PhD Studentship: From Top-Down to Bottom-Up - Enabling a New Collaborative Approach to Agricultural Abstraction Management to Protect River Ecosystems

Award type: PhD

Application closing date: 01/05/24

Start date:   01/10/24  

Duration of award: 4 years

Eligibility: UK, EU, Rest of World

Studentship funding

Sponsored by Leverhulme doctoral programme, this studentship provides, fees and stipend costs for scholars for up to 4 years paid at UKRI's standard domestic rate, with an additional grant of £10,000 to each student for research expenses.

Type of opportunity

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Agriculture is an important user of water in many catchments in England, particularly in the East.  Water is abstracted from rivers and aquifers to support the production of high-value fruit and vegetables.  There is also expected to be an increasing demand in some catchments for agricultural water supplies to support the re-wetting of peat soils to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to Net Zero.

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However, there is rising competition and tension for water resources between agriculture, public water supply, energy generation and the environment. A changing climate change with increased drought risks and more frequent low river flows will exacerbate the current situation.  Ongoing regulatory reforms linked to water resources and abstraction management to meet environmental targets for our river systems will inevitably have profound impacts on the availability of water for agriculture.

This PhD will integrate environmental science, ecology, engineering and philosophy to explore the legal frameworks, farmer and regulator perspectives, water resource needs and evidence that would enable collaborative approaches to agricultural water management.  In doing so, engagement is likely with a range of organisations, such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, National Farmers Union, Internal Drainage Boards and farmers. The PhD may involve literature review, document analysis, qualitative data collection and analysis (e.g. interviews); quantitative spatial data analysis and modelling.

This fully funded studentship is part of the Connected Waters Leverhulme Doctoral Programme, which is funding up to 18 PhD studentships to conduct multidisciplinary research on freshwater ecosystems, across two universities, Cranfield and Roehampton. The programme aims to develop a deeper, holistic understanding of the interactions between humans and the environment to support sustainable solutions to the environmental challenges affecting our river, lake, wetland, and groundwater ecosystems. To find more information on the programme and other research topics, please see the official CONNECT website.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree, BSc or equivalent in environmental sciences or physical geography knowledge of water resources and agricultural water management

Funding

The scholarship award will include fees and stipend costs for scholars for up to 4 years paid at UKRI's standard domestic rate, with an additional grant of £10,000 to each student for research expenses.

How to apply

For informal enquiries please contact: Dr Robert Grabowski

Email: [email protected]

For further information contact us today:

Admissions

T: +44 (0)1234 758082

E: [email protected]