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Introduction to the Leverhulme 'Space for Nature' Doctoral Scholars Program

The Leverhulme 'Space for Nature' Doctoral Scholars program is an initiative funded by the Leverhulme Trust, complemented by matched funding from the University of Kent. This program aims to address one of the key global conservation challenges of our time: reconciling biodiversity protection with other land-uses and land values.

Program Overview

The program will offer approximately 20 fully-funded PhD scholarships in the coming years. Additionally, it will provide around 10 fully-funded taught MSc in Conservation Science and 3 MSc by Research studentships as a pathway onto a doctorate (1+4 years of full funding). All PhD students will receive up to Ł10,000 to support their research and professional development, such as conference attendance and training.

Eligibility and Funding

These funding opportunities are open to UK home students, although a small number of international students can also be accommodated. The program is particularly keen to support applicants from lower-income or minority ethnic backgrounds.

Research Focus

The Leverhulme 'Space for Nature' Doctoral Scholars will focus on addressing the challenge of biodiversity loss and the need for novel conservation solutions. The program will explore the concept of 'other effective conservation measures' (OECMs), which comprise geographically defined areas that are governed and managed to achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity.

Key Areas of Research

• The program will investigate the potential of OECMs to enhance ecological connectivity across landscapes and deliver conservation value in privately- or community-governed areas important for biodiversity.
• It will also examine the role of multifunctional landscapes in reconciling biodiversity protection with other land-uses and land values.
  • This will involve considering the many interconnected and converging disciplinary issues that shape multifunctional landscapes.
  • The program will foster new ways of considering how landscapes can work as venues that benefit both biodiversity and people.

Interdisciplinary Approach

The Leverhulme Space for Nature Doctoral Scholars program is committed to interdisciplinarity, bringing together diverse fields and domains of knowledge to address the complex challenges of conservation and biodiversity protection. Through this approach, the program aims to deliver high-quality, solutions-driven research that can inform and shape effective conservation strategies.