Doctoral and Researcher College at University of Reading

09/10/2026

08/10/2026

🎉 Huge congratulations on your achievement Raheem! 🥳 👏

Congratulations to Raheem Aminu on completing his PhD in Agriculture, Environmental and Food Economics here in the School.

He said: “My research develops a new way to measure resilience to climate-related shocks, such as unpredictable rainfall, drought and floods, among agricultural households in Nigeria. I found that asset ownership and adaptive capacity are important for resilience, while social safety nets and access to basic services play supportive roles. These findings highlight the need for resilience-building policies that strengthen assets, education, and adaptive skills. My time at the University of Reading has been a journey of growth, discovery, resilience, and meaningful connections. I leave with a PhD, as well as memories, friendships, and lessons that continue to shape my journey.”

07/10/2026

📢 The ESRC SEDarc Social Sciences PhD Studentships for 2027 are open for applications! Eligible subjects at the University of Reading are Agri-food Economics | Architecture and Built Environment | Business and Management | Development Studies | Economics | Education | Human Geography | Linguistics | Politics and International Relations | Psychology | Clinical Language Sciences | Real Estate and Planning and Social Anthropology.

👉 Find out more details and how to apply at https://www.reading.ac.uk/doctoral-researcher-college/funding/phd-studentships/esrc-sedarc-dtp

07/10/2026

Raw chicken. Food poisoning. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Not usually the ingredients for a good news story. Until you add blue light.

University of Reading scientists have discovered that violet-blue light can kill Campylobacter, the most common cause of bacterial food poisoning worldwide.

Dr Aidan Taylor from our Department of Biomedical Sciences is lead author of a new paper, published in the journal Microbiology this week. It tested the low-power light treatment against 64 different strains of Campylobacter. It killed every one, including strains resistant to multiple antibiotics.

That's particularly significant because Campylobacter is found in around three quarters of raw chicken sold in the UK.

There's more work to do before you're likely to see blue lights appearing in poultry processing plants. But if trials in real-world environments are successful, the technology could eventually help reduce contamination before chicken even reaches our kitchens.

A simple light treatment, no added chemicals or antibiotics and a potentially promising new way to tackle one of the world's most common causes of food poisoning.

Find out more: https://rdg.ac/4rRi3do

02/10/2026

🧠 The University of Reading School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences is inviting applications for a 3-year funded PhD in psychology, neuroscience, psycholinguistics, or clinical language science starting in 2027.

🗣 Candidates are encouraged to discuss their research proposal with a potential supervisor before they submit a 500-700 word research proposal with their application.

👉 Apply by 4 December 2026!
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DTB024/magdalen-vernon-phd-studentship-in-psychology-neuroscience-psycholinguistics-or-clinical-language-science

01/10/2026

Interested in learning how to apply your mathematical skills to climate questions? 4-year funded PhDs with enhanced stipend available at the University of Reading through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in the Mathematics of our Future Climate.

Find out more and how to apply for a September 2027 start!
👉 https://www.reading.ac.uk/maths-and-stats/phd/mathematics-for-our-future-climate

01/10/2026

Does co-production have a place in prisoner rehabilitation? Christopher Purnell’s PhD research seeks to critically investigate co-production practices in prisons and evaluate its potential as a methodology for creating change.

👉 Read more about Christopher’s work and other doctoral research at rdg.ac/drhighlights26

30/09/2026

😋 When is sweet too sweet? This PhD opportunity funded through the BBSRC Food Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award seeks to investigate individual differences and preferences for sweetness within the UK.

🍫 The project is a partnership between the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Reading, Swansea University and industry giant Mondelēz International and will include a range of placement, training and networking opportunities. 4-year award with enhanced stipend.

👉 Find out more and apply by 23 October 2026 https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/individual-differences-and-preferences-for-sweetness-within-the-uk/?p198638

29/09/2026