Job Description

Job Information Organisation/Company

NIAB East Malling Research Field

Agricultural sciences Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1) Country

United Kingdom Application Deadline

18 Sep 2023 - 22:58 (Europe/London) Type of Contract

Other Job Status

Full-time Hours Per Week

37 Offer Starting Date

2 Oct 2023 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

NIAB East Malling is offering up to two fully funded, interdisciplinary PhD studentships through the UK Food Systems Centre for Doctoral Training (UKFS-CDT) programme.

The UK Food Systems Centre for Doctoral Training (UKFS-CDT) programme provides a unique opportunity for transformative and interdisciplinary food systems research. The programme offers an innovative way of conducting a PhD centred on the co-creation of, and exposure to, a varied range of actors operating in UK food systems.

• Where: The main location for first year is Medway campus, Kent, University of Greenwich (UoG), including travel to partners. Years 2 - 4 students are based at NIAB East Malling
• When: Start in October 2023, for a duration of 4 years (FTE)
• Deadline for applications: 23:59 GMT on Monday, 18th September 2023
• Eligibility: Applicants must hold, or be expected to achieve, a Bachelor or Masters degree in a relevant subject with a first or high upper second-class undergraduate honours degree or equivalent. Applicants must be classified as UK home students,

This opportunity is to join the 3rd cohort of the UKFS-CDT, which is made up of up to 26 studentships. This opportunity is only open to people classed as home students - please see the eligibility criteria for more details.

Research will be interdisciplinary, combining natural and social science approaches linked to food systems stakeholders. The research scope includes the following topics at NIAB East Malling:

• Business as usual is unsustainable: We must produce healthier foods, using appropriate phosphorus inputs
• Antimicrobial potential of UK\'s edible mushrooms for sustainable crop protection
• Climate change and salinity effects on soft fruit production: Approaches to mitigate the impact
• Pollination in urban cropping systems - benefits for biodiversity and human health
• Impacts of Precision Agriculture Tools in Orchard Crops
• It is time for "Nutrition Smart Horticulture", it helps build resilience to climate change and improve nutrition
• Improve strawberry growth consistency in vertical farming
• Microbiome engineering for sustainable food production in soil-less systems
• Challenges and solutions for a zero-waste winery in the UK
• Berries enriched with selenium enhance plant tolerance to environmental stresses and promote human well-being

Are you a potential \'changemaker\'? The UKFS-CDT aims to create cohorts of future food systems changemakers who can lead the UK towards a resilient, healthy and inclusive food future using new, holistic and critical interdisciplinary thinking.

The UKFS-CDT brings together the (lead institution)and ; and two leading agricultural research institutes, Malling and , plus over 50 food systems Academy partners from business, government and civil society.

The UKFS-CDT programme is a bespoke interdisciplinary food systems programme with a novel approach. In the first year, each UKFS-CDT student undertakes training activities based at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich in Medway, Kent and roadshow visits to partner institutions will take place until the end of November 2023. Then students will embark on two 4-month rotation projects.

Rotation projects are clearly defined studies designed to provide our students with the research skills, training and subject knowledge required to prepare a full interdisciplinary PhD proposal at the end of year 1. Students will be asked to select one of the following projects based at NIAB East Malling for the natural science rotation.

The second rotation will be based at a different academic institution of the UKFS-CDT consortium and will be selected from a catalogue of projects.

The combination of the two rotations will form the foundation for creating the full PhD proposal. Following the rotations, thesis proposals will be further developed and finalised by the student, supervisors, and partners from the Food System Academy in a capstone two-day \xe2\x80\x9cProject and Thesis Proposal Workshop\xe2\x80\x9d. The PhD project will commence in year 2 with the student based at NIAB East Malling. It is an innovative way of conducting a PhD centred on co-creation and exposure to a varied range of actors operating in UK food systems.

Each student will initially register as a student with the University of Greenwich. After the first 12 months, when the PhD research starts, student registration will be transferred to the University of the second supervisor.

In the second or third year of the PhD programme, students will undertake a three-month placement with industry, government or civil society.

We would welcome applicants who have demonstrable research skills gained from an academic or a non-academic background.

UKFS-CDT values equality, diversity, inclusion and we welcome applications from anyone regardless of age, disability, race/ethnicity, religion, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation. We encourage individuals who have had worked in relevant sectors, a change in disciplines or career paths, or career breaks, e.g. caring responsibilities, to apply.

All students will be recruited and selected under a single UKFS-CDT banner and not to individual partner institutions.

Interested applicants should continue to read the website and apply before the deadline via the website: .

Requirements

Research Field Agricultural sciences Education Level Bachelor Degree or equivalent

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must hold, or be expected to achieve, a Bachelor or Masters degree in a relevant subject with a first or high upper second-class undergraduate honours degree or equivalent.

The studentships are open only to Home students. To be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or

• have settled status, or

• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or

• have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

We would welcome applicants who have demonstrable research skills gained from an academic or a non-academic background.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 2 Company/Institute NIAB Country United Kingdom State/Province Kent City East Malling Postal Code ME196BJ Street New Road Geofield

Where to apply Website

Contact City

East Malling Website

Street

New Road Postal Code

ME196BJ

STATUS: EXPIRED

EURAXESS