Fully Funded ESRC Wales Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) Studentship: Navigating the Politics of Cross-border Conservation of Coastal habitat (C3)

Funding providers: ESRC Wales Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) and Swansea University

Project description:

Conservation and restoration of coastal habitat boosts flood protection, food security, and the wellbeing of communities. Unlike humans, coastlines do not abide by political jurisdictions. Coastal habitats are naturally dynamic, capable of expanding and contracting in response to both natural and human drivers that operate across scales of space and time. This dynamism challenges conservation planning, where rigid socio-political and flexible ecological borders intersect. Like the drivers of coastal change, socio-political borders also intersect local, national, and international scales, and may be more or less visible (such as ones between nations versus ones within communities). Understanding how coastal dynamics and socio-political borders positively and negatively affect coastal environmental planning remains an important research gap.

This timely PhD project will identify bottlenecks to effective cross-border conservation planning of coastal habitat in the large estuaries that span national borders in the British Isles (namely the Scottish-English border [Solway Firth], Welsh-English border [Severn and Dee estuaries], and the Northern Ireland-Republic of Ireland border [Carlingford Lough]) to support people and nature.

Research in practice placement: WGSSS funded students are required to complete a funded Research in Practice placement of 3 months in total. All students will have the opportunity to complete a placement in academia, policy, business or civil society organisations. 

Eligibility

To receive ESRC studentship funding, you must have qualifications or experience equal to an honours degree at a first or upper second-class level, or a master's from a UK academic research organisation.   

Students with non-traditional academic backgrounds are also welcome to apply. 

WGSSS studentships are available to home and international students. 

Please visit our website for more information on eligibility.