Earth Fellows

A group of university students standing formally in front of the entrance to Edinburgh Climate Change Institute

Earth Fellows

Interdisciplinary research

Earth Fellows contribute vital skills and capacity to interdisciplinary climate and environment research across the University of Edinburgh, building a community of diverse and dynamic researchers, students and staff all working together towards solutions for climate change on a global scale.

The Earth Fellows programme gives University of Edinburgh students the opportunity to work on paid climate and environment projects, engage with professional development events and be part of a network for collective action on climate change.

Biodiversity depicted by an image of flowers

Case study: Data for agriculture

Dr Alfy Gathorne-Hardy and PhD student Daisy Martinez worked with Earth Fellow Beth Pottle to explore the evidence for an alternative approach to growing food.

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A flooded street showing cars barely visible under the flood water.

Case study: Enhancing flood resilience

Prof’s Soledad Garcia Ferrari and Lindsay Beevers worked with Kaia Waxenberg and Nick Wray to research flooding geography and land management.

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Autumnal trees in a semi urban landscape

Case study: Exploring seasonal change

Dr Rachel Hunt and Dr Willow Mullins worked with Earth Fellow Freya Buckley to explore the multifaceted concept of seasons and and to build a network of scholars.

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Lush woodland in summer

Case study: Woodland restoration

Professor Marc Metzger worked with Earth Fellow Alys Daniels-Creasey to understand the knowledge needs for practitioners of woodland creation. 

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Meet our current cohort

From lawyers to engineers, anthropologists to environmental scientists, the fourth cohort of Earth Fellows represents the full breadth of Edinburgh’s academic community. These 14 postgraduate and doctoral students hail from different countries, colleges, and disciplines, yet this year’s Earth Fellows share a collective commitment to advancing climate action, community resilience, and long-term sustainability.  

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Earth Fellows impact

Earth Fellows and project partners speak about their experiences of taking part in interdisciplinary climate research with real-world impacts.

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Earth Fellows Edit

Our annual Earth Fellows Edit showcases the wonderful work of the Earth Fellows, and acts as a record of their contributions to our collective climate knowledge, featuring quotes from project partners across the University and beyond. Check out our latest publications below.

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University staff learning about sustainability at Firbush outdoor centre

Alumni

Meet our Earth Fellows Alumni – undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students at the University of Edinburgh who have worked on impactful, short term, paid climate related projects and research with Edinburgh Earth Initiative since 2022.

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