Please note that in light of current restrictions and disruption due to COVID-19, we have taken the decision to postpone the next round of studentships until 2021.

We have arranged ten exciting projects to take place around the UK in 2021, and will share details here in the spring of 2021, along with information about how students can apply to take part.

Plant Health Undergraduate Studentships aim to:

• 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.

Funding for this programme is provided by Defra (4 studentships), BSPP (3 studentships), Crop Protection Association (1 studentship), SCI Horticulture Group (1 studentship) and David Colegrave Foundation (1 studentship).

Plant Health Undergraduate Studentships projects address at least one of the following themes related to plant health, pests and diseases:

• Detection or control
• Data & modelling
• Globalisation of trade and risks to plant health
• Host plants / Earth observations
• High-risk pests or pathogens
• Knowledge exchange
• Oak health
• Transboundary plant pests

In 2019, we worked with plant scientists to create nine projects addressing plant health challenges. We are grateful to Defra, BSPP, N8 AgriFood and the David Colegrave Foundation for funding the 2019 programme.