systems, enabling broader monitoring than traditional approaches. We will focus on identifying different Bd lineages in eDNA samples from water and sediment, comparing their presence to data from tadpole hosts. Linking site-level environmental factors to different lineages found in eDNA samples will inform the pathogen detection strategies and eliminate the need for destructive tadpole sampling, thereby reducing the impact of pathogen surveillance on endangered amphibian species.
Aims: • Identify the presence or absence of different Bd lineages from eDNA water and sediment samples and compare these data with infection distribution in tadpoles. • Identify environmental variables associated with Bd lineage-specific detection with the eDNA approach.
Objectives: 1. Detect Bd lineages in eDNA samples from water and sediment at different locations using qPCR 2. Quantify Bd load in these samples using qPCR. 3. Compare the presence or absence of Bd in eDNA samples with tadpole oral swabs from the same water bodies. 4. Statistically link environmental variables to pathogen lineage detection and load.
Length of project: 6 weeks
Project location: University of Liverpool
Supervisor email (for informal enquiries): Dr Venera Tyukmaeva (venera.tyukmaeva@liverpool.ac.uk)
University of York projects
Project 6
Project title: Using Low-Cost Sensors for Monitoring Urban Air Pollution
Air pollution poses a significant threat to human health and the environment. Traditional air quality monitoring stations, while accurate, are expensive and sparsely distributed, limiting their ability to capture localized pollution exposure (Castell et al., 2017). Recent advances in low-cost sensor technologies offer a promising alternative for high-resolution, real-time air quality monitoring (Snyder et al., 2013). This project proposes to evaluate the effectiveness of low-cost sensors in predicting individual air pollution exposure, contributing to environmental monitoring and public health research. This research aligns with the NERC remit by addressing environmental challenges through technological innovation, enhancing our understanding of atmospheric processes, and supporting sustainable development goals related to clean air.
Objectives • Evaluate the accuracy and reliability of low-cost air quality sensors compared to reference-grade instruments. • Assess spatial and temporal variability in air pollution exposure in urban environments.
Length of project: 6 weeks
Project location: University of York
Supervisor email (for informal enquiries): Dr Darpan Das (Darpan.das@york.ac.uk)
Project 7
Project title: Ecology of Salt-Marsh Microfauna in the Outer Hebrides: Applications to Sea-Level Studies
Saltmarshes in the Outer Hebrides are small but highly diverse coastal systems that support rare plant communities and complex environmental gradients (Angus, 2001). These environments are also important natural archives of past sea-level change. However, the ecological distribution of foraminifera (microscopic shelled protists widely used as sea-level indicators) remains poorly constrained in this region. This limits the precision of palaeo-sea-level reconstructions for northwest Scotland, an area critical for understanding spatial variability in UK sea-level response to climate change (Gehrels, 2010). In April 2026, Gehrels and colleagues collected 173 sediment samples from five saltmarshes across the Outer Hebrides, alongside environmental data (pH, salinity, elevation). These samples provide a unique opportunity to establish modern ecological relationships that underpin sea-level reconstructions.
Aim and Objectives The project aims to determine whether foraminifera form distinct vertical zones linked to tidal elevation. Establishing this relationship will enable development of a transfer function for reconstructing past sea levels in the region (Gehrels and Garrett, 2025). While foraminiferal analyses will be undertaken by Gehrels, the student will contribute to generating the underpinning environmental dataset by: · Quantifing key sediment properties (Loss on Ignition, moisture content, grain size). · Modelling sediment carbon content using established LOI–carbon relationships (Smeaton et al., 2022) and validating these with elemental analysis. · Appling statistical analyses to test relationships between environmental variables and tidal elevation.
Length of project: 6 weeks
Project location: University of York
Supervisor email (for informal enquiries): Prof Roland Gehrels (roland.gehrels@york.ac.uk)
How to Apply for any project from the above list
- Please submit your CV and a personal statement to us via email at acce.dtp@liverpool.ac.uk
- In addition, please complete the online application form here. This will include information about the project you are applying to, and whether you wish to be considered as a widening participation (WP) candidate
- In addition, please complete an ACCE+ EDI form and email to us at acce.dtp@liverpool.ac.uk NB the EDI form is only for monitoring purposes and will not be considered as part of your application.
Please note that your application may be rejected if you do not complete all steps of the application process.
Following receipt of your application and following the closing date of Wednesday 17th June, the project supervisor will consider all applications to their project and nominate their top candidates to be considered by the ACCE+ DLA Management Board. Supervisors will be notified by the ACCE+ DLA administration team if a candidate is being considered as a widening participation candidate. Supervisors will be able to nominate up to two candidates to be considered by the Management Board, and are encouraged to include widening participation candidates in their nominations where possible. The ACCE+ DLA Management Board will compare all candidates against a rubric to confirm which candidate is to be appointed to each project. Widening participation criteria may be considered where candidates are of comparable merit. The Management Board will make final decisions based on overall merit across all candidates.
Our widening participation criteria are below:
- You come from a home where neither parent attended university, or
- You come from a minority ethnic background relative to the UK population (a non-white background), or
- You have been in receipt of widening participation support at or prior to attending your first degree.
These criteria have been developed based on groups which have been evidenced to be under-represented in research degrees (please see our 2023 ACCE DTP EDI report, plus good practice details from our funder NERC, for further details).
Any widening participation information candidates provide as part of the application may be considered where candidates being considered are of comparable merit. All candidates will be scored via the same rubric.
Please note that not all projects advertised will be funded in 2026, and the DLA Management Board will make final decisions on which projects are offered to candidates.
As per NERC guidance, any undergraduate students who are in their final year of study who are awarded a REP placement, should not yet have graduated and should still have student status by the start date of the placement. REPs are not normally available to international students who are not currently based in the UK. Students awarded a REP placement should normally be eligible for any subsequent NERC PhD funding (should they choose to apply for a PhD in the future).