Research Experience Placements

Research Experience Placements

The NERC Research Experience Placement (REP) scheme aims to address both thematic skills gaps as well as demographic and diversity-related challenges in the environmental sciences by offering funding to support paid summer placements for undergraduate students, during which they will carry out research projects within the scope of the environmental sciences.

What is a REP like?

Our previous REP students have all really enjoyed their time with us, and found the experience of working in a real research environment on current research projects to be valuable in thinking about their next steps:

“In addition to the lab research, I was given the opportunity to attend a diverse set of talks presented by speakers from all over the world, and doing original research in different areas of Biology. As part of the REP, I was also able to attend the DTP residential summer school, allowing me to meet first year PhD students who were well into their projects, and hear first-hand about their experiences.”

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REPS

Developing social heat and flood vulnerability indices to support climate risk assessment and place-based adaptation_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Dr Katie Jenkins

Locations:
University of East Anglia

Duration:
6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degrees:
Environmental sciences, Physical Geography

The successful applicant will contribute to an exciting new project the ‘Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change Hub’, funded by...

Impact of Arctic warming on antimicrobial resistance_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Dr Marcela Hernández García

Locations:
University of East Anglia

Duration:
6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degree:
Environmental Microbiology

Soil is one of the largest and most diverse habitats on Earth and it is vital for ecosystems and food...

Firmware Optimization of a Long Range Wireless tracking device for animal tracking_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Professor Aldina Franco

Locations:
University of East Anglia

Duration:
6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degrees:
Computing Sciences, Informatics, Mathematics

The demand and use of tracking devices to collect information remotely and with minimum supervision has increased exponentially in recent...

How does seawater composition influence calcification in marine calcifiers?_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Dr Uwe Balthasar

Locations:
University of Plymouth

Duration:
6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degrees:
Earth Science, Environmental science, Marine Science

The skeletons of marine calcifiers are composed of aragonite and/or calcite, the primary minerals of calcium carbonate. Aragonite is typically...

Assessing the impact of urban grassland management on invertebrate and plant diversity_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Sophie Fauset, James Buckley (co-supervisor)

Locations:
University of Plymouth

Duration:
6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degrees:
Biology, Ecology, Environmental sciences

Urban areas are increasingly recognised as important refuges for a wide range of organisms and many cities are actively trying...

How does deformation control the hydrothermal plumbing systems of slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges?_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Dr Andy Parsons, Dr Michelle Harris, Dr Jess Berry

Locations:
University of Plymouth

Duration:
8 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degree:
Environmental sciences

Earth’s network of mid-ocean ridges represents the world’s largest magmatic system, which is responsible for the creation of oceanic crust...

Creating a biodiversity baseline for the University of Kent’s Canterbury Campus_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Dr Laura Kor and Dr Dave Seaman

Locations:
University of Kent

Duration:
6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degrees:
Biology, Conservation, Ecology, Geography

Covering an area of 300 acres (1.2km2), the University of Kent (UoK) Canterbury Campus contains a mosaic of woodland and...

Identifying hidden hydrocarbon degraders in the ocean_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Professor Terry McGenity

Locations:
University of Essex

Duration:
6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degrees:
Biology, Environmental sciences

  Phytoplankton release hundreds of millions of tonnes of hydrocarbons per year into the marine environment, especially medium-chain alkanes/alkenes from...

Survival of precocial waterbird offspring in English wetlands_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Professor Tom Cameron

Locations:
University of Essex

Duration:
6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degrees:
Animal Welfare, Any STEM, Biology, Ecology, Environmental sciences, Geography, Veterinary

Interest in wildlife conservation and ecology has never been higher, and yet access to wildlife biology internships, voluntary experiences and...

Characterization of antimicrobial resistant bioaerosols_REP2025

Lead Supervisors:
Dr Rob Ferguson

Locations:
University of Essex

Duration:
6 weeks

Suitable undergraduate degrees:
Biological Sciences, Ecology, Environmental sciences, Microbiology

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an unfolding public health emergency. In 2019 there were 4.95 million deaths associated with AMR1 (comparable...