Leverhulme Doctoral Programme for Regenerative Innovation (Regnr8-i): Scaling nature-based practices to provide multiple benefits from PROTECTing Scottish SOILs (PROTECT-SOIL)

Soils are crucial to our economy, environment and society due to the many ecosystem services they provide. Soils are formed over hundreds of years but can be washed away in a few hours. Erosion rates in Scotland are higher than other parts of Europe threatening the ecosystem services we rely on for material and societal needs, and causing environmental damage estimated at £50 million annually with additional costs from soil compaction. A warming climate and more frequent extreme rainfall events exacerbate soil erosion risk. Nature-inspired practices such as tree planting and cover cropping are proposed as methods to regenerate and protect soils from erosion and regulate water flows, while simultaneously providing space for biodiversity (Scottish Government Biodiversity Strategy, 2022). Understanding which practices should be applied and where is critical, both for slowing water and sediment loss during heavy rainfall and for minimising the impacts of excess water flow and sediment deposition on downstream communities.

The project aims to identify which nature-based practices are most likely to reduce runoff, soil erosion and downstream sediment deposition in high-risk areas of Scotland through the following objectives:

1. Create enhanced erosion risk map(s) in high-risk case study catchment(s) by integrating data from weather patterns and land cover into existing soil risk maps;
2. Generate scenarios of nature-based practices in case study catchment(s) based on current data and expert knowledge and assess their feasibility, potential multi-functionality and trade-offs;
3. Quantify the effects of nature-based practices on runoff, soil erosion and transport in case study catchments using modelling and/or empirical methods.

The student will use methods from soil science, agroecology, hydrology and fluid dynamics, allowing them to develop a transdisciplinary skillset that will be highly suited to solve ‘wicked’ problems in science and society in their future career. Initially, they will assess the recent literature and data sources on the efficacy of practices for regulating water flow and sediment losses. Alongside this, Scotland’s soil vulnerability maps will be evaluated and enhanced using weather patterns and land cover and management data, including the presence of native vegetation. Case study catchment(s) with existing data will be used to examine whether nature-based practices could reduce water flows and erosion losses. From here, several approaches are possible, such as GIS mapping to design scenarios of nature-based solutions, and/or hydrological-hydraulic-sediment transport modelling (e.g. using HEC-RAS) using existing or newly collected empirical data to quantify runoff and sediment loss under different scenarios. Stakeholder engagement to evaluate nature-based practices for their multi-functional outcomes will be central to the project. The student will benefit from existing projects in the supervisory team (e.g. Eddleston Water Project, AiMS project) offering access to data and stakeholder links.

The project outputs will include improved knowledge about the feasibility of nature-based practices in high erosion risk areas and evidence for their potential impact on water flow, erosion, downstream sediment deposition and other multifunctional outcomes.

For informal enquiries about the project, contact any of the principal supervisors:

Dr Alison Karley ([email protected]); https://www.hutton.ac.uk/people/alison-karley;

Dr Andrew Black ([email protected]), https://www.dundee.ac.uk/people/andrew-black;

Dr Alan Cuthbertson ([email protected]), https://www.dundee.ac.uk/people/alan-cuthbertson

APPLICATION PROCESS

Step 1 – Applicants are recommended to make contact as early as possible ahead of the deadline with the lead supervisor and (1) send a copy of your CV and (2) discuss your potential application and any particular needs.

Step 2 – After discussion with the lead supervisor, formal applications can be made via the following form: REGNR8-I Scholarship Application Form 2025_UK Students.docx. Please use this form instead of the register of interest form below.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants should have first-class, or an upper second-class (2.1) Honours degree AND a Master’s degree in discipline(s) relevant to their selected topic, unless applying for the Master’s Plus with its alternative requirements (see application form). 

English language requirement: IELTS (Academic) overall score must be at least 6.5 (with not less than 5.5 in reading, listening, speaking and 6.0 in writing). The University of Dundee accepts a variety of equivalent qualifications and alternative ways to demonstrate language proficiency; please see full details of the University’s English language requirements here: www.dundee.ac.uk/guides/english-language-requirements.