SHEAR Studentship Cohort (SSC) programme

This grant funds a cohort of PhD students to study environmental hazards, not a single research project with a defined scientific question. The programme addresses a critical skills gap: the UK needs more trained experts who can forecast, model, and mitigate natural threats such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, and storms. Current capacity in hazard science is stretched, and the country’s infrastructure—roads, power lines, housing, water systems—remains vulnerable to events that are becoming more frequent and severe. If the programme succeeds, it will produce a new generation of scientists and practitioners who can translate fundamental understanding of Earth processes into practical risk assessments and early warning systems. These graduates will work across universities, government agencies such as the Environment Agency and the Met Office, and private-sector engineering and insurance firms. Their work could improve how the UK designs flood defences, plans emergency responses, and insures property against damage. This is a training investment, not a discovery project. Its impact will be measured in people, not papers—specifically, in the expertise that enters the workforce over the next decade.