About the Project
Ref: CRAN1106
Sponsored by Defra and the European Union under the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI), this studentship will provide a bursary of £15,000 p.a. (tax free) plus fees* for three years
The current growth of woody biomass in Europe suggests that the supply of biomass produced in forests, both for timber and energy, will not cover future demand. Thus, new land use approaches are needed to enhance the production of timber, as well as of biomass for the energy sector. In this context, the SIDATIM project aims to: i) research the potential of Sida hermaphrodita as an innovative and promising plant species that can be used and processed for multiple purposes and, ii) advance the concept of boundary agroforestry systems, in which valuable timber trees are planted on field borders.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a fully supported PhD studentship at Cranfield University. The student will be responsible for the day to day management of the project’s research activities at Cranfield, but will also need to work closely with our research partners in Germany, Italy, and Poland.
The main activities of the project at Cranfield University will include the establishment and measurement of a research trial of Sida hermaphrodita on land owned by Cranfield University. The student will also help with the development of a soil carbon monitoring protocol for selected sites within the project consortium and with the analysis of soil samples sent in by project partners. A proportion of the student’s research will be devoted to an economic analysis of the Sida hermaphrodita and high value boundary timber systems.
The student will be based within the Cranfield Institute for Resilient Futures (CIRF) within the School of Water, Energy and Environment. The School has available to a range of research facilities, such as, a pilot scale wastewater treatment hall, a soil dynamics and erosion laboratory, land data for much of the planet, analytical laboratories, research-grade glasshouses, energy technology pilot plants, soil lysimeters, and an anaerobic digestion plant. Within the School of Water, Energy and Environment, CIRF leads on research and teaching in the area of natural resources, ecosystem services, social and economic sciences, climate change adaptation, horizon scanning, and risks and futures analysis. CIRF currently holds a number of projects with industry partners as well as with partners such as Defra, the UK Research Councils and the EU. Within CIRF, a closely related project to SIDATIM is the EU AGFORWARD project (http://www.agforward.eu/index.php/en/) a 4-year multi-million pound project with partners throughout Europe.
Entry requirements:
Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree or Masters degree, or the equivalent if they are from another eligible country. Ideally this should be in a related discipline, such as agriculture, forestry or environmental science. This PhD is broad in its scope, so the ideal candidate should be willing to focus their research in the area of natural resources (field based measurements and soil carbon measurements) as well as economics (cost benefit analysis of various land use systems). Ideally, the candidate will have had some experience of field based research, and some experience of economic modelling, developed during a previous course of study, and/or from practical experience. The candidate should be self-motivated, have good communication skills for regular interaction with other stakeholders, with an interest for industrial research. The candidate should be willing to travel within Europe.
How to apply:
For further information please contact: Dr. Anil Graves, E: [Email Address Removed] T: (0) 1234 750111 Ext: 2757 or Dr Paul Burgess, E: [Email Address Removed] T: (0) 1234 750111 Ext: 2729
If you are eligible to apply for this research studentship, please complete the online application form
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