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Applications are invited for a fully funded three-year PhD to commence in October 2026.  

This PhD studentship, and the Sail to Steam, Carbon to Green project, is funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation. ‘Sail to Steam, Carbon to Green’ seeks to understand the role of local knowledge and the past and present-day impact of the maritime industry and globalisation on communities in the Global South. The advertised PhD programme will focus on the port city of Mombasa, Kenya, and is one of four PhDs to be funded by the project.

The PhD will be based in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, in the Centre for Port Cities and Maritime Cultures (PCMC) and in partnership with the AEGIS Centre (Advancement of Equality, Gender, and Inclusion Studies), and will be supervised by Dr Melanie Bassett, Professor Tamsin Bradley, and Professor Brad Beaven. Additional mentorship will be offered by our academic partners at the University of Nairobi and Pwani University, Kenya. 

This doctoral-level research program will involve a cross-disciplinary study that combines historical research with contemporary social scientific data collection. The project focuses on the historical, contemporary, and future significance of urban-maritime cultures and communities in a global context, aligning with PCMC's key research themes. The study will compare the port of Mombasa, Kenya, during the transition from sail to steam power in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with present-day measures to integrate decarbonisation technology.

By collaborating with academics, creative practitioners, funders, and local community groups, the project will explore the relationships between urban and maritime spaces and aim to incorporate local voices into the research.

This exciting opportunity includes an annual stipend at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26), a generous travel allowance for the student to conduct national and international research, and a ‘community engagement fund’ to enable the student to co-produce impactful responses to the historical research and current challenges associated with energy transition. 

Costs for student visa and immigration health surcharge *may be covered*. For further guidance and advice visit our international and EU students ‘Visa FAQs’ page.    

This funded PhD is only open to new students who do not hold a previous doctoral-level qualification.

The project will have a tangible impact on the maritime sector by drawing lessons from the nineteenth-century transition from sail to steam. It will also amplify the voices of local coastal communities, capturing their historical and contemporary perspectives on the effects of maritime technological changes and climate adaptation. The goals of this project align with UNESCO's "Ocean Decade" (2021-2031), which aims to foster a better understanding of the ocean and its resources.

The energy transition from sail to steam provoked a profound transformation in maritime environments, technologies, and cultures across the globe in the nineteenth century, and there is every indication that decarbonisation will have comparable impacts in the twenty-first century.  This project aims to learn from past maritime energy transitions to understand how the shift to carbon-neutral shipping will affect coastal communities in the Global South in the twenty-first century. These often-marginalised coastal communities have historically been under-resourced and are currently facing significant challenges related to climate change, safety, and resilience.

Many studies focus on technological advancements in shipping vessels and their effects on international trade, neglecting their impact on port and coastal communities. The 'Ocean Decade' initiative raises awareness about the ocean's interconnectedness with humans but mainly emphasises the scientific aspects of environmental changes, often overlooking the unique identities and experiences of coastal communities, particularly in the Global South. This project aims to incorporate humanities perspectives to better understand the human consequences of these technological and ecological changes.

The successful candidate will help to develop contemporary responses to historical and future energy transitions and undertake research in Kenya. The studentship includes full fees and bursary, an additional travel fund to support international research and dissemination, and access to a community engagement fund. 

How to apply

We’d encourage you to contact Dr Melanie Bassett (melanie.bassett@port.ac.uk) to discuss your interest before you apply, quoting the project code.

When you are ready to apply, you can use our . Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees, proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV.  Our ‘How to Apply’ page offers further guidance on the PhD application process.

If you want to be considered for this funded PhD opportunity you must quote project code ASH50830326 when applying. Please note that email applications are not accepted.