Fully Funded PhD in Animal Welfare, Genetics, and Behaviour in Pigs at Queen's University Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is offering a fully funded PhD opportunity in the field of animal welfare, genetics, and behaviour, specifically focusing on breeding for positive social behaviour in pigs. This project, based at the School of Biological Sciences in partnership with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the Pig Improvement Company (PIC), and the School of Psychology, aims to explore whether breeding for positive social behaviour can improve pig welfare and production efficiency.
The research will utilize state-of-the-art genetic and genomic approaches to investigate the heritability of both positive and negative social behaviours in pigs, their genetic correlations with production traits, and the potential for incorporating behavioural traits into breeding indices. The project will make use of globally unique datasets containing detailed behavioural records on genotyped animals, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the genetic architecture underlying social behaviours and their impact on welfare and productivity.
The PhD is supervised by Professor Gareth Arnott (QUB), Professor Simon Turner (SRUC), and Dr Grace Carroll (QUB), providing students with excellent exposure to both academic and industry environments. The Pig Improvement Company, the largest pig breeding company in the world, is committed to implementing selection strategies based on the research outcomes, ensuring direct welfare benefits and industry relevance.
Funding for this position is provided through a DfE scholarship, covering full tuition fees and a stipend for living expenses. The opportunity is open exclusively to UK (Home) candidates; international applicants are not eligible. Applicants should hold or expect to achieve at least a 2:1 Honours degree in a relevant discipline such as Biological Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science, or Psychology. Experience or interest in animal behaviour, genetics, or welfare is desirable. English language proficiency requirements apply as per university guidelines.
The application deadline is 2 February 2026, with the project commencing in October 2026. Interested candidates should apply online via the Queen's University Belfast postgraduate application portal, referencing project code SBIO-2026-CAST. For further details, visit the official project page or contact the supervisory team.
Keywords: animal welfare, pig behaviour, genetics, breeding, social behaviour, livestock production, agriculture, biological sciences, psychology, genomics.
