Social and economic networks in sustainable food systems (PhD scholarship)

Application dates

Applications close

10 November 2022

What you’ll receive

You will receive a living stipend of $37,000 per annum, inclusive of a base stipend of $30,000 per annum as well as a top-up of $7,000 per annum, for a period of 3.5 years, subject to satisfactory progression. This amount is tax-exempt for full-time students.

You will also receive either a full tuition fees offset (domestic students) or a full tuition fee sponsorship (international students) for a maximum of 4 years.

Eligibility

To apply for this scholarship, you must meet the entry requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at QUT, including any English language requirements for international students.

You must also be able to commit to full-time, internal study.

How to apply

Interested individuals are invited to discuss the project with Dr Angela Guerrero and must submit a CV and a one page statement of possible research directions to her by 10 November 2022.

What happens next?

Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to submit a full Expression of Interest (EOI) for consideration prior to applying for this scholarship.

More information on the full application process is available at How to apply for a research degree .

Conditions

The conditions for retaining the scholarship are set out in the rules of the QUT Postgraduate Research Award (Domestic) or QUT Postgraduate Research Award (International) .

About the scholarship

This PhD project will investigate how social and economic networks influence the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in the Great Barrier Reef catchments.

The globalisation of food systems has contributed to food security and human health, but also to the rapid degradation of some of our most valuable natural systems. A shift to more sustainable agricultural systems ultimately depends on landholders’ decisions to adopt land management practices that reduce environmental impact. But the factors influencing land management decisions in globally dependent systems are complex, and therefore not well integrated into environmental programs and policies.

Social relationships and networks play a role in constraining and/or enabling people’s actions and therefore influence different aspects of social and economic life – including land management decisions. This PhD project aims to progress understanding of the social and economic relationships between individuals involved in the production and flow of agricultural products and how they influence decisions to adopt sustainable agricultural practices.

Social networks can be defined as formal and informal relationships between individuals and groups. Research on adoption of practices in agricultural settings indicates that social networks influence adoption decisions because they are a source of information and advice and facilitate learning. However, we lack explicit empirical evidence demonstrating how specific aspects of social networks influence adoption decisions. In particular, there is a need to understand the different types of social relationships that are embedded in the production and trade of agricultural commodities, how they overlap with other aspects of social and economic life (e.g. family ties, business relationships) and how they influence land management practices.

Our study systems are sugarcane, grazing, crop, and horticultural systems in Great Barrier Reef catchments, in Queensland Australia. Working in these systems provide an opportunity to deliver research insights that can inform policy and extension program design for the reduction of water quality pollution due to agricultural run-off, thereby helping to protect the valuable ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with leading researchers in the science of social networks, conservation and social-ecological systems, and also with conservation organisations, governments, and policy makers directly involved in GBR conservation.

This scholarship is funded by a Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Fellowship awarded to Dr Angela Guerrero by the Australian Research Council with co-funding from the Queensland University of Technology.

The PhD candidate will be embedded in a broader research project on sustainable food systems. However, the student should also be motivated to explore different research grounds and acquire knowledge and skills across the diversity of disciplines offered at QUT. As part of the interdisciplinary environment of Centre for the Environment, the student will collaborate with and benefit from other students and researchers with diverse research interests and perspectives.

For further information, please contact: Angela Guerrero angela.guerrero@qut.edu.au