CTP-SAI four-year studentships for October 2024

The UKRI and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has awarded a Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) grant to a consortium led by G’s Growers Ltd. The Collaborative Training Partnership for Sustainable Agricultural Innovation (CTP-SAI) has been co-developed with NIAB as part of its alliance with the University of Cambridge, the Crop Science Centre, the James Hutton Institute, and leading UK universities.

The CTP programme for Sustainable Agricultural Innovation (CTP-SAI) will ensure young scientists are ‘business aware’, opening up opportunities for careers across industry. Ensuring the programme is inclusive and recruits a diverse range of candidates into agriculture is a priority. The CTP-SAI aims to lead the sector by example, training the next generation of new thinkers, ready to act in the public and private sector to effect positive global change in the food and farming system. The programme is supported by leading UK and international agri-food businesses, research organisations and charitable organisations representing the collective needs of farmers and practitioners.

Topics:

We are offering exciting fully funded PhD opportunities on the following topics:

• Testing the risks of chemicals to the Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Symbiosis (Ref: CTP-SAI-041)
• Regenerative farming systems for potato production (Ref: CTP-SAI-052)
• Yield, quality and shelf-life problems in lettuce due to virus infections in the UK (Ref: CTP-SAI-059)
• AI-powered dynamic phenotyping of plant-parasitic nematodes (Ref: CTP-SAI-065)
• From regenerative farming to restoration: assessing the environmental impacts of future management changes in UK lowland peatlands (Ref: CTP-SAI-066)
• 'Living with the Enemy': The crucial role of varietal tolerance in potato cyst nematode management (Ref: CTP-SAI-067)
• Routes towards Net Zero through maximising soil-building processes into lower horizons (Ref: CTP-SAI-068)
• Exploration into creating bruise-resilient 'Maris Piper' potatoes (Ref: CTP-SAI-069)
• Exploring the Potential of Inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate Receptors as Novel Targets for Insect Control? (Ref: CTP-SAI-074)
• Double legumes, multiple benefits? Ecosystem service benefits from combined faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) crop mixtures. (Ref: CTP-SAI-075)
• Exploring the mechanism underpinning determinacy and nitrogen requirement in potato crops (Ref: CTP-SAI-076)

Application

Anyone interested should complete the online application form before the deadline of 14th April 2024. Interviews will be held during May 2024.

Due to funder-mandated caps for the CTP as a whole, this project is only available to ‘Home’ applicants.

To be classed as a home applicant, 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

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an international student and would not be eligible for this round of recruitment.

Please contact recruitment-ctp-sai@niab.com for further application details.