About the Department

Experts in our fields

We are a hub of interdisciplinary research focused on tackling global challenges associated with:

  • clean energy
  • environmental change and sustainability
  • species conservation
  • healthy ageing
  • socioeconomic, cultural and political change.

We ranked 5th for the real-world impact of our research in the Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences category of the UK’s most recent Research Excellence Framework review (REF2021).

Our state-of-the-art facilities support research and industrial collaborations. These include:

Our connections

We work closely with policy makers and organisations, both locally and across the world. We also work with over 50 employers through our laboratory scientist degree apprenticeships. These courses develop the skills to support our employers in addressing key industrial challenges.

Our partnerships inform the design of our courses to ensure our graduates can contribute to solving future challenges. We’re embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and our pioneering carbon literacy training into the student experience.

Our community

We’re a part of a global student community, including our students at our Joint Education Institute with Hubei University in China. Many of our undergraduate and postgraduate courses offer fieldwork or study abroad, giving students practical experiences across Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.

Our disciplines

Biology

Animal behaviour and physiology, conservation biology and ecological restoration, biodiversity, and microbiology and molecular biology.

Chemistry

Advanced materials, sustainable energy technologies, green and environmental chemistry, and medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry.

Geography

Social, cultural, political, economic, urban, and physical geography, natural hazards, river science, glacial systems, GIS, and earth observation.

Environmental science

Climate change science, environmental pollution, earth systems science, ecology, and environmental and sustainability management.

Inside our department

We’re driven by our ambition to make a real-world impact to solving global challenges such as clean energy, environmental sustainability, species conservation, healthy ageing and societal change through our research and our students.
Dr Lindsey J. Munro, Head of Department
We’re driven by our ambition to make a real-world impact to solving global challenges such as clean energy, environmental sustainability, species conservation, healthy ageing and societal change through our research and our students.
Dr Lindsey J. Munro, Head of Department

Explore our research strengths

We have five areas of strength which include:

  • Advanced Materials and Clean Energy
  • Environmental Change
  • Space, Place and Society
  • Species Biology and Conservation
  • Sustainable Environments

Our achievements

100%
100% of our research impact in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences is rated as outstanding (75%) or having very considerable impact.
Research Excellence Framework, 2021
100%
100% of our research impact in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences is rated as outstanding (75%) or having very considerable impact.
Research Excellence Framework, 2021

Our accreditations

Royal Society of Biology logo
Royal Society of Chemistry logo
The institution of environmental sciences logo
Royal Geographical Society logo