Dear DSSAT members,
If you could circulate the following (& attached) 4x PhD positions to any potential candidates it would be much appreciated.
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EcoFoodSystems project seeking
four talented PhD students for interdisciplinary research on climate-resilient agroecological transitions of city regional food systems
https://ecofoodsystems.org/vacancies/
Food systems encompass all actors and interlinked value-adding activities involved in the production, aggregation, processing, distribution, consumption and disposal
of food products that originate from agriculture, forestry or fisheries, and components of the broader economic, societal and natural environments in which they are embedded. Most available data for food-systems decision making remains at the national scale,
while day-to-day multi-sectoral decision-making in food systems largely happens in city regions and along value chains with their interconnected peri-urban and rural foodsheds.
Research and innovation activities are needed to enable scaling of innovations and evidence-based transitions to climate-resilience food systems across interlinked
urban, peri-urban and rural communities. The EcoFoodSystems project will conduct research and innovation activities that enable stakeholders, decision-makers and change-agents within City-Regional food systems (encompassing both rural and urban communities,
production systems, value chains and consumption systems) to improve day-to-day performance towards agroecological and climate-resilient transitions.
By integration of data (including big-data) and research findings, the project will develop sub-national decision-support dashboards and decision-support tools in
collaboration with stakeholders, end-users and beneficiaries in the food systems of selected city regions. The project will co-develop and disseminate a common framework, methods and innovative action-learning processes that can be scaled with multi-stakeholder
platforms across (and beyond) the selected cities and the rural communities which supply their food.
The EcoFoodSystems project is funded by IFAD/EU and led by the University of Galway’s Ryan Institute, in partnership with Alliance Bioversity International – CIAT,
Wageningen University & Research (WUR), University of Hohenheim and RIKOLTO International. EcoFoodSystem’s research and innovation activities are focused on city regions in Vietnam, Colombia and Ethiopia.
To further build the EcoFoodSystems project team, the EcoFoodSystems project at the University of Galway is now
recruiting four PhD students based in the EcoFoodSystems project within the Ryan Institute at the University of Galway and who will conduct research and innovation activities between Galway and the partner countries (Vietnam, Colombia, Ethiopia).
We are seeking impact-motivated PhD students who are willing to conduct research across disciplinary boundaries that contributes to meeting the goals and objectives
of the EcoFoodSystems project. We are particularly interested in applications from talented and motivated researchers with strong backgrounds in the arena of sustainability and food systems, who have strong and proven skills in food systems data analytics,
big data, modelling, geospatial analytics, data visualisation, network mapping and environmental footprinting (e.g. life cycle analysis) and development of data-driven decision support tools. Experience in data analytical and visualisation tools such as R
(incl. statistical, GIS packages), Python, Tableau, PowerBi, SQL, ArcGIS) and strong competency in data-analytical and statistical techniques.
We are particularly interested in PhD students who can combine data analytic approaches across all or some of the following areas: (1) Food market systems (business,
economics, value chains); (2) Consumer/farmer behaviour and/or social marketing (3) Social inclusion, gender, change processes, social dynamics; leave no one behind (4) Nutrition & dietary transitions; (6) Agroecological and climate resilient transition pathways;
(7) Policy and institutional change processes and innovations.
The successful applicants will have significant and proven prior practical research experience and be willing and capable of conducting field-based research activities
via EcoFoodSystems partner institutions in Vietnam, Colombia and Ethiopia. Evidence of prior involvement in research leading to high-quality publications and reports would be particularly welcome, including engagement in the process of drafting, revising and
publishing research outputs. The successful applicants will be paid a tax-free stipend of €18,300 per annum and have their PhD fees covered for the 4 year duration of their PhD research. We are seeking PhD students who are available to start their research
immediately.
Applicants should send an e-mail outlining in less than 300 words “What data is needed for to improve city-regional food systems decision-making for health & sustainability outcomes” and an example
on max 3 slides of your own research work on this topic (incl. on GitHub), including; (a) your CV (list grades, interests, experimental skills, etc) & (b) contact details and e-mail + phone contacts for 3 referees to [[log in to unmask]]
Websites:
www.ryaninstitute.ie
www.ecofoodsystems.org
The deadline for applications is 1700 (GMT) Wednesday 11th January 2023. Please note that only applications that put
EcoFoodSystems PhD 2023 in the subject line of the email application will be considered.
Prof. Charles Spillane, LEG4DEV Project, Agriculture & Bioeconomy Research Centre, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, University Road, Galway H91 REW4, Ireland.
The University of Galway is an equal opportunities employer.
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Prof. Charles Spillane
Project Leader
EcoFoodSystems Project
Ryan Institute
National University of Ireland Galway
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