Green Roof Research Opportunity with CENTA 2025 PhD Project

A GREEN ROOF research opportunity with a fully-funded PhD study on green roof function in the UK is being offered.

The study will be based at The Open University (OU) in Milton Keynes, and will work in collaboration with industry partners, Bridgman & Bridgman, and the Green Roof Organisation (GRO).

It is supported by the Central England NERC Training Alliance (CENTA) doctoral research training programme.

Green Roof Research Opportunity

The successful candidate will take the lead on a new green roof experimental platform being installed on campus. They will investigate the performance and ecological function of different vegetation and substrate combinations.

Green roof coverage is currently about five million square meters and increasing in the UK, but much of what we know about green roof performance comes from European and North American studies.

There is a not much data on UK green roof performance and how they affect urban ecosystems when present at scale. This represents a significant knowledge gap for the development of sustainable cities in the UK context.

It is also unclear how the combination of plant species and substrate type and depth influence the different ecosystem services. Moreover, the long-term performance and resilience of the vegetation under a changing climate is uncertain.

The study project will:

• Take the lead on a new green roof experimental platform being established
• Close involvement with industry and good potential for impact into UK practice
• Opportunity to focus on a range of ecological and biogeochemical processes

Further details on the project, including how to apply, are available. There are also details on training opportunities and benefits of doing a PhD through CENTA while funding information and more about the School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Science PhD programme at the OU is here.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Wednesday 8 January 2025.

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