Environmental Biosciences: Metapopulation dynamics of pollinating bees under pesticide pressure

Swansea University; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 20,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is offering a PhD position focusing on the ecological modelling of bee-plant interactions impacted by pesticides and habitat loss. This exciting opportunity will allow the candidate to develop skills in experimental design, data analysis, and ecological theory, with collaborative opportunities in conservation and agriculture. The position starts in January 2026 and is funded with a scholarship covering tuition fees and a stipend of £19,237 annually.

Benefits

Funding covers full tuition fees

Annual stipend at UKRI rate

Research Training and Support Grant

Qualifications

• Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a relevant degree.
• Quantitative experience through coursework or projects is required.

Responsibilities

• Develop a mechanistic framework to understand pesticide impacts on bee interactions.
• Conduct empirical data analyses and experiments.
• Build and test predictive models of bee population dynamics.

Skills

Quantitative skills

Experimental design

Data analysis

Programming for simulations

Education

First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree

Master’s degree in relevant field

Job description

Organisation/Company Swansea University Department Central Research Field Environmental science Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 3 Dec 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/London) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Mutualistic interactions between plants and their animal pollinators are fundamental to their survival and the persistence of important agricultural ecosystem services. A cornerstone example of this are bees and the wildflowers and crops that depend on them. These systems are threatened by multiple anthropogenic factors, but of particular concern is exposure to agricultural pesticides (which represent a risk to bee health and survival) and the increasingly fragmented habitats in which bee populations reside. Therefore, understanding the synergistic effects of these anthropogenic disturbances on bee populations is key to safeguarding the crucial ecological services they provide is.

In this project the student will develop a mechanistic framework to better understand the anthropogenic impacts of pesticides and habitat loss on bee-plant interactions across spatial scales. The project will bring together empirical data analysis, experiments, and development of ecological theory to provide a holistic view of pollinator systems under human disturbance.

The specific objectives of the project are:

• Synthesise global patterns – Review and analyse existing studies to uncover how bee populations respond to pesticide use and habitat loss worldwide.
• Experimentally test impacts – Use lab experiments to measure how pesticides affect bee movement, decision making, and pollination efficiency.
• Develop predictive models – Build a mathematical model of bee population dynamics that incorporates the effects of pesticides (from the above experiments) as well as spatial processes such as dispersal and species interactions.
• Bridge data and theory – Test model predictions against real-world ecological patterns to identify key factors driving bee performance across scales.
• Forecast future risks – Use the integrated framework to predict how combined pressures from pesticides and habitat loss affect bee populations, refining our understanding of bee–plant interactions and movement.

This project offers an exciting opportunity for a PhD candidate interested in ecological modelling applied to the interface between conservation and agriculture. The candidate will develop skills in experimental design, development of ecological theory, analysis of large datasets, and programming of computer simulations. Transferrable skills from this project will open opportunities to develop collaborations with organisations such as Bristol City Council or the West of England Nature Partnership which are both collaborators of Dr Clements.

Our aim as the SWBio DTP is to support students from a range of backgrounds and circumstances.Where needed, we will work with you to take into consideration reasonable project adaptations (for example to support caring responsibilities, disabilities, other significant personal circumstances) as well as flexible working and part-time study requests, to enable greater access to a PhD.All our supervisors support us with this aim,so please feel comfortable in discussing furtherwith the listed PhD project supervisor to see what is feasible.

Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology. Applicants with a Lower Second Class degree will be considered if they also have a Master’s degree or have significant relevant research or non-academic experience.

In addition, due to the strong quantitative component of the taught course in the first year and the quantitative emphasis in our projects, quantitative experienceis needed. We recognise this can be demonstrated through a number of options, and have included some examples below (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Undertaking units as part of your degree or a course that have a significant quantitative component*
• Applying quantitative techniques to a project (e.g. dissertation, research project, report) – this could be within an academic or professional setting.
• Maths or Physics A-level

Additional Information

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £19,237 for 2024/25).

Funding also includes a £16k Research Training and Support Grant (RTSG) and a £1,920 fieldwork budget (to support fieldwork/conferences/PIPS placement).

Eligibility criteria

Applicants for a studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of science or technology. Applicants with a Lower Second Class degree will be considered if they also have a Master’s degree or have significant relevant research or non-academic experience.

In addition, due to the strong quantitative component of the taught course in the first year and the quantitative emphasis in our projects, quantitative experienceis needed. We recognise this can be demonstrated through a number of options, and have included some examples below (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Undertaking units as part of your degree or a course that have a significant quantitative component*
• Applying quantitative techniques to a project (e.g. dissertation, research project, report) – this could be within an academic or professional setting.
• Maths or Physics A-level

Selection process

Please see our website for further information