Fully Funded PhD in Biology: Securing biodiversity through a transdisciplinary approach to small island waste management

Supervisor 1: Prof Jon Ensor (SEI-York)

Supervisor 2: Dr Liz Rylott (Biology)

Supervisor 3: Dr Karen Varnham (RSPB)

Home department: Biology

PhD programme: PhD in Biology

Find out more and apply

Closing date: 2nd February 2025

Project title: Securing biodiversity through a transdisciplinary approach to small island waste management

Project Description:

The Isles of Scilly are an internationally important habitat for seabirds. However, populations are threatened by invasive brown rats that predate on eggs and chicks. Domestic food waste is an important food source for this rat population.

Food waste management is critical to effectively protecting biodiversity and forms a central role in the Islands’ Seabird Recovery Partnership. Localising this management potentially reduces emissions from waste transport, reduces disposal costs for residents and businesses, and retains important nutrients on the islands in the form of composts or soil improvers. Securing this potential is a practical challenge, requiring technical, social and governance changes among island communities with different histories, geographies, cultural norms and values. Addressing this complexity requires an interdisciplinary approach that engages multiple local stakeholders.

As a student based in the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity (LCAB), you will liaise closely with these stakeholders, including during fieldwork on the Isles of Scilly for up to six months.

Your experience of qualitative participatory methods, strong communication skills in both academic and community settings, and willingness to engage with environmental monitoring and analysis, will enable you to:

● Undertake a literature review on small island food waste management

● Map and quantify current food waste pathways

● Assess the efficacy of current composting arrangements

● Facilitate community-led assessment of alternative technical and governance arrangements for waste management

Your background in social science from within human geography, environmental science or related disciplines will demonstrate your strength in bringing concepts and methods from the academic literature to bear on real-world challenges.

LCAB provides opportunities to interact with students and researchers across departments and institutions, and will offer additional training as required.

Several studentships are available with LCAB, including the option to submit your own research proposal.

Funding Notes:

This studentship covers UK fees for 4 years and a tax-free stipend to match the UKRI’s minimum rate for 2025/26 for 3.5 years.

Entry requirements:

Students with, or expecting to gain, at least an Upper Second Class Honours degree, or equivalent, are invited to apply. The interdisciplinary nature of this research project means that we welcome applications from students with backgrounds in any relevant subject that provides the necessary skills, knowledge and experience for the project. You will need to submit a 1-page proposal outlining how you would approach the research project. See our FAQs for further details.

Eligibility:

To qualify for UK (home) fee status, you normally need to have UK nationality, and to have been ordinarily resident here for some years to be classified as a home student. Time spent in the UK for educational purposes is not counted as ordinary residence.

Students living in the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are usually charged the same fee as UK students. EU citizens with settled or pre-settled UK status, and Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland, are eligible for a UK rate if the usual residency requirements are met.

Interviews: Feb/March 2025