We are always interested in researchers who are curious and excited by interdisciplinary science in interspecies RNA interference, epigenetics, plant–biotic interactions, and biology of complex interacting genomes. Whether you are looking for a PhD project, developing a fellowship, interested in visiting the lab or exploring a collaboration, we’d be happy to hear from you.

PhD opportunities

We welcome enquiries from prospective students interested in developing a project with us, as well as applications to advertised funded studentships. You do not need previous experience in every technique used in the lab. We welcome applicants from experimental, computational and quantitative backgrounds who are interested in learning across disciplines. If you are excited by our research but unsure whether your current experience is an exact match, we still encourage you to get in touch.

Current PhD Opportunities PhD funding at Sheffield

Postdoctoral fellowship opportunities

Postdoctoral researchers interested in joining the Shahid Lab are encouraged to contact Dr. Shahid to discuss independent fellowship funding opportunities. If there is a strong scientific fit, we can work with prospective fellows to develop the research question, identify appropriate schemes and connect the project with relevant expertise across Sheffield.

Postdoctoral fellowship schemes

International → UK

Newton international fellowship — for early-career researchers currently based outside the UK.

Life sciences mobility

EMBO postdoctoral fellowship — for internationally mobile early-career researchers in the life sciences. Also see the MSCA Postdoctoral fellowship.

Early career

Leverhulme early career fellowship — for researchers building an academic career in the UK through a significant independent research project.

Early independence

BBSRC early independence fellowship — for researchers establishing an independent research niche.

Other opportunities

The University of Sheffield Faculty of Science fellowship pages provide information about major external fellowship schemes, upcoming calls and any Sheffield internal selection processes. You can also explore this community postdoctoral funding database for additional national and international fellowship opportunities.

Undergraduate summer research opportunities

Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)
Royal society of Biology Plant Health Undergraduate Studentships
BSPP-funded Summer Placements
Black in Plant Science Summer Studentship

Visiting researchers / collaborations

We welcome collaborations that bring complementary biological systems, approaches or perspectives to questions in mobile small RNA, epigenetic memory and plant–biotic interactions. Please contact Dr. Shahid directly to discuss a visit or potential collaboration.

Research environment

The Shahid Lab is based in the School of Biosciences at the University of Sheffield. We are part of the Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil Cluster (PPS) and the Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids, connecting our research with a broad community working across plant genomics, ecology, molecular and nucleic acid biology.

The School of Biosciences is one of the largest single-site communities of bioscientists in the UK, including a substantial concentration of expertise in plant science. This creates a highly collaborative environment for interdisciplinary research, with opportunities to access complementary expertise, develop new collaborations and work across experimental and computational approaches. The strength of this research environment was recognised in REF2021, with School of Biosciences ranking 4th in UK.

Researchers in the lab have access to an extensive range of outstanding facilities across Sheffield, including:

Life in Sheffield

Sheffield combines a major research university with a relatively compact, affordable city surrounded by the Peak District. The School of Biosciences is close to the city centre, while green space and the national park are easily accessible.

More about life in Sheffield