University of Kent 2025 Scholarship 0n Impacts of Water-Use Efficiency on Strawberry Fruit Production and Quality

Applications are now open for the University of Kent 2025 Scholarship 0n Impacts of Water-Use Efficiency on Strawberry Fruit Production and Quality

Research Objectives: 

1: Characterize variation in stomatal traits across large strawberry germplasm collections that drive differences in plant water-use efficiency. Stomata are microscopic pores on plant surfaces that control water loss and facilitate the uptake of carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. 

2: Identify genetic loci controlling stomatal traits, develop markers for breeding purposes, and generate novel strawberry varieties that have improved water-use efficiency.  

3: Quantify the impacts of differential water-use efficiency on strawberry plant resource utilization, growth rates, fruit production, and fruit quality.  

4: Assess how changes in water-use efficiency might reduce production costs, improve long-term sustainability, and enhance resilience to climate variability in the strawberry industry.   

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineMay 30, 2025
• Value(£20,780
• Study LevelMasters
• SponsorUniversity of Kent
• City to studyLondon
• School to studyUniversity of Kent

Benefits

Tuition fees at Home rate and annual stipend at the standard Research Council rate (£20,780 in 2025/26) for 3.5 years.  

Requirements

This scholarship is available only to those assessed as home fee paying students and is due start in September 2025. The successful candidate should have (or expect to have) an Honours Degree (or equivalent) with a minimum of 2.1 in Plant Sciences, Genetics, Computational Biology, Applied Statistics, or other related scientific subjects. Students with (or expect to have) an appropriate Master’s degree are particularly encouraged to apply. 

Candidates whose first language is not English must provide evidence that their English language is sufficient to meet the specific demands of the project. Please see the guidelines here for English Language Requirements.  

Application Deadline

How To Apply

If you wish to be considered for this scholarships must apply for a full-time place on PhD Genetics for September 2025 entry at the University of Kent by 30th May, 2025, 23:59 BST. Interviews will be conducted in June 2025.  

Following your course application, please also complete a Scholarship Declaration of Interest Form.  

For more details, visit University of Kent Scholarship webpage