The Scottish Universities Partnership for Environmental Research (SUPER)

The Scottish Universities Partnership for Environmental Research (SUPER) is a consortium that trains the next generation of environmental scientists through a coordinated doctoral training programme. This matters because the UK faces complex environmental challenges—from climate change and biodiversity loss to pollution and resource scarcity—that require skilled researchers who can work across disciplines and institutions. Currently, postgraduate training in environmental science can be fragmented, with individual universities offering isolated programmes that may not give students the breadth of expertise needed to tackle these interconnected problems. SUPER addresses this gap by pooling the resources, facilities, and supervisory expertise of multiple Scottish universities into a single, coherent training framework. If successful, SUPER will produce a cohort of PhD graduates who are equipped to work on real-world environmental issues, from monitoring ecosystem health to advising on sustainable land use. These researchers will feed directly into academia, government agencies, and industry—helping to inform policy, improve environmental monitoring, and develop practical solutions. The public rarely sees this training infrastructure, but it quietly shapes the quality of environmental science that underpins decisions about flood defences, carbon targets, and conservation strategies.