Join Us
We are always interested in hearing from talented researchers and students keen to work on glaciological problems.
Job Openings Research Fellowships PhD Students
Job Openings
Job openings for roles such as postdocs, research technicians, and lectureships (equivalent to US Assistant Professor) are made available from the University of Bristol careers portal. They will be disseminated via community and career-stage-appropriate mailing lists such as Cryolist and UKPN; jobs.ac.uk; and Department of Geographical Sciences platforms such as LinkedIn.
Research Fellowships
The Bristol Glaciology Centre has hosted a wide variety of independent research fellows, and there are a number of options available to you depending on your career stage, background, and where you are moving from, but all offer an excellent opportunity for early-career researchers to move towards setting up their own independent research group.
Typical options for Fellowships within our group include, but are not limited to:
| Fellowship | Information |
|---|---|
| NERC IRF | Five-year Independent Research Fellowships for early-career researchers wishing to carry out independent research within NERC’s remit |
| Leverhulme ECF | Three-year Early Career Fellowship for early career researchers, with a research record but who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post, to undertake a significant piece of publishable work |
| UKRI FLF | Seven-year Future Leaders Fellowships for exceptional researchers supporting ambitious research or innovation across UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) remit. |
| Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellowship | Two-year fellowships open to researchers moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world to pursue their research career. |
| Royal Society URF | Seven-year University Research Fellowships for outstanding scientists wishing to undertake cutting-edge research. |
| Royal Society Newton International Fellowship | Two-year fellowship for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK. |
| Royal Society Dorothy Hodgekin Fellowships | Eight-year fellowships offering a recognised first step into an independent research career for outstanding early career scientists who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities and/or health-related conditions. |
Please do not hesitate to contact the most appropriate faculty member of the BGC if you have identified an appropriate research theme and funding opportunity you would like to talk about. The School of Geographical Sciences and Faculty of Science and Engineering sometimes run competitive internal sifts for some schemes, with set internal deadlines. Successful candidates will be provided expert advice and support for their application to the funding body. We will be able to help you navigate this.
PhD Students
UK PhDs are funded for 3-4 years and generally start in September. Usually you would need a good Bachelors or Masters degree in a relevant subject (e.g. Geography, Earth Science, Biology, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, or Maths) before taking on a PhD in our group. The most important thing is not your background, but that you enjoy research, are curious, and want to understand how the Earth system works.
A range of funded projects will be advertised from members of the Bristol Glaciology Centre every year (generally between September-January, for start the following September). Projects are commonly affiliated with larger funding opportunities such as UKRI-funded Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) or Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs), including the following:
- NERC GW4+ DTLP Projects
- Flood CDT for Resilient Flood Futures
- Bristol Postgraduate Research Scholarships
More information about PhDs in the School of Geographical Sciences can be found at the following link.
There may be further opportunities for funding depending on your background - for example, the Bristol Black Heritage PhD Scholarships, US Marshall Partnership scholarships, or the China Scholarship Council.
More information on potential funding sources is available on the School of Geographical Sciences website or through the University of Bristol Postgraduate Research funding search tool.
If you have identified an appropriate funding source and potential project that aligns with one of the BGC faculty, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us to discuss opportunities.
Our commitment to inclusive research and scholarship
We are committed to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment in which all members feel respected, supported, and able to thrive. We recognise that excellence in glaciological research is strengthened by a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and identities, and we strive to break down barriers which have historically limited participation in polar and mountain science. This requires more than passive support: we aim to act as allies by listening to lived experiences, amplifying under-represented voices, challenging discrimination and exclusion where we encounter them, and supporting fair access to opportunities within our group and the wider glaciological research community. We are committed to ongoing reflection, learning, and action to ensure our research culture is welcoming, inclusive, and supportive for all. We also celebrate initiatives that promote inclusion and visibility in our field, such as Polar Pride and the Diversity in UK Polar Science Initiative.