The Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is part of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership (BBSRC DTP) in Food Security, which is a collaboration between Lancaster University, Rothamsted Research, the University of Reading, the University of Surrey, and University of Southampton. The DTP is an exciting new training opportunity providing PhD studentships in the area of Food Security.
Projects
Can soil management techniques buffer crop yields against soil water deficits by modifying root-to-shoot signalling?
Supervisors: Dr Ian Dodd (LEC) and Prof Andy Whitmore (Rothamsted Research)
For further information please read http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/downloads/phd_165.pdf
Impact of nutrition on susceptibility to microbial biopesticides in lepidopteran crop pests
Supervisors: Professor Kenneth Wilson (LEC), Dr Alex Kraaijeveld and Professor Philip Newland (University of Southampton)
For further information please read http://www.lancs.ac.uk/sci-tech/downloads/phd_166.pdf
Funding
The BBSRC studentships will provide an annual stipend (£13,726 2013/14 [tax free]) and UK/EU tuition fees for 4 years. A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) is also provided.
Full studentships are available to UK and EU candidates who have been ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the 3-year period immediately preceding the date of an award. EU candidates who have not been ordinarily resident in the UK for the last 3 years are eligible for “tuition fees-only” awards (no maintenance grant). Unfortunately studentships are not available to non-UK/EU applicants.
PhD Training
The DTP will focus on providing training for interdisciplinary bioscientists to help secure the essential niche skills. Food security comprises diverse bioscience challenges; the DTP will also deliver broad bioscience training for flexible careers in a highly topical context. The partners have extensive track records in agri-food training and research, and will deliver research training in the essential niche skills that are required to underpin the UKs capability: e.g. plant physiology, plant breeding, agronomy, plant pathology and pest management, soil science, horticulture, agroecology, and food technology.
Academic requirements: First-class or 2.1 (Hons) degree or Masters degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate subject.
Deadline for applications: 31st January 2014
Start date: October 2014
Application process: Please upload a CV and a covering letter outlining your background and suitability for this project at LEC Postgraduate Research Applications. You also require 2 references, please send the reference form (download from http://www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/docs/PG_Reference_Form.docx) to your 2 referees and ask them to email it to Andy Harrod (lec.pg@lancaster.ac.uk), Postgraduate Research (PGR) Co-ordinator, Lancaster Environment Centre by the deadline.