Geographies of disaster risk, climate change adaptation and development

Enquiries and applications are invited for a PhD project on the geographies of disaster risk, climate change adaptation and development. The Project should encompass one or more of the following themes:

• Development geography and political ecology approaches to disaster risk, resilience and vulnerability

• Disaster politics and risk governance

• Climate change adaptation

• Climate ethics and climate justice

• Social contracts, citizenship and participation

Candidates are invited to contact Dr Sophie Blackburn (s.e.blackburn@reading.ac.uk) to discuss ideas. Dr Blackburn is open to discussing project ideas with self-funded applicants and is also keen to support the preparation of applications to funded competitions. This could include applications to the ESRC South East Network for Social Sciences (SeNSS) DTP studentship for an October 2023 entry (deadline January 2023) or an October 2024 entry (deadline January 2024). Please contact Dr Blackburn to discuss your ideas.

About Human Geography at Reading: Prospective applicants would join a vibrant human geography research community. Human geographers at Reading are based in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science (GES), within the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science (SAGES). The Human Geography Research Cluster (HGRG) focuses on addressing critical 21st Century challenges around human communities and their interactions with the environment within an increasingly globalised world. The Cluster foregrounds ‘real world’ relevance and stakeholder engagement, taking a highly interdisciplinary and participatory approach. The Cluster centres social impacts and research that is transformative for participants, communities, practitioners, policymakers, students, and other ‘publics’. Human geographers at the University of are also active in the Global Development Research Division. The division conducts research that promotes social justice and equality, while raising awareness of the global challenges surrounding the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

Eligibility: Candidates should have a first degree in Human Geography or a cognate subject, and ideally should possess a Masters degree relevant to the specific project they wish to pursue. Candidates developing applications for a specific funding scheme should also check the funder’s eligibility criteria.