UCD PhD Scholarship

PhD Studentship in Environmental, Economic, and Resilience Trade-offs in Beef Production Systems

This is a PhD scholarship opportunity hosted through University College Dublin and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Belfast, within the Co-Centre for Climate + Biodiversity + Water. The project sits at the intersection of agriculture, environmental science, economics, and statistics, with a strong focus on sustainability assessment in beef production systems.

The research will develop an integrated framework to evaluate the environmental, economic, and resilience impacts of sustainability measures in beef production. It will combine Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with farm systems modelling to assess mitigation and adaptation strategies, including greenhouse gas emissions, land use, biodiversity-related indicators, production variability, income stability, and adaptive capacity under climate and market shocks. The project is designed to identify trade-offs and synergies between environmental performance, economic viability, and long-term farm resilience.

The successful PhD student will be jointly supervised by Prof Michael Wallace (University College Dublin) and Dr Austen Ashfield (AFBI). The student will be registered at UCD and will work closely with researchers at AFBI, with residence periods at both institutions arranged as part of the programme. Training will include advanced scientific and analytical skills in LCA, farm systems modelling, economic analysis, sustainability assessment, scientific communication, stakeholder engagement, project management, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Funding: The scholarship provides a stipend of €25,000 per annum plus university fees for 3 years.

Eligibility: Applicants should ideally hold at least a 2:1 Honours degree or a Master’s in Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Science, Agricultural Economics, Animal Science, Biosystems Engineering, or a related discipline. Strong analytical and data handling skills, understanding of pasture-based beef production systems, knowledge of environmental impact assessment, strong IT and communication skills, and excellent written and spoken English are expected. Applicants must meet UCD postgraduate entry requirements, including TOEFL/IELTS where applicable.

Deadline: 14 May 2026 at 5pm IST. Start date: September 2026.

How to apply: Submit the online application form by the deadline, together with a CV and a 1–2 page statement of motivation. Informal enquiries may be sent to [email protected].