Plant Health Undergraduate Studentships

The awards provide support for the student at a rate of £412 per week for a studentship period of 8-10 weeks. The bursaries produce no National Insurance contribution liability. Each award includes £500 for costs to run the research; further research expenses are not offered under this scheme.

Students will be expected to participate in an online mini-symposium to present their project to other students in the programme. On completion of their project, students will be required to produce a poster about their research which may be included in relevant RSB and Member Organisation publications.

Proposed research projects must address at least one of the following themes which support the delivery of Defra's policy objectives:

1. Risk assessment and horizon scanning
2. Inspections, diagnostics and surveillance
3. Management of pests and diseases
4. Resilience and Adaptation
5. Plant Health Behaviours
6. Evaluation

Applicants are encouraged to look at the UK Plant Health Risk Register of current pests and pathogens. Applicants will be asked to indicate the level of supervision the undergraduate can expect to receive during the placement.

• Researchers at universities and research institutions within the UK are eligible to apply to host a Plant Health Undergraduate Studentship.
• Defra funding is only available to organisations based in England. However, organisations based in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are still eligible to apply for the other awards, which are not restricted to England.
• Post-doctoral researchers with the support of their PI may apply to host a Plant Health Undergraduate Studentship. PhD students/candidates are not eligible for this award.
• Supervisor applications from within the membership of the RSB, and our member organisations, are encouraged; those who are not RSB members are encouraged to consider the member application process, however RSB membership is not mandatory. The successful supervisors will each receive 50% off their RSB membership fee for the following year (this will apply to the initial year of membership for newly-elected members).
• Successful supervisory applicants are encouraged to join the Plant Health Professional Register.
• Only one application should be submitted per supervisor.
• Projects in which the student will be supervised remotely will also be considered for this award.

Successful projects will be widely advertised to students by the RSB in early April 2026. Supervisors will then be able to select an undergraduate student, however, the RSB can provide support in the student selection process if requested by the supervisor.

• Address skills and capacity challenges in plant health science by providing attractive opportunities for research experience to suitable undergraduates, offering them the opportunity to undertake supervised research with leading research groups.
• Facilitate training of undergraduates in research practice.
• Encourage research proposals and generate research outcomes in areas relevant to Defra’s plant health priorities.
• Build networks of research groups, emerging scientists and employers with a focus on plant health.

To apply, please log in or create an account on the RSB’s myRSB portal, then complete the application form.

Please read the guidance for applicants before making an enquiry or completing the application form.

The closing date for applications is 10 March 2026 at 23:59.

Investigating aphid parasitoids to protect crops (Harper Adams University)

Linking genetic diversity to biological control for improved crop protection

• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at Harper Adams University, Shropshire. This project is sponsored by the SCI Horticulture Group. 
• Supervisor: Professor Tom Pope

Please note that this project involves working with a range of plants, including strawberries, as well as insects.

Exploring the use of beetles in natural pest control (Shillingford Organics/University of Exeter)

Pest control ecosystem services in organic farming

• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at the Shillingford Organics, near Exeter. 
• Supervisor: Professor Daniel Bebber

Please note that students will need to organise their own transportation (e.g. taxi) to get to Shillingford Farm. Due to the outdoor nature of this project, please consider if you have hayfever. Students will be required to complete a risk assessment since they will be on a working farm.

Investigating plant defence molecules and aphid performance (Harper Adams University)

Scentinels of war: how plant defence elicitors mobilise aphid natural enemies

• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at Harper Adams University, Shropshire. This project is sponsored by the Association of Applied Biologists (AAB).
• Supervisor: Dr Joe Roberts

Investigating fungal wheat yield loss using protein modelling (Heriot-Watt University)

Prediction of Zymoseptoria tritici candidate effector isoform structures and interactions

• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
• Supervisor: Dr Angela Feechan

Investigating lures to attract bark beetles (Forest Research)

Just how specific are species-specific lures used for attracting bark beetles?

• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at Forest Research, Surrey.
• Supervisor: Mr Christopher Berman

This project involves the opportunity to go to the field, but if the student is unable to due to severe hayfever or accessibility requirements, then there are other alternatives such as laboratory/indoor work.

Exploring pest resistance in oilseed rape (John Innes Centre)

Exploring MAGIC pest resistance in oilseed rape

• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at the John Innes Centre, Norwich.
• Supervisor: Dr Ryan Brock

Please note that this research project will take place at the JIC Entomology facility. This involves handling different insect species so is unsuitable for students with insect/arachnid phobias.

Surveillance for plant viruses related to pollen from bees and hives (Fera Science Ltd)

Surveillance for pollen-associated plant viruses using bees and hive debris as sentinels

• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at Fera Science Ltd, York.
• Supervisor: Dr Marco Benucci

This project involves managing pollen and dust.

Developing phage cocktails for treating Brassica black rot (University of Warwick)

• Phage treatments for black rot disease in vegetable Brassica
• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at the University of Warwick, Coventry. This project is sponsored by the Association of Applied Biologists (AAB). 
• Supervisor: Dr Mogjan Rabiey

Investigating new bioinsecticides from leaf pathogens (BugBiome)

Bioprospecting from pathogen-infected leaves for novel bioinsecticide discovery

• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at BugBiome, Cambridge. This project is sponsored by the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation (CSF).
• Supervisor: Dr Alicia Showering

Exploring symbiosis to prevent plant disease (University of Cambridge)

Investigating the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in enhancing plant disease resistance against the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora palmivora

• Project Location: This project will be managed in-person at University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
• Supervisor: Dr Jeongmin Choi

Please contact registers@rsb.org.uk with any questions.