PhDs

AstrobiologyOU are committed to developing the next generation of researchers and offer PhDs across all areas of the group’s research, spanning several academic schools at The Open University

PhD projects available for CENTA studentships (project based), with AstrobiologyOU members:

2027-OU04 Briny Biospheres: A multi’Omic approach to complex hypersaline environments Lead supervisor Dr Claire Batty ([email protected])

2027-OU06 Cryo-mineral dynamics within ice-bound brines on Earth and icy moons Lead supervisor Dr Mark Fox-Powell ([email protected])

2027-OU08 Exploring the limits of habitability from Antarctic brines to icy worlds Lead supervisor Prof Karen Olsson-Francis (karen.olsson–[email protected])

2027-OU09 Microbial origins of methane emissions and uptake in forested closed landfills Lead supervisor Dr Michael Macey ([email protected])

2027-OU11 Life on the rocks: mineral precipitation and its role in habitability Lead supervisor Dr Nisha Ramkissoon ([email protected])

2027-OU12 Follow the fluids: Hydrothermal alteration in Iceland and implications for Early Earth and terrestrial planets Lead supervisor Dr Julia Semprich ([email protected])

Details on how to apply can be found on the individual project details.

Applications must be submitted by 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 6th January 2027.

We have previously offered PhDs in areas including:

Microbial survival in Martian brines: implications for planetary protection
Development and validation of innovative, near real-time analytical tools to enable mitigation of contamination within cleanrooms of the UK spacecraft & satellite industry
Tracing the dispersal of extremophiles within geothermal aerosols in Iceland
Carbon monoxide-fuelled life in saline environments
After the dust has settled: The post-impact hydrothermal system at Rochechouart impact crater and implications for Early Earth
A deep dive into biogeochemical cycling in Icelandic Hot Springs
From Warm and Wet to Cold and Dry on Mars: Ancient Environments as Seen from a Rover Perspective
Signatures of organic-salt-ice interactions in the plumes of Enceladus and other icy moons
Whose Commons is it Anyway? Environmental Authority and the Development of Space Law
How to Find Life on Mars: Investigating biological potential and putative biosignature formation

PhD Funding

PhDs are funded from a number of different sources that will cover fees and living expenses.
This includes funding from The Open University, the Central England NERC Training Alliance (CENTA), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the UK Space Agency (UKSA).
Details of funding are specific to each PhD offered, but general details can be found on the OU's Studentship and funding page.

We welcome the opportunity to work with organisations that could fully or partially support a PhD student through their studies.