The Cabot Institute Master’s by Research in Global Environmental Challenges combines a 12-month cutting-edge research project with training opportunities in leadership, enterprise and innovation, interdisciplinarity working, networking, communication and problem solving – positioning graduates for a successful career in research or in the environment and sustainability sectors. 

It will bring together students from all disciplines to work towards a common mission: protecting the environment and safeguarding its future.

After the IPCC Special Report on the impacts of climate change just five months ago, the Cabot Institute launches its mission to train a new generation of postgraduates via a unique Master’s by Research in Global Environmental Challenges.

The landmark Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report (involving Cabot Institute researchers) highlighted the catastrophic consequences of allowing global warming to exceed 1.5°C degrees above pre-industrial levels.

What the report made clear is that change will not result from the work of one person, one government, or one sector - there is an urgent need for research across disciplines and collaborative solutions to safeguard the future of our planet.

Director of the Cabot Institute, Professor Jemma Wadham, said: “The Cabot Institute Master’s by Research encourages diversity of thought in the way that we approach environmental challenges, bringing together talented students across all disciplines with the drive to tackle some of the biggest risks faced by our planet today.

“Students will be equipped to become thought-leaders in their field, capable of pioneering solutions to real world problems.

“The Cabot Master’s is a degree with a difference – it gives students the opportunity to be part of a vibrant, multi-disciplinary community, follow a truly cutting-edge research project whilst accessing training in skills of high value to employers.”

Working alongside expert supervisors and benefitting from the strong research culture at the University of Bristol, students will have the opportunity to focus on a research project that can have a tangible influence on the way that we experience and interact with the world.

The interdisciplinary nature of the programme will enable students to collaborate across boundaries, supplemented by a training programme to develop their skills in leadership, communication, networking, problem solving and communication. In partnership with SETSquared, the number one global university business incubator, there will also be training in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Students are invited to apply to advertised projects or challenge areas (proposed by leading academics across the University), or they can propose their own research project. So far, there are over 40 projects available, as far-ranging as studies of environmental documentaries to the impact of glacier retreat on water quality.

Students interested in learning more about how their expertise can change the world can visit www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/masters-by-research for more details, or contact the Cabot Institute’s Postgraduate Research Coordinator, Joanne Norris, at cabot-masters@bristol.ac.uk