Dust-DN: An Interdisciplinary Dust Doctoral Network in Europe

Dust-DN is a Marie Curie (MSCA) European Doctoral Network with an interdisciplinary approach to dust research, led by the Cyprus Institute.

Dust-DN will develop 17 doctoral candidates on atmospheric dust at institutions across Europe. Please visit the Dust-DN website for more information. We will be welcoming our new candidates during 2025.

Dust is a major atmospheric aerosol, and it gives us one of the most visible and detectable aspects of transboundary transport of atmospheric constituents, impacting visibility, radiation and climate. It affects the environment, society, and several economic sectors, with impacts on the transportation and energy sectors for example, the nature and cost of which is not fully understood and quantified. The Dust Doctoral Network will train a cohort of scientists to become leaders in this field of research.

Dust-DN in a nutshell:

• The first doctoral network on a European scale (to our knowledge), bringing together expertise on mineral dust in the atmosphere, combining multidisciplinary aspects.
• A strategic international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral alliance of high-profile partners, able to leverage on unique state-of-the-art facilities
• A careful blend between individual research projects and integrated combined training and networking, and a critical mass on dust-focused studies using complementary methodologies.
• Exposure of the doctoral candidates to differing research and working environments, multiple technologies and methodologies.
• Training in the atmospheric sciences, dust science questions, transferable skills and on the partners’ unique research infrastructures, enabling to tackle the bigger picture of dust challenges.
• Dedicated applied research projects with direct contributions and impacts embedded with the societal and industrial sector.

Positions based at Reading as part of Dust-DN:

• Atmospheric Sedimentation of Non-Spherical Dust Particles: Developing knowledge for improvement of models (Supervisors: Chris Westbrook (Reading), Claire Ryder (Reading), Konrad Kandler (Darmstadt))
• The impact of mineral dust on Aircraft Engines in the Middle East (Supervisors: Claire Ryder (Reading), Helen Dacre (Reading), Rory Clarkson (Rolls-Royce)
• Enhancing the Understanding of the Dust Direct Radiative Effect (Supervisors: Maria Joao Costa (University of Evora, Portugal), Claire Ryder (Reading); Double PhD between UK and Portugal)

For full details, application information and application submission, please visit the Dust-DN website.