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Lecturer (Animal Behaviour/Behavioural Neuroscience) at Keele University, UK
We are seeking applicants for a competition funded Doctoral Candidate / Doctoral Scholar Project at Keele University, England, UK.
Project title: Pollinators connecting people in rural environments - more-than-human and community-led approaches.
This project is part of the SURF Doctoral Training Programme.
What is SURF Doctoral Training Programme and what is competition funding:
This position is part of the Sustainable Rural Futures Doctoral Training Programme funded by the Leverhulme Trust (more about SURF here https://www.keele.ac.uk/surf). Competition funded means that this is one of our current calls, but we will not recruit to all current calls. It means that now we invite applications which will be ranked and some, not all, applicants are offered interviews.
Key funding notes:
4-year full-time project (part-time studies could be considered as well). Four years' UK home tuition fee (candidates not eligible for home tuition will need to match the tuition fee difference between the home and international) plus a stipend at UKRI rates (for 24/25 £19237 per annum). There is a £10,000 fund for project research costs as well (for example, consumables, travel, conferences, etc).
Summary of the role:
This PhD project explores the movement ecology of common pollinators (such as butterflies and bumblebees) in UK rural environments, investigating how community practices influence their movements and survival, using innovative tracking technologies, citizen science, and storytelling to foster sustainable human-pollinator relationships.
Key research questions for this project:
* What factors and common land-use practices influence the movements and survival of pollinators in rural environments, and how do they exert this influence?
* How can we raise awareness among rural communities about human-pollinator interactions and engage them in developing a deeper understanding of these relationships?
* What role can pollinators play in creating more sustainable rural communities?
* How can participatory approaches, such as citizen science and storytelling about human-pollinators interactions, influence relationships between rural communities and pollinators, and what broader impacts, such as greater adoption of sustainable practices, might result?
Responsibilities:
* Research Design and Execution: Develop and execute a research plan aligned with the project objectives, utilizing appropriate methodologies and tools.
* Data Collection and Analysis: Gather, manage, and analyse quantitative or qualitative data, ensuring scientific rigor. This project will involve fieldwork with pollinators in the UK in rural environments (for example, at university campus and/or adjacent areas).
* Literature Review: Conduct comprehensive reviews of existing literature to contextualize the research and identify knowledge gaps.
* Collaboration: Work closely with supervisors, research teams, and collaborators to achieve project milestones. We envisage some collaborations with academic and non-academic partners such as universities, Natural England, conservation NGOs and/or biotelemetry companies and alike.
* Dissemination: Present findings through a PhD thesis, publications, conference presentations, and progress reports.
* Professional Development: Engage in training and development activities to enhance research and transferable skills.
* Project Management: Maintain timely progress on the project, adhering to deadlines and managing resources effectively.
Qualifications and who can apply:
The project is best fitted for graduates with background in the following disciplines (primary and secondary): Primary: Biology, Ecology, Biodiversity, Conservation Biology, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Agricultural Sciences, Rural Studies, GIS. Secondary: Social Sciences, Human Geography, Citizen Science and Science Communication or similar.
Applicants can be graduates or those who expect to graduate before August 2025.
Further details and how to apply:
Details, contacts for queries and application process/link are here: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/pollinators-connecting-people-in-rural-environment-more-than-human-and-community-led-approaches/?p180914
Seniority level
* Internship
Employment type
* Full-time
Job function
* Education and Training
* Industries
* Higher Education
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