Bioscience and environmental science at UCL given major government boost

Two initiatives led by UCL are receiving major funding. One, the Training Research and Equity in Environmental Sciences (TREES) Doctoral Landscape Award, will support 65 environmental science PhD students over the next five years. The other, the London Interdisciplinary Doctoral training consortium (LIDo), will support 130 PhD bioscientists over the same period. (Those figures are for students funded by UKRI only, with additional studentships funded by UCL and external partners and collaborators.)

The TREES Doctoral Award is jointly led by UCL Earth Sciences, UCL Geography, and UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment, in partnership with nine other academic institutions, and aims to address critical environmental challenges.

Professor Tom Mitchell (UCL Earth Sciences) said: “We are delighted that UCL’s strengths in interdisciplinary environmental sciences have been recognised through the TREES Doctoral Landscape Award.

“This significant funding underscores the importance of training the next generation of researchers to address pressing global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem resilience.

“TREES will empower students to develop innovative, cross-disciplinary solutions while fostering impactful partnerships with over 80 external collaborators, including NGOs, charities, industry leaders, and public sector organisations.

“With a strong commitment to inclusivity and diversity, TREES is dedicated to broadening participation and embedding a culture of equity and access throughout the programme.”

The new award for LIDo, a UCL-led consortium that has been training PhD students since 2012, will fund PhDs combining bioscience with artificial intelligence and advanced computation.

Professor Angus Silver (UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology), the Director of LIDo, said: “We are delighted that the government are supporting LIDo to train the next generation of bioscientists for a digitally augmented future.”

“This will enable our students to tackle important, complex problems by integrating experimental techniques with advanced computational methods including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and modelling.”

“We look forward to working alongside our colleagues from the eight host institutions and our collaborators in industry in this London-wide partnership and to continue our highly interdisciplinary training programme.”

Both programmes were awarded funding following a national competition for 2024 Doctoral Landscape Awards led by the Biotechnology and Bioscience Research Council (BBSRC) and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) within UKRI. In total, BBSRC and NERC are investing £293 million in more than 2,300 studentships over five years, while the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council are investing £279 million in university doctoral landscape awards over the same period.

Both LIDo and TREES are now accepting applications for PhD studentships starting in autumn 2025.

Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said: “Backing the next generation of great scientific minds to fulfil their potential is crucial to unlocking the discoveries which improve our lives and which keep our economy growing over the long term through highly skilled jobs.

“This £500m investment will back our vitally important higher education sector while supporting more bright students to pursue their talents and in turn deliver the life-saving drugs and clean energy alternatives of the future, that benefit all of our lives.”

UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said: “UKRI’s investments in doctoral training are pivotal for the UK’s research and innovation endeavour. The awards provide funding for universities across the UK to nurture a cadre of creative, talented people to develop their skills and knowledge, to build partnerships and networks, and to pursue the discoveries that will transform tomorrow, with diverse benefits for society and economic growth.”

TREES will be carried out in partnership with institutions including Birkbeck, Brunel, King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London, the Natural History Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Royal Holloway, University of London, University of Portsmouth, and ZSL Institute of Zoology.

LIDo, meanwhile, comprises eight leading London universities: UCL, King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London, Royal Veterinary College, Birkbeck, University of London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Royal Holloway, University of London and University of Greenwich's Natural Resources Institute.  LIDo works closely with external collaborators across multiple sectors, including Unilever, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the Natural History Museum, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Food Standards Agency, Discovery Park, and the Alan Turing Institute.

Links

• TREES DLA
• LIDO’s DLA
• Professor Tom Mitchell’s academic profile
• UCL Earth Sciences
• UCL Mathematical & Physical Sciences
• Professor Angus Silver’s academic profile
• UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology
• UCL Biosciences
• UCL Genetics, Evolution & Environment
• UCL Life Sciences
• UCL Geography
• UCL Social & Historical Sciences

Image

• UCL students undertaking geology fieldwork in Bradgate Park, Leeds. Credit: UCL Earth Sciences

Media contact

Mark Greaves

m.greaves [at] ucl.ac.uk

+44 (0)20 3108 9485