An exciting PhD studentship opportunity to develop an early warning system - an integrated emerging risk information and communication system that engagesexperts, policy makers, and citizens, in analysing and interpreting environmental change and its potential impacts on food chain resilience. This CASE studentship includes a dual internship at the UK Food Standards Agency (9 months) and Food Standards Scotland (3 months). It is an exciting opportunity for a fully-funded NERC - CENTA PhD Studentship for 3.5 years. CENTA is a consortium of Universities and research institutes that are working together to provide excellence in doctoral research training within the remit of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Successful home-fees-eligible candidates will receive an annual stipend, set at £15,609 (and topped up to approximately £22K through co-funding), paid directly to the student in monthly increments, full university fees and a research training support grant of £8,000.
The project is sponsored by NERC through CENTA DTP, Cranfield University, and has CASE support through the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland
Project Highlights:
- The conceptual appeal for an early warning system to provide timely response to environmental disruption (e.g. extreme climate events, radiation leaks, infectious diseases)
- The characteristic of disruptive events, their emergence and potential consequences for food chain actors
- A methodological toolkit for embedding early warning tools in decision processes, and the new capacity, skills, resources and behaviours needed for implementation in decision-making processes
Overview
Environmental shock events can be propagated along food supply chains by numerous social, economic, political and technological factors. Understanding the characteristics and consequences of environmental disruption is fundamental to reducing risks associated with periodic food shortages, price volatility and reductions in food quality and security (Davies et al., 2021). However, environmental shocks such as climate extremes, radiation leaks, infectious diseases and endocrine disruptive chemicals can occur suddenly and are characterised by uncertainty in terms of the likelihood of the risk and their potential impact. These risks develop and change over time so need to be constantly monitored and assessed to interpret their impact on food supply chains.
Early warning systems (EWS) that combine forward-looking assessment tools and processes (e.g. horizon scanning, data mining, Delphi and trends and time series analysis) with traditional decision making tools (e.g. risk assessments) will deliver a more informed and integrated view of food supply chains and of systemic environmental risks and issues over the short to long-term (EFSA 2018, FSA 2017, FSS 2017). An early warning system is an integrated risk information (including perceptions of risks) and communication system that engages experts, policy makers, and increasingly citizens, in analysing and interpreting environmental change and its potential impacts on food chain actors (Pulwarty and Sivakumar, 2014).
There is general consensus that EWS are not meeting their current potential to provide decision-makers with timely information in a format that enables action (CIAT, 2014, Buchanan-Smith 2000). Historic failures to effectively repond to extreme climate events (e.g. floods, droughts) have been ascribed to failures in decision-making rather than deficiencies in EWS (Raymond et al. 2020, CIAT 2014). To support more timely action, there is a need to build early warning competencies for integrated monitoring of disruptive events, focusing on: (1) identifying the characteristics of these events, how they emerge and permeate across the food chain, and (2) what combination of methods allow for carrying out a comprehensive assessment of food chain vulnerabilities to environmental disruption. These fundamental questions will shape the research with the following specific objectives:
1. Develop an evidence base of EWS tools and processes that have been effective in anticipating the development pathways and impacts of disruptors
2. Identify environmental disruptors that present significant risks for food quality and safety and map the development pathways and impacts of these events
3. Design a methodological toolkit for embedding EWS tools and processes in decision-making processes in a regulatory environment
4. Evaluate how the toolkit supports early warning, examining what new capacity, skills, resources and behaviours are needed for implementation
Entry requirements
Applicants should have at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or at least a pass at UK MSc level or equivalent in a related discipline.
Duration : 3.5 years
Start date: October 2022
Supervisors: 1st Supervisor: Dr Kenisha Garnett 2nd Supervisor: Professor Paul Burgess
How to apply
To apply, please follow this link and click “Apply now”.
For general enquiries about this position, including help applying, terms and conditions, etc, please contact: [Email Address Removed], quoting reference number SWEE0164.