Research in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management
We are committed to providing a stimulating learning environment for students by underpinning our teaching with personal research. Our research activity focuses on strategically important and timely environmental, resource, transport and societal issues. Reflecting its global prominence, the Department of Geography and Environmental Management hosts a number of research centres and groups. Department staff also collaborate with other research centres based in other departments and faculties.
Our research regularly appears in high impact scientific journals, influences practice and policy and wins prestigious awards.
Research centres and groups
Air Quality Management Resource Centre
Widely recognised by air quality and carbon management practitioners, nationally and internationally, as a leading provider of information, advice, research and consultancy.
Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments
The Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments (SPE) aims to develop understanding of how to achieve places that are environmentally sustainable, socially just and economically competitive.
Centre for Transport and Society
Our aim is to improve and promote understanding of the inherent links between lifestyles and personal travel in the context of continuing social and technological change.
Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience
The Centre for Water, Communities and Resilience (CWCR) brings together established inter-disciplinary teams working on different national and international water security initiatives at UWE Bristol.
WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments
Promoting sustainable settlements through research, teaching, consultancy, knowledge exchange and publications. We work closely with external organisations including the WHO European Healthy Cities network.
Postgraduate research opportunities
Key to the development of a new generation of cutting-edge researchers is our PhD student and postgraduate researcher community. More than three dozen strong, they are pursuing research linked to the University’s and the Department’s strategic goals of generating new knowledge about climate adaptation and mitigation in the areas of transport and mobility, air quality and carbon management, water science, management and engineering and civil and environmental engineering.
Examples of PhD topics in recent completions include:
Air quality and carbon management
- Source apportionment of air pollution by citizen behaviour and demographics (Professor Enda Hayes)
- Developing a protocol for the establishment of emissions inventories and modelling of airborne microplastics/microfibres (Dr Ben Williams)
- Systematic evaluation of air and carbon management strategies through the lens of the SDGs (Dr Jo Barnes)
- Investigating the role of local leadership in shaping and delivering just transitions in cities (Dr Laura De Vito)
Sustainable water management
- Risk, community resilience and socially disadvantaged groups
- Equity and environmental justice (Professor Lindsey McEwen)
- Water efficiency and SDGs (Professor Chad Staddon)
- Infrastructural resilience, changing risk and society
Sustainable transport
- New transport and mobility technologies (Professor Graham Parkhurst, Dr Daniela Paddeu)
- Transport and mobility policies, practices and behaviours (Professor John Parkin, Dr Kiron Chatterjee)
- The traveller experience (Dr Juliet Jain)
- Inclusive transport and mobility (Dr Miriam Ricci)
Environmental engineering and geosciences
- Earth surface processes and development (Dr Lisa Mol)
- Long-term environmental change and subsurface processes (Dr Peter Rowley)
- Hydrodynamic modelling of natural and coastal infrastructure schemes (Dr Antonia Chatzirodou)
Planning for sustainable cities
- Community-led housing and low-Impact development (Dr Katie McClymont)
- Integrated infrastructure planning and reflexive governance (Dr Stephen Hall)
- Urban regeneration and energy efficient building research
Faculty of Environment and Technology (FET) studentship opportunities
To view all currently advertised funded or partially funded studentships within the Department and wider Faculty, please view our main studentship opportunities webpages.
Our PhD and postgraduate community
Hear from members of our PhD and postgraduate community.
Karen Simpson
PhD student, Karen Simpson, is studying how we can improve water efficiency in our homes.
Jeremiah Jeremiah
PhD student, Jeremiah Jeremiah, is developing a sustainable soil stabilisation technique using AI.
Louis Brown
PhD student, Louis Brown, is working to improve air quality around schools.
Thanti Octavianti
Postdoctoral researcher, Thanti Octavianti, is working to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Postgraduate research study
Our Graduate School offers you the opportunity to contribute to our dynamic and leading edge research.
Postgraduate research studyBreaking research boundaries
We’re tackling the big issues of today and tomorrow head on. This is big, brave thinking for a better future. It’s research done well. Research with the power to transform lives, transform the future.
Breaking research boundariesScholarships and bursaries
At UWE Bristol, we have a range of scholarships and bursaries that are available to postgraduate applicants and new students.
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Research centres and groups
Browse UWE Bristol's portfolio of research areas, expertise, staff and publications.
Research Excellence Framework (REF)
UWE Bristol's approach to REF 2021 and information on REF 2014 results.