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Researchers from around the UK gathered in Edinburgh on Friday (November 1) for the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) Annual Conference.
Now in its fifth year, the Conference has become one of the most significant events in the national geoscience calendar.
Showcasing research from 128 PhD students all of whom are enrolled on the CDT programme, the Conference included presentations from Dr Nick Richardson and Dr Jo Bagguley form the UK regulator, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) and Kersti Berge, the Scottish Government's Director of Energy & Climate Change.
CDTs are the UK's leading training and research body for the energy industry and form part of Heriot-Watt University's Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering (IGE) commitment to the low carbon energy transition.
They are led and administered by an Professor John Underhill, Academic Director, Lorna Morrow, the Program manager and Anna Clark, Training Academy officer, all of whom are based at Heriot-Watt University's School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure & Society (EGIS).
Professor John Underhill, said: "The CDT Conference has now become a significant event in the national geoscience calendar. The quality of the students is self-evident from the outstanding talks and poster displays and underlined by the fact that all 27 of our CDT PhD graduates have secured employment.
"We have an unprecedented level of industry engagement for the program with eight companies having given financial support for the Training Academy until all the students have completed their programs in 2022.
"Moreover, it was fantastic to be in a position to confirm an additional £2.5 Million investment in the program by Neo Energy that ensures the CDT's future for seven more years."
The Heriot-Watt CDT is funded by Natural Environment Research Council, which invests in world-leading science.