food security PhD Projects, Programs & Scholarships

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Achieving food security is one of the most important global challenges. Crop production and yield has been increasingly threatened by plant pathogens in a rapidly changing environment.

Tackling the fungal threat to global food security

University of Nottingham
School of Life Sciences

Prof S Avery, Dr M Brock

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Fungi cause diseases of crops and spoilage of foods that cause losses of up to a third of food yield. This is a major global challenge given the world’s growing population and need for more food, while climate change is predicted to limit food supply in the future.

Assessing and improving resilience of cereal production in South Asia to climate variability and change

The University of Manchester
Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering

Dr B Parkes, Dr T Foster

Application Deadline: 15 October 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Cereal production systems, in particular wheat and rice, constitute the main source of food security and incomes for millions of smallholder farmers across South Asia.

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

University of Liverpool
Faculty of Health and Life Science

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Opportunities

PhD Opportunities highlight some of the specific PhD projects, programmes or other information currently available from a university.

Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide)

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. Applications for this programme are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Funding may only be available to a limited set of nationalities and you should read the full programme details for further information.

World class teaching facilities with an emphasis on interdisciplinary research and the generation of impact. The University of Liverpool provides one of the largest concentrations of health and life science expertise in the UK.

Socio-Economic and Policy Impacts of Technology in Food Sector

Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Business School

Dr U Ramanathan

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Technology plays a great impactful role in our routine life and also in profit-making businesses. This technology has been adopted successfully in different sectors such as health care, manufacturing and service sectors to enhance overall performance.

Turning Up the Heat on Pest Insect Reproduction: Optimising Thermal Control in Dry Food Storage Facilities (GAGEU20DTP)

University of East Anglia
School of Biological Sciences

Prof M Gage, Dr L Spurgin

Application Deadline: 25 November 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Stored product insect pests seriously damage global food production, especially in developing countries. Chemical methods to control these pests are either becoming regulated due to health concerns or environmental damage, or have become less effective as resistance evolves.

Combining large-scale aerial phenotyping and advanced computational solutions toincrease yield for UK bread wheat (ZHOUE20DTP)

Earlham Institute
Graduate Programme

Dr J Zhou

Application Deadline: 25 November 2019

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Accomplishing an AI-driven PhD is likely to position yourself in an excellent state in this rapidly changing world. It is not only about opening up top-paying jobs in finance and gaming, but also enabling you to address major big-data challenges that we are facing, day by day.

The functional importance of plant-fungal interactions in agri-ecosystems

The University of Manchester
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Prof D Johnson

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Most land plants have evolved symbioses with soil-borne mycorrhizal fungi, which provide nutritional benefits to both partners and are key to their fitness.

Statistical genetics and genomics of complex traits

University of Birmingham
School of Biosciences

Dr L Leach, Prof Z Luo

Applications accepted all year round

Funding Type

PhD Type

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

A highly motivated student is sought to train as a statistical geneticist working on the dissection of complex trait phenotypes in human, plant and animal populations into their underlying genetic components.

Plant breeding for food safety

University of Southampton
Ocean and Earth Science

Dr G Taylor, Prof B Keevil

Application Deadline: 3 January 2020

Funding Type

PhD Type

Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

Food security often focuses on food production, but reduced food waste and enhanced quality and safety are important targets for food resilience.