Global Methane Politics

Two full scholarships on methane politics are available in the School of Politics and International Studies in 2026/27. These scholarships cover full home fees plus maintenance matching UKRI rates. <br /> <br /> These fully funded PhD positions provide an exciting opportunity to pursue research on international climate politics, as part of an international and interdisciplinary team working on the politics of methane emissions and methane emissions reduction efforts. One of the scholarships will focus on the politics of coal methane, while the other will focus on the politics of methane from wastewater.

<p>We are offering two fully-funded PhD scholarships in the School of Politics and International Studies, starting 1 October 2026. The scholarships are for 3.5 years, and will cover UK tuition fees plus maintenance stipends matching UKRI rates (£20,780 in 2025/26), subject to satisfactory progress. One of the scholarships will cover international fees plus maintenance, while the other will cover full home fees plus maintenance.</p> <p>The successful candidates will join and become integral parts of the Global Methane Politics project (METH-POL), a five-year European Research Council-funded project led by Professor Jan Selby in the School of Politics and International Studies at Leeds. The overall objectives of this project are to contribute to global climate change research and practice by exploring 1) the distinctive political dynamics and challenges associated with methane emissions and methane emission reduction efforts; and 2) why methane emissions are proving so hard to control, despite their acknowledged importance as a short-term climate forcer and the abundance of low-cost technical mitigation solutions. The project will involve research across five major methane emitting sectors – livestock, oil and gas, solid waste, coal, and wastewater – and in more than a dozen countries spanning global North and South, and every continent. The project adopts a broadly political ecology theoretical approach, and will involve research at many different scales, from international policy arenas right down to the level of individual mines, farms and treatment plants where methane is emitted and governed in practice. The project will principally make use of qualitative methods, especially documentary analysis, interviews and observations. <br /> The two PhD positions on the project will focus respectively on 1) the politics of <strong>coal </strong>methane, and 2) the politics of <strong>wastewater </strong>methane. For both positions, the core objective will be to undertake and produce original research on the specific sector being studied, using analytical frameworks and research methods that are broadly compatible with the overall approach of the METH-POL project. </p> <p>Both PhD projects will involve extensive international fieldwork, fully covered by project funds. The PhD position on the politics of coal methane is currently planned to involve primary research in Germany and Indonesia, while the PhD position on  the politics of wastewater methane is planned to involve research in Uganda and Indonesia. However, none of these case study choices are set in stone.  </p> <p>The successful candidates will be embedded in a dynamic interdisciplinary team in Leeds’ School of Politics and International Studies, and will play key roles in designing and delivering the METH-POL project. They will be inducted into the project alongside other members of the project team (the PI, three post-doctoral research fellows, and project administrator) during the first year of their PhD studies, including through training and group learning on the technical aspects of methane emissions and their mitigation. With support from their supervisors and other members of the project team, they will then design PhD projects which are original but also compatible with the overall approach of the METH-POL project. They will collaborate, both during and after completing their international fieldwork, with other team members to compare across sites, scales and sectors, and to explore the broader implications of these sectoral and comparative findings for global methane and climate research and practice. </p> <p>The successful candidates will be included in decision-making about the strategic direction of the project, and will have opportunities to lead particular elements of it. They will attend national and international conferences, fully covered by project funds; will co-author project publications; and will engage widely with policymaker and practitioner communities. In addition, the successful candidates will be able to join the School of Politics and International Studies’ large Climate Politics Group, as well as the<u> <a href="https://climate.leeds.ac.uk/">Priestley Centre for Climate Futures</a></u>, Leeds’ cross-university centre for research on climate change.</p> <p>Within these overall parameters, successful candidates will be encouraged to shape their PhD projects in ways that make the most of their own individual theoretical, methodological and substantive preferences and expertise. With this in mind, applicants are welcome to propose and make a case for alternative country case study ideas, as well as to identify any particular analytical or methodological skills and interests that they could productively contribute the METH-POL project. </p> <p>Successful candidates will have a strong interest in climate and environmental politics. The will also likely have studied Politics, International Relations, Geography, Environmental Studies or a cognate social science discipline at undergraduate and/or masters level.  </p> <p>Both PhD projects will be lead-supervised by <a href="https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/politics/staff/2557/professor-jan-selby?_gl=1*3csj3q*_gcl_au*NzIyMjQ3ODQwLjE3NjQyNDYyMDA.*_ga*MTc3NTMyMDU2Ni4xNzY0MjQ2MjAx*_ga_SEKE21EBEQ*czE3NjQzMzQwMzkkbzYkZzEkdDE3NjQzMzQyNzQkajMyJGwwJGg2OTk1OTE2NTY.">Jan Selby</a>, as the project’s Principal investigator, but both will also have a secondary supervisor. <a href="https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/civil-engineering/staff/478/professor-barbara-evans?_gl=1*kacskq*_gcl_au*NzIyMjQ3ODQwLjE3NjQyNDYyMDA.*_ga*MTc3NTMyMDU2Ni4xNzY0MjQ2MjAx*_ga_SEKE21EBEQ*czE3NjQzMzQwMzkkbzYkZzEkdDE3NjQzMzQyNDkkajU3JGwwJGg2OTk1OTE2NTY."><u>Professor Barbara Evans</u></a> in Leeds’ School of Engineering will serve as the secondary supervisor for the PhD project on wastewater. The secondary supervisor for the PhD project on coal methane is yet to be decided.</p> <p>Anthropogenic methane emissions are both a hugely important aspect of the climate crisis, and under-studied. These PhD scholarships represent a fantastic opportunity to do cutting-edge research on them, as part of a collective endeavour that could have very significant research and policy implications.</p> <p><strong>Selection Process</strong></p> <ul> <li>Applications will be evaluated on academic merit, and a shortlist of candidates will be produced for each PhD position. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to an online interview (to take place during late February or early March 2026). </li> <li>Decisions will be made after the interviews, on the basis of the written application plus interview performance. </li> <li>Selection will be made on the basis of the following criteria:</li> </ul> <ol type="a"> <li>Academic record, experience and potential; </li> <li>Any relevant non-academic experience; </li> <li>Quality of the applicant’s proposed approach to their PhD project; </li> <li>Fit with the overall aims of the METH-POL project; </li> <li>Language and cultural competences appropriate to the proposed case study countries;</li> <li>Ability to work both independently, and as part of a team.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Other Conditions</strong></p> <ul> <li>Candidates who have previously been awarded a PhD or are currently registered on a PhD are excluded from applying. Those who were previously studying for a PhD but did not complete may be considered.</li> <li>Awards must be taken up by 1 October 2026.</li> <li>Applicants must live within a reasonable distance of the University of Leeds whilst in receipt of this scholarship.</li> <li>Please be aware that any expenses related to the relocation of international students to the UK (visa, insurance, NHS fees, flights, etc) would be their responsibility and is not covered by this award.</li> </ul>

<p>To apply for this project you will need to make a formal application for research degree study through the University's website. You will need to create a login ID with a username and PIN.</p> <ul> <li>For ‘Application type’ please select ‘Research Degrees – Research Postgraduate’.</li> <li>The admission year for this project is 2026/2027 Academic Year.</li> <li>You will need to select your ‘Planned Course of Study’ from a drop-down menu. For this project, scroll down and select ‘PhD Politics and International Studies Full-time’</li> <li>The project start date for this project is 1 October 2026, please use this as your Proposed Start Date of Research.</li> <li>Please state clearly in the research information section that the research degree you wish to be considered for is ‘Global Methane Politics’ as well as Professor Jan Selby as your proposed supervisor.</li> <li>You will be required to provide a personal statement which outlines 1) your interest in the METH-POL project; 2) how your skills and experience map onto the requirements of, and might enrich, the project; and 3) any preferred substantive focus, or theoretical or methodological approach, for your PhD project. Please specify at the head of this personal statement whether you are particularly interested in the PhD project on coal or wastewater (or both).</li> </ul> <p>More information on how to apply is available on our website here.</p> <p>You will also need to provide the following documents:</p> <ul> <li>certificates and transcripts of any academic qualifications</li> <li>English language qualification certificates, if applicable</li> <li>a copy of your CV </li> <li>visa and immigration documents, if applicable</li> </ul> <p>If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the University's minimum English language requirements (below).</p> <p>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. Across all Faculties we are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+ and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability.</p>

Applicants to this scholarship in the School of POLIS should normally have a First class Undergraduate degree (or international equivalent) AND a Distinction (or predicted Distinction) in their Masters degree (both in an appropriate discipline). Applicants who are uncertain about the requirements for a particular research degree are advised to contact the Graduate School Admissions Office prior to making an application.

The minimum English language entry requirement for postgraduate research study in the School of Politics and International Studies is an IELTS of 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or equivalent. The test must be dated within two years of the start date of the course in order to be valid.

<p>Two full scholarships on methane politics are available in the School of Politics and International Studies in 2026/27. One of these scholarships covers international fees plus maintenance matching UKRI rates, while the other covers full home fees plus maintenance matching UKRI rates.</p> <p>These fully funded PhD positions provide an exciting opportunity to pursue research on international climate politics, as part of an international and interdisciplinary team working on the politics of methane emissions and methane emissions reduction efforts. One of the scholarships will focus on the politics of coal methane, while the other will focus on the politics of methane from wastewater.</p>

<p>For further information please contact the Admissions Office: <a href="mailto:applypgr.socialsciences@leeds.ac.uk?subject=Global%20Methane%20Politics%20Project">applypgr.socialsciences@leeds.ac.uk</a></p>