Interdisciplinary PhD project on Multi-Hazard Interrelationships * Funded by King’s College London * Associated with the GCRF Research Grant Tomorrow’s Cities

𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐃 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

We invite applications for this interdisciplinary PhD Studentship which provides THREE YEARS of funding (full-time equivalent, stipend plus fees) for a UK student based in the Department of Geography, King’s College London, supervised by Professor Bruce D Malamud (Geography, King’s College London) and Dr Joel Gill (British Geological Survey). Applications are due by 23:30 on Sunday 7 March 2021. Interviews for short-listed candidates will most likely be within ten days of the submission deadline, and the successful candidate would begin June 2021.

The PhD student will conduct research related to the Multi-Hazards Integrating Theme of the Research Grant Tomorrow’s Cities, an interdisciplinary research hub working in Quito, Kathmandu, Istanbul, Nairobi, whose objective is to bring multi-hazard disaster risk management to the centre of urban policy and practice.

This multi-hazard theme aims to support each city to evolve from multiple ‘single-hazard’ perspectives (i.e., hazards are treated as being discrete or independent), to a more holistic approach that recognises the interrelationships between hazards (e.g., earthquake triggers landslides; flood increase probability of wildfire), and the impact of changing exposure and vulnerability.

Across the four research hub cities, the PhD student will work with the supervisors to further characterise natural hazard interrelationships (e.g., primary intensity relationship to secondary hazard intensity), and to better understand impact in the context of multi-hazard scenarios. There is also scope for better understanding the influence of anthropogenic processes in dynamic multi-hazard scenarios.

The researcher will have the opportunity to be part of an exciting adventure, working in a multidisciplinary and international environment to contribute to cross-cutting research on disaster risk reduction and poverty alleviation.

𝟮. 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲:

This research project would suit a student with a strong physical sciences background (e.g., geography or allied fields such as geology, natural sciences), interested in interdisciplinary working with blended types of evidence (e.g., depending on PhD direction, instrumental records, remote sensing images, peer-literature, grey-literature, social media, workshops, interviews) and working with social scientists. The successful candidate will have a strong academic background and should be numerate, organised, have an ability to communicate to high standards, be willing to conduct research in the hub cities (once COVID-19 local restrictions have been lifted) and have an enthusiasm regarding this topic.

𝟯. 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆:

You must be classified as a UK Home Student (see here) and should hold a Bachelor’s degree with 1st class honours (or overseas equivalent) and a good Master’s degree. At the undergraduate level, a 2:1 (upper second class) honours degree (or international equivalent) may be accepted depending on the candidate’s academic background (e.g., strong performance, predicted or achieved) in a Master’s degree, mature students with relevant workplace experience, mitigating personal circumstances. To follow this PhD programme successfully, you must have a good command of English and be able to apply this in an academic environment. If your first language is not English, you are usually required to provide certificated proof of your competence in English before starting your studies.

𝟰. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆:

To be considered for this PhD studentship, please submit the following as ONE PDF DOCUMENT to "bruce.malamud @ kcl.ac.uk" (remove the spaces) and in the subject header of the e-mail [PhD Studentship Application: Your Name] by the deadline.

(i) a cover letter (2 to 3 pages) including, in any order, you want the following:

• your relevant background and experience;
• how you meet (or will meet) the entry requirements listed in Sections 4.1 (grades and degrees—be specific here or in your CV) and classification as a UK Home Student;
• motivation (e.g., why do you want to do a PhD? why this PhD?)
• why are you appropriate for this particularly studentship (plus any further thoughts you have about the topic of multi-hazard interrelationships);
• names/contact details (e-mails) of two referees who upon the student being shortlisted for interview will rapidly be able to provide reference letters.

(ii) a well-organised and detailed CV.

After submitting your preliminary application by the deadline of 23:30 Monday 7 March 2021, a subset will be short-listed and invited to interview within ten days, and from these interviewees, we will select the top candidate. After selection, they will then complete the entry requirements for the university which must be submitted by 12 April 2021.