IAPETUS : Postgraduate Environmental Training NexUS : transforming doctoral students into the next generation leaders in science, industry and policy

NERC is funding a new doctoral training network called IAPETUS to turn PhD students into leaders for science, industry and policy. This matters because the UK needs a steady pipeline of highly skilled environmental scientists who can tackle complex challenges—from climate change to resource management—but traditional PhD training often leaves graduates unprepared for careers outside academia. The programme addresses this gap by embedding students in a consortium of universities, research institutes and industry partners, giving them hands-on experience with real-world problems from day one. If successful, IAPETUS will produce graduates who can move seamlessly between research, government and business. That could mean faster translation of climate science into policy, better-informed decisions on water and energy infrastructure, and a workforce equipped to handle environmental risks that affect supply chains, flood defences and public health. The training model itself could also become a template for other doctoral programmes. This is a training grant, not a fundamental science project. Its direct impact is on the people it trains rather than on a specific discovery or technology.