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CASE Studentship Open Competition

Introduction

NERC is pleased to invite applications to the 2009/10 round with a closing date of 24 November 2009 at 16:00 (the date is later than our previously announced closing date, following requests from some industry sectors).

The CASE scheme promotes partnerships between eligible research organisations and public or private sector organisations.

A CASE studentship is a PhD studentship during which the student enhances their training by spending between 3 and 18 months with the co-operating body in a workplace outside the academic environment.

CASE studentship projects must provide a sound training in the methods of research and a stimulating intellectual challenge for the student. The impetus and initial requirement for the research should originate from the CASE partner.

Both the research organisation and CASE partner nominate supervisors responsible for overseeing students' training.

For the next round, NERC will continue to hold an open CASE competition. Thirty-five to thirty-seven studentships will be awarded. Of these, up to five studentships will be awarded in each of the four priority areas listed below, to facilitate collaboration with businesses:

  1. water (water quality, water resources, extreme events, etc)
  2. insurance (environmental risk management)
  3. agrifood (chemical pathways, soils, pesticide impacts, etc)
  4. environmental sensing and instrumentation.

To apply for a studentship in one of the four priority areas, please prefix the title of your application [WATER], [INSURANCE], [AGRIFOOD], or [ENVIRON], as appropriate. Applications to priority areas may only include private sector partners.

Further information on priority areas is available.

Awards

NERC will fund the studentship via a Doctoral Training Grant (DTG) which includes three and a half years of studentship funding.

The CASE partner must supplement the student's maintenance grant by paying at least £1,000 pa directly to the student for the first three years of the award.

Eligibility requirements

Applications should fall within the NERC science remit.

Eligible Research organisations:

For the purposes of the CASE Studentship Open Competition the eligibility is as follows:

Table 1. Eligibility of research organisations
Organisation Involvement in studentship as:
UK HEIs research organisation partner
NERC Research Centres research organisation partner
NERC Collaborative Centres research organisation partner
Independent Research Organisations CASE partner

(For NERC Collaborative Centres, trading subsidiaries are not eligible to apply as the research organisation partner, only as the CASE Partner).

Please also see:

CASE partner eligibility

Any UK private or public sector industrial organisation or institution with research interests within NERC's remit is eligible to co-operate with a research organisation in the CASE Open Competition. This includes private industry (as long as it has a base in the UK or significant UK operation), the research organisations of the nationalised industries, public bodies such as county planning offices, government research institutes and non-government organisations.

Eligible public sector organisations can include UK government departments, local government, regulatory authorities, NGOs and Charities provided that stability of the organisation and commitment of funds can be guaranteed for the duration of the proposed studentship. This information should be included in the application form.

British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory are eligible as research organisation applicants to the CASE Studentships Open Competition, they are not eligible as CASE partners within this competition.

Closing date

This is an annual call. The next closing date is 24 November 2009.

Further information

Please see the following:

Or contact: