PhD Studentship: Ecosystem Services and Pest Control in Agroforestry Systems in Bali, Indonesia

3 Year, full-time PhD studentship

Eligibility: Home UK/EU and International applicants

Bursary p.a: Bursary equivalent to UKRI national minimum stipend plus fees (current 2022/23 bursary rate is £17,668)

University fees and bench fees: University fees and bench fees will be met by the University for the 3 years of the funded Studentship. Visa and associated costs are not funded. International students can contact https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/isat/ for further information.

Interviews: Provisionally 13, 14 March 2023

Start date:  September 2023

Director of Studies: Dr Andrew Jones

Other Supervisors: Dr Marco Campera

Requirements:

Applicants should have a first or upper second-class honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in the UK or acceptable equivalent qualification. Non-UK Applicants must have a valid IELTS Academic test certificate (or equivalent) with an overall minimum score of 7.0 and no score below 6.0 issued in the last 2 years by an approved test centre. 

There is an additional requirement to undertake up to 6 hours undergraduate teaching/week during semesters and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.

Project Description:

There is the need to promote sustainable farming systems that provide social and economic equity and protect ecosystem services on which agriculture depends. The student will access different agroforestry systems with different crop compositions (e.g., cocoa, vanilla, coffee, patchouli, cardamom) in West Bali and measure ecosystem services provided (e.g., soil invertebrates, pollinators). In addition, the student will assess the current strategies of pest control adopted by local communities, which will inform testing of different pest control methods to optimise crop protection. The research seeks to provide practical solutions for farmers (e.g., optimal crop/tree composition, pest control) that can be integrated into their management. The project will be in collaboration with local universities (Universitas Gadjah Mada, Udayana University) and with the local forestry department Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan Lindung Bali Barat). The applicant is expected to spend about six months in Bali for data collection and testing. The student will have full support in Indonesia from an extended network of partners and stakeholders plus regular online communication with the supervisory team. Whilst studying at Oxford Brookes, the student will be in face-to-face communication with the supervisory team at least on a weekly basis.

Contact: mcampera@brookes.ac.uk

Advertised competitively alongside our current PhD studentship advertisements for Biological and Medical Sciences

How to apply: Applicants should visit the webpage Ecosystem services and pest control in agroforestry systems in Bali, Indonesia to download instructions on how to submit an online application

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