Scholarships for Flood and Coastal Risk Management

The challenges of more frequent extreme weather and new flood risk responsibilities mean that there is a growing need for skilled water and environmental management professionals.

The Ouse in Flood, York. Photo credit: Paul Harrop

The Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert) in Flood and Coastal Risk Management at Lancaster University provides flexible and accessible training focused on the practical application of technical skills and best practice techniques.  The course is CIWEM accredited and is designed to meet the needs of professionals looking for further specialist training in flood and coastal risk management.

We offer financial support towards the PgCert course fees, especially where the training will help individual recipients to bring benefits to communities through third sector or public sector organisations.

Since 2014, we have awarded 15 scholarships to flood risk managers at councils and rivers trusts across the UK.   You can find out more about why the recipients chose to study flood risk management and how JBA Trust has helped.

“I recently completed the PgCert and found that the lecturers were all very knowledgeable and willing to share their experience. A key strength is the coverage of both theory and practice.  For example, understanding of hydraulic processes, and how these are represented in modelling software. Even if you don’t directly use the content, it can be very transferrable. For example, whilst I don’t do any river modelling in my role, we regularly work with modellers; the knowledge gained helps us to get the most out of the studies we commission.

In a similar way I have never worked in a coastal setting, however the long term approaches used for both policy and asset management on the coast have inspired thoughts on how we be more forward thinking inland.

The academic aspect of the course has helped me to be more evidence based, and keep up with the latest developments in knowledge and best practice. There is a lot of useful stuff out there which I simply wasn’t aware of! It was great to meet and learn from others in different parts of the water management sector, and full time students.

I studied whilst in a full time job with a local authority and with an expanding young family. With the right support from your employer, it certainly is possible!“

– Will Barber, Flood Risk Management Engineer at Leicestershire County Council and recipient of a JBA Trust Scholarship in 2019